Chapter Text
Buck woke up slowly, body overly warm but heart happy. The scent of leather and pine was strong under his nose, faint hints of lavender, lilac, and oak lingering.
He shifted slightly, blinking blearily to look at Eddie still sleeping peacefully, mouth slack and cheeks sleep flushed. Buck smiled fondly before rolling over slightly to check his phone.
The time read 8:42 am, making his nose scrunch. Carla had left a message saying when she'd taken the kids to school/daycare around 7, the two men having come in late from work at midnight after a bad fire.
Eddie hummed, distracting Buck from his phone. "W't time is it?" Eddie mumbled, tightening his hold on Buck's waist and burying his face in his curls.
"Almost 9, Carla got the kids to school without issues," Buck said quietly and Eddie nodded, yawning widely. They didn't move, letting the fog clear from their brains. No hurrying that morning since they didn't need to go into work until noon.
Buck was content to lie there, as long as he forcibly ignored the pressing need to pee. But finally, it just got too much and he sighed, wiggling carefully from the half-asleep hold Eddie had on him.
"No, where are you going?" Eddie whined, making Buck chuckle and kiss his cheek. "Just using the bathroom Eds, I'll be right back," he soothed amused, Eddie grumbling but letting go.
Buck did his business quickly, walking back into the bedroom just to chuckle at the sight of Eddie sprawled out with his face in Buck's pillow.
He moved to the side of the bed and flopped down on top of Eddie, giggling at the rush of air that left his Alpha. "Warning next time, asshole," Eddie grumbled playfully, Buck nipping at his mate's jawline.
"Are you saying I'm too heavy?" Buck asked with a pout, Eddie rolling his eyes as well as he could with half his face pressed into the pillow.
"Never too heavy, but you are a grown ass man cariño," he mumbled and Buck grinned, moving so he was half koalaed on Eddie's back.
Eddie chuckled, wiggling around so he could flip over, leaving Buck straddling his stomach. "Hi," Buck said happily, Eddie smiling fondly at him.
"Hi baby," he said just as happily, Buck beaming as he folded down to tuck his face into Eddie's neck. Eddie's hands started gently rubbing at Buck's thighs and waist, a content, faint purr vibrating Buck's chest.
They laid there in the quiet, just soaking in the peace after the chaos of the night before and the lack of the usual chaos of having three kids.
Buck smiled faintly as Eddie's lips started pressing against his temple, his hairline, the curve of his ear. Buck shivered lightly as his Alpha's fingers pressed against his thigh and hip just a little harder than they had been, lingering.
"We've got a couple of hours before shift, and a house all to ourselves," Eddie mused quietly, his scent shifting just slightly to show his interest.
Buck's purrs grew louder as his body reacted to the scent of his Alpha wanting him, his own changing to match.
"We do, don't we," Buck agreed just as quietly, nuzzling his nose against the tendon of Eddie's neck before nipping lightly at the skin against his mouth.
Eddie's hands tightened suddenly on his waist, his body tensing and flipping them over in a smooth motion. Buck shivered at the casual show of strength, Eddie's grin a bit predatory as his canines flashed.
Buck giggled as he wrapped his arms around Eddie's shoulders, his knees falling apart so he could settle between them. "Whatever should we do," Buck hummed as his chin tilted back, leaving his neck open for Eddie's lips and teeth to press against.
"Might have an idea or two," Eddie mumbled against his skin, settling his full weight down against Buck with a lazy roll of his hips.
Buck's purrs turned into a low groan, body shivering excitedly. His drive wasn't anywhere near where it'd been pre-twins, but with the girls' second birthday only 4 months away, it had made a partial comeback and rarely turned down Eddie's advances now.
"Well, I've never said no to your ideas without good reason," Buck breathed, his body arching lightly into Eddie's. Eddie chuckled as he claimed Buck's lips with his own.
A very nice hour and a half later, Buck leaned quite happily against the kitchen counter with a cup of coffee in his hands. Eddie smelled smug, the scent spiking periodically as he sent his gaze over Buck's shirtless form.
