Chapter Text
“Okay!” Buck happily exclaimed, clasping his hands together as he admired his finished creation. Two containers packed with chicken tinga, a third one filled to the brim with warm tortillas, and a few smaller ones for the sides. Very basic, classic, and quick to make, but no less one of Eddie’s favourite comfort foods. He’d seemed a little down these past few days, so it wouldn’t hurt to try and cheer him up with something good and familiar.
“Now we only need to pack these up, and then we’ll bring them to your daddy, yeah?”
He turned around, fully expecting his two-year-old to be sitting in her chair, quietly eating her veggie soup like the behaved little girl she usually was, only to flinch so hard his whole body jolted.
“Sofie, what—“ The shock punched the air from his chest. He quickly cut himself off, grabbing a handful of paper towels and dampening them as fast as he could. With a sigh, he took the bowl and spoon away from her and wiped her mouth clean, though it didn’t make much difference considering the chaos in front of him.
There was soup everywhere. On her clothes, her cheeks, her little hands, splattered across the table… and somehow even across the floor.
“I turn my back for thirty seconds, and you go and turn the kitchen into a war zone…” Buck whispered under his breath, pulling off her bib and lifting her into his arms. Another sigh left his lips as he quickly washed her hands, then hurried to her room to grab a clean shirt.
He changed her into a yellow sweater with bees on it before returning to tackle the mess on the table and the floor. That alone ate up several more precious minutes.
Despite having promised his coworkers that he’d be at the station by 10, one quick glance at the time told him that he was already 15 minutes late, making him groan and pack the containers at record speed.
He slung the bag around his shoulder, grabbed his keys, slipped into his shoes, then picked up Sofie from where she’d been playing with a toy car on the floor. Outside, it took another two minutes to tuck her securely into her seat and strap the food bag down before he finally dropped into the driver’s seat with a heavy exhale.
“Alright, you excited to see everyone again? Hen, Chim, Bobby? I bet they’ve missed you,” he asked loudly as he pulled out of the driveway. Through the rearview mirror, he didn’t miss the way her little face lit up at the mention of bobby’s name. He had always been like a third grandfather to her, and they both loved each other to pieces.
Smiling, and a bit more relaxed than before, Buck turned the music up and sang along to some children’s songs in hopes of keeping her entertained. Which turned out to be a great idea, because she smiled and babbled happily the whole drive, all the way until they finally pulled into the station’s parking lot.
He swiftly got out, then hurried to the back. “Okay, come on, angel,” he muttered as he pulled her out and held her tight with one arm, supporting her on his hip, before he grabbed the bag with his free hand.
A comforting wave washed over him the moment he stepped into the station. All the different scents of the alphas here, of his pack, tickled his nose in a welcoming and grounding way. Luckily they all seemed to be in a good mood.
He had barely reached the top of the stairs before Hen’s loud shriek echoed through the loft.
“Oh my god, look what cute baby girl finally showed up!” She squealed in excitement just as she jogged up to them and scooped the toddler from Buck’s arm, hugging her tightly and smothering her in kisses.
Had it been anyone else, anyone not from his pack, Buck might’ve gone borderline feral. But Hen was family. So he only smiled gratefully and went to drop the bag on the table.
His daughter’s bright, high-pitched giggles filled the loft as he began unpacking the containers one by one. But a tiny gasp made him look up to see Bobby emerging from the back, his lips curling into a soft, warm smile.
“Hen, as your captain, I’m telling you to hand her over to me now,” Bobby ordered calmly, his tone teasing as he approached.
“What? Hey, you can’t do that!”
“You heard me.”
Just as he was about to reach out to the girl, completely ignoring Hen’s glare, a pair of hands suddenly swooped in from the side and snatched the toddler right from Hen’s arms
“Alright, enough stealing,” Eddie sighed, though the smirk on his face betrayed him. He hugged Sofie close and covered the side of her face in soft kisses, turning away from the other two’s offended looks. “That’s right, mi amor, your dad’s right here.”
Smiling quietly to himself, Buck shook his head. Moments like these reminded him just how lucky he was to have them. Coworkers who had become friends, then family. People who loved his daughter wholeheartedly and would do anything for her. That was something he never took for granted, especially considering she’d been conceived while he was—and still is—unmated.
Watching her squeal with laughter in Eddie’s arms made his chest warm in the best way. He could watch them forever.
“God, Buck, this is amazing!” Chimney’s voice came out of nowhere, making Buck abruptly turn toward the table. Chim was nodding approvingly while chewing, spoon in hand and every container already opened in front of him.