"We've got about an hour and a half before shift," Buck sighed, Eddie nodding. Buck rolled his eyes as Eddie seemed unable to help the smirk every time he saw the honestly surprising amount of marks covering Buck's skin. Eddie had gone a bit feral with the marking.
"So, is there a reason for your apparent need to have claimed me so visibly again?" Buck asked amused, Eddie shrugging in response.
"Instinct, I guess. Something told me to, and it's one I'm never going to deny. You know how I love seeing you covered in my marks," he hummed and Buck chuckled with a head shake.
They did their usual pre-work routine, Buck getting into the driver's seat while Eddie double-checked with Carla to see if she was still available to get the kids that day. She confirmed, said her day with her other client ended at 3 so she'd be ready to get the girls at 3:20 and Chris at 3:30.
Buck frowned at the sky as they pulled into the parking lot of the station, making a face. "Hey Eds, what does the weather app say?" He asked and Eddie checked as Buck parked, making a face a second later.
"Looks to be lightning storms all day with possible rain tonight, it's going to be bad today," he said with a sigh and Buck lightly smacked his arm.
"Shhh," he hissed, Eddie raising an eyebrow at him. "You're going to jinx us!"
"Oh dios," Eddie sighed, Buck frowning at him. "There's no such thing as jinxes, amor, we'll be fine."
"Uh, there are such things, Diaz. Don't you remember when Ravi said the q word?" Buck demanded as they jumped out of the truck, heading inside the station.
Eddie rolled his eyes, Hen and Chimney looking up curiously as Buck grumbled. "If we're cursed, I'm blaming you," Buck mumbled and Eddie smiled amused at him as he gathered his uniform.
"You go ahead baby, we'll be just fine," he said indulgent like and Buck stuck his tongue out at him. Eddie felt a moment of mild urge to nip at it, but figured Chimney and Hen wouldn't appreciate that.
"How did he curse us?" Chimney demanded and Buck quickly said before Eddie could deny anything, "He said today was going to be bad because we checked the weather."
"Goddammit Diaz," Chimney whined, Eddie rolling his eyes as he slipped his shirt on over his head.
"Yeah yeah yeah, whatever," he said amused, slipping his wedding ring off his finger to replace it with the silicone one. The metal one was slid carefully onto his necklace chain next to his St. Christopher medal, his heart warming at the mental thought of always having both of his boys with him.
They were waiting on the pendants they'd ordered for the girls. One engraved with a moon for Calida and one with the North Star for Ember, since Eddie's nicknames of "estrella" and "luna" stuck.
The work day started, calls plentiful but not overwhelming. A couple intense ones, like the man who'd gotten impaled by glass because he was too close to a lightning strike being buried in the sand. That one had been a lot.
It was just after dinner time when the skies opened up, bringing more calls of accidents, a few medical calls that ended up being panic attacks and even a small kitchen fire. But still, nothing too bad.
"So, we're about 7 hours into our 12-hour shift, you still think we're cursed?" Eddie teased Buck and the Omega rolled his eyes at him. "I don't know, something's coming," he mumbled, frowning slightly.
Eddie was about to open his mouth to tease him, but paused as he took him in. Buck really did see on edge, a wrinkle between his eyebrows and usually bright blue eyes darkened to a more cobalt blue with stress.
He stepped forward instead, cupping his jaw with his palms. "Hey, baby, it's going to be okay. We're all okay, I promise. We've got a few minutes before Cap calls us to dinner, you want to call the kids? Carla should be getting the twins ready for bed here in a minute," he said soothingly, pushing love and reassurance down the bond.
Buck took a shaky breath before nodding faintly. Eddie smiled reassuringly and pulled him aside, catching Hen's eye a moment and getting a look of understanding.
Buck was the work pack Omega, and when he felt on edge or off, everyone did. Hen and Athena may mother everyone as the women pack Alphas, Buck and Karen were what the stability relied on.
They reached the locker room and sat down, Eddie quickly calling Carla. It rang twice before her familiar face showed in the camera, a bright smile greeting them.
Before she could even say anything, a flurry of squeals and cheers interrupted her, Eddie smiling fondly as Buck's shoulders relaxed.
"Dada! Papa!" The girls yelled, Carla chuckling as she sat down and let them take over. "There's my girls," Buck said, the hint of relief hidden very well under the adoration and joy in his tone.
"Dad! Papa!" Chris called happily, the 12-year-old peeking his head over the back of the couch. "Hey buddy," Eddie said just as happily, something he hadn't even realised pressing on him easing at the sight of all three of their pups.
"Miss you, home soon?" Ember asked hopefully, Calida nodding quickly in agreement. Eddie's heart warmed and ached at the same time, a soft smile crossing his lips as Buck let out a soft, soothing purr the girls would hear through the phone.
"Soon, mis princesas, we have 5 more hours, okay?" Eddie said clearly, holding up 5 fingers. Calida frowned as Ember held up a hand too, Calida counting her sister's fingers.
"Five!" The younger twin cheered, Eddie chuckling. The alarm went off right then, Eddie making a playful face at the girls as they shot up.
"We love you so much baby loves, we'll see you soon okay?" Buck said warmly yet quickly, the two men rushing to throw their turncoats on as the alarm picked up intensity to show a higher alert emergency.
"Love you too!" Calida called, Chris waving from behind them. Buck blew a kiss at them before hanging up, climbing into the truck just ahead of Eddie.
Hen and Chim were already seated, Bobby and Richards in the front as Richards would be driving. "Five-alarm fire at an older apartment complex. There are currently 17 people unaccounted for, but the 217, 136 and 142 are also responding," Bobby informed them, Eddie's shoulders straightening as he slid into the high alert mindset.
Buck's ankle wrapped around his, the two sharing a smile as they watched the streets and buildings flash by. The lights of the siren reflected off the rain, the downpour heavy and loud.
Eddie worried about Buck's leg, it having been bothering him a few hours ago as the rainclouds had rolled in. Bobby had let them take 30 minutes to take care of it, Eddie gently massaging the CBD oil into the joint and holding a warm pack over the scars that decorated Buck's shin.
They heard the fire before they saw it, the yells of the other stations, victims and spectators echoing the streets, the roar of the flames and the sounds of the hoses a white noise under the rain.
The fire was massive, Eddie's stomach clenching as they all hopped out of the truck to wait for Bobby to touch base with the IC.
"This one's bad," Buck said worriedly, voice just barely audible under all the noise. Eddie nodded, eyes flickering around to take in the crowd and chaos of the scene.
"Alright, the 136 and 142 are already inside on rescue and recovery, the 217 are on hoses. Buck, Eddie and Chimney, you two help with the flame control on the truck. Hen, Ravi, I need you two to help with medical, there's a lot of people injured in the panic to get out and whoever the others rescue.
"Everyone else, crowd control, hose work on the ground, and if you can, medical. Let's go!" Bobby ordered, everyone splitting and running off to where they were instructed.
Eddie looked up at the sky for a moment, jaw clenched. He didn't know if it was the emotions coming through the bond or his own instincts, but something felt wrong.
He shook his head and focused on the job. Buck and Chimney were bickering as they waited for Richards to get the truck into position and the ladder extended.
"Chim, come on, it's my turn!" Buck complained and Chimney rolled his eyes, Eddie grinning faintly. "Didn't know we were keeping track, Diaz," Chim said and Buck just grinned as he always did when he was called Diaz.
"Of course, you know me," Buck said smugly and Chimney laughed, shrugging. "Alright, whatever. Go harness up, Richards is almost in place," he said and Buck whooped, rushing off to grab his harness.
Eddie stepped forward to double-check the harness and ropes, Buck smiling brightly at him. "All set baby, be careful, I've got your back," he said and Buck saluted him as he turned to check the truck.