“Ah, finally someone who noticed my existence as well,” Buck announced loudly, walking around the table to clap a dramatic hand on Chim’s shoulder. The sarcasm was unmistakable, earning him a collective, flat “Hey, Buck,” while not a single pair of eyes left the toddler.
He huffed a small laugh, shaking his head, then opened the cupboards to grab plates.
Soon enough, the chaos subsided. Everyone filtered toward the table, thanking him for the food and asking about his day, genuinely this time.
“Hey, everything alright?” Eddie’s quiet voice beside him made Buck pause mid-rummage through his bag.
“Yeah. Why?”
“You seemed kinda stressed earlier.”
Buck fell silent, then sighed and let the bag drop. “Yeah, just—” He wiped a hand over his forehead. “Sofie woke me up so early today because she wouldn’t stop crying, and then it took me longer than expected to prepare the food, and then she threw her soup literally everywhere, which I bet some of it is still on the floor even though I cleaned it, and now I just realized I forgot her bib and her fork and I didn’t bring any extra clothes and—”
“Buck.”
The single word made him stop short. He hadn’t even realized he was spiralling.
The warm hand on his shoulder, mixed with the sudden, all too familiar scent of pine and slightly burned sugar in the air, grounded Buck in a way he didn’t know he needed. Although Eddie wasn’t his alpha, he still appreciated the help, drowning in the comforting effect his scent had for a moment.
He closed his eyes for a second, then opened them again and trailed his gaze down to the sleepy girl in Eddie’s arms. At least they were standing a few feet away from the others; he hated the idea of seeming weak in front of them. And thank god he’d remembered his scent blocker today, otherwise the loft would’ve been thick with the smell of his stress.
“Everything’s alright, okay? Nothing that can’t be fixed,” Eddie murmured softly, his eyes searching Buck’s as he squeezed his arm gently. “Do you want me to take her today? I can ask if I—”
“No,” Buck cut in quickly. “No, it’s fine. I’m just… glad to be here with you guys right now.”
Even though Eddie didn’t look entirely convinced, his brows pulled together, he eventually nodded. His hand drifted from buck’s shoulder to the small of his back, nudging him gently toward the table.
Bobby immediately insisted on taking Sofie once they sat down, so Eddie passed her over before taking his own seat. Almost instantly, she regained her full energy again, reaching across the table to steal a piece of shredded lettuce from one of the containers.
“Ooh, going straight for the greens. You guys taught her well,” Hen chuckled.
Eddie crossed his arms proudly. “Thank Buck’s great cooking skills and healthy diet for that.”
A ripple of soft laughter went around the table before they all quieted for Bobby’s usual prayer.
The moment he finished, hands shot across the table like a pack of eager children. Buck barely blinked before half the tortillas and the first container of chicken had disappeared.
A collective chorus of “mhh” filled the air, followed by enthusiastic chewing that warmed Buck’s heart. The food wasn’t anything fancy, but he was grateful they enjoyed it so much anyway.
He waited until they were all busy devouring their food before assembling his own. He placed a warm tortilla down, added a generous scoop of shredded chicken, then topped it with lettuce, avocado slices, and a drizzle of sour cream. Simple.
“Oh… wow. You really know how to make this,” Eddie murmured between mouthfuls, eyes closed, as he continuously pointed at his plate. “You want another baby?”
Buck froze instantly.
The tortilla in his hand hovered halfway to his mouth, a piece of chicken dangling helplessly, while every single person at the table went still like someone had hit a giant pause button.
But Eddie… Eddie just kept eating.
Completely unfazed and oblivious. As if he hadn’t just blurted out the most loaded question in existence between them.
He scooped more chicken into his tortilla, folded it neatly, nodded approvingly, and took another big bite with a satisfied hum. “Seriously, this is amazing. We should make this more often.”
Buck’s heart was doing something that might have qualified as acrobatics inside his chest. Heat crept up his neck, his ears burning, his palms sweating instantly. He could practically hear Hen’s brain screaming across the table.
Chim was the first to speak up. “Uh… Eddie? Buddy?” he croaked. “Did you… did you just propose having another kid with Buck over lunch?”
Eddie looked up with a smear of tortilla sauce on his lip, confused. “What? No. I mean…” He frowned, apparently finally noticing the five pairs of eyes glued to him. “I was just saying the food is really good.”
Hen leaned forward. “That is not what you said.”
“I literally heard: ‘You want another baby?’” Chim repeated, pointing at him accusingly.
Eddie blinked. Then blinked again. “Oh. Well…” He shrugged lightly. “It was a joke.”
The air left Buck’s lips in a shaky exhale he hoped nobody noticed. A joke. Right. Of course. His heart was beating way too fast for something that was apparently just a joke.
He tried to move again, but his body was still stuck in place. “Man,” he managed with a nervous laugh, “maybe… think about phrasing next time.”
Eddie gave him an apologetic smile, one side of his mouth curling up in that familiar way that always managed to knock Buck a little off balance. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to freak anyone out.”
Bobby cleared his throat and patted Sofie’s back as she wiggled in his lap. “Well, I think we can all agree the food is wonderful. Maybe we focus on that before we stress Buck into an early grave.”
That earned a round of relieved laughter, the tension melting just enough for everyone to start eating again. Except Buck, who finally forced his hand to lower the tortilla to his plate.
His pulse slowed, but not by much.
He could feel Eddie’s gaze drifting to him from time to time, soft in that way Eddie rarely let anyone else see. It made his stomach twist, but not in a bad way… which only made things worse. It was the same twist he used to get back then, years ago, before the accidental pregnancy, before Eddie told him they had to co-parent as best friends.
He picked at his food as chatter filled the loft again. Sofie babbled happily, reaching for a piece of tortilla Eddie handed her, Bobby teased Chim, Hen recounted something from earlier in the morning.
And Eddie leaned back in his chair, perfectly relaxed and unaware of the way Buck’s entire world had short-circuited for a moment.
He took a quiet breath. Then another.
He reminded himself that he was fine. It was fine. Just an offhand comment. Just Eddie being Eddie.
Still, as he watched Eddie help Sofie wipe sour cream off her chin, Buck felt something warm settle in his chest. Something he had forced himself not to feel ever again.
He pushed the feeling aside. Or tried to.
“Buck,” Hen called from across the table, eyes narrowing with a teasing smile. “You okay over there?”
“Of course,” he grinned. “Just enjoying the peace.”
Chim reached for more lettuce. “Peace? After Eddie tried to jumpstart co-parenting round two?”
“Chim.” Bobby warned.
Eddie hid his face in one hand, groaning. “It was a joke.”
Buck knew it was. He really did. But that didn’t stop his heart from giving one last flip at the thought of Eddie saying something like that without thinking.
It was a sensitive topic, one they usually never talked about.
The scent of slightly burned sugar that had comforted Buck not too long ago suddenly smelled like someone had slammed a pot of dark, burnt, acidic caramel right in front of his nose. Fucking hell.
Instead of letting it get to his head, he forced himself to focus on the other alphas’ scents around the table. Which… only left him with Hen’s. But that was fine. Great, actually. Her warm honey and amber scent had grounded him more times than he could count, pulling him out of moments of panic and anxiety with nothing more than a steady breath.
Like always when he felt helpless, his eyes searched for his daughter. For those striking blue eyes that were probably the only thing she’d gotten from him. Other than that, she looked frighteningly like Eddie. Same smile, same cheeks, same everything.
He noticed her little hair clip sliding off, hanging on by a single stubborn, dark strand, and every instinct in him screamed to take her back into his arms, hold her close, fix the clip, and breathe in her sweet scent. His fingers twitched with the urge under the table, but he forced himself to stay still. He wasn’t going to just snatch her away from Bobby and make everyone uncomfortable.
Hell no.
And Bobby, bless him, was doing his best to pretend nothing had happened, rocking her gently as she bit into a slice of avocado.
Buck pretended too. Because that was what he did. He pushed things down and smiled like nothing was wrong.
Which was the truth. Nothing was wrong.
Everything was just fine.
Though that didn’t explain the overwhelming wave of relief that washed over him when the alarm suddenly went off.
The next few things all happened in a matter of seconds. They thanked Buck again for the food, apologised for having to leave, and handed him his daughter.
Before Eddie ran off, he pressed a quick kiss to sofie’s cheek and whispered them both goodbye.
And then Buck was alone again. With her. And despite usually preferring to be surrounded by his pack, he felt a strange sense of ease settle over him.
He sighed, then stood up and carried the toddler on one arm again, scared she might run around and hurt herself at the stairs if he’d let her go. With his free hand, he began stacking the dirty plates and brought them to the dishwasher, grateful to see it was empty. The rest of the leftovers went into the fridge before Buck grabbed his discarded bag and made his way down the stairs and back to his Jeep.
He was tired already, and the day had barely even started yet.