"Go get 'em cowboy!" Eddie called as Buck started up the ladder, Eddie moving to stand at the foot of it while Chimney controlled the winch. He was to have Buck's back, he wasn't going to let him down now.
Eddie's skin prickled, an odd pressure making the hair on his arms and the back of his neck rise. He watched Buck closely, the Omega at the very top of the ladder with the hose in his hands.
Buck moved as if to turn around and face him, but before he could, a bright white light flashed, blocking Eddie's vision.
Something shoved him, a hot burning erupting on his palms as he went airborne and flew off the truck. He landed hard, his breath rushing out and his back throbbing with ache.
But all that paled in comparison to the white hot searing that filled his soul. The mark on his neck burned as if someone had taken a poker, heated it cherry red, and then shoved it against his skin.
And then, in a flash, it was gone. The pain, the subtle weight of the bond in the back of his mind, the warmth that was the love Buck always felt, it was gone. Severed.
Eddie rolled over disoriented, nausea rolling through his stomach and his ears ringing. He picked up his helmet and looked up, the nausea amping and threatening to overturn as he took in the sight of Buck, of his Omega, hanging limp off the end of the ladder.
"Buck!" He screamed, scrambling to his feet and ignoring every ache and spike of pain in order to get to his mate. "Buck! Baby, answer me!" He screamed, reaching in vain for the familiar warmth of their bond.
He couldn't feel him. The bond was broken, the thread that had clung on so stubbornly during childbirth, during the shooting, snapped. Eddie hadn't felt so empty, so lost, so untethered in his life.
He got to the top of the ladder, panting hard as he grabbed the rope that was keeping Buck from falling. The features that Eddie knew so well, from the plumpness of Buck's lips, expressiveness of his eyebrows, adorable scrunch of his nose, the darkness of his birthmark, was muted. Limp. Wrong.
"Buck! Can you hear me?" Eddie yelled above the rain, above the roar of the fire, above the sound of the hose still spraying water. Buck didn't answer, and Eddie fought through the pounding of wrongwrongwrong coursing through his veins to grab the rope and pull with every bit of strength he had.
Eddie had spent hours in the gym just to always be able to pick up his Omega. Buck was a large man, and Buck knew it. He was strong, tall, broad, gorgeous. But since the pregnancy, he was also insecure sometimes, especially about his weight.
Eddie had done everything he could to make sure he could always lift his mate. To show him he was never too heavy, never too much, his perfect mate no matter how much weight he had on his hips and waist.
That strength failed him now. No matter how hard he pulled, strained, tapped into his Alpha strength, he couldn't get Buck to him. He sobbed as he pulled again, shaking his head as he caught sight of Bobby moving to stand below Buck.
"I need more slack!" He yelled at Chim, the man obeying immediately and together they lowered Buck down to Bobby. The second Eddie saw the rope go lax, he let go and sprinted as fast as he dared down the slick ladder, feet slipping twice but the grip he had on the railings didn't let him fall.
He jumped to the ground, stumbling so his hands hit the ground. But he forced himself to keep moving, boots slipping on the slick, loose rocks as he hurried over to the gurney the team had gotten Buck on.
Eddie nearly shoved Bobby aside as he reached their sides, no one stopping him as one wouldn't get between an Alpha and his injured mate. Chim was doing compressions, Eddie swallowing hard as a sob threatened to rip through his chest.
"Eddie, you're driving!" Bobby shouted, shoving the keys into his hands and guiding him to the front.
"But-" Eddie attempted to protest but Bobby shot him a look, Eddie unable to help the head duck of submission to the pack Alpha.
He grabbed the keys and sprinted to the driver's seat, still reaching for the bond like his life depended on it. "Go!" Hen yelled in the back and Eddie quickly hit the gas, maneuvering around the people and cars until he got onto the road.
The trip went in a blur, Eddie unsure of how he actually managed to get them to the closest hospital. Someone probably should have told Bobby it's more than likely unwise to make the man who just lost his mate drive said mate to the hospital.
The second he shoved the joystick into park, he jumped out of the ambulance and sprinted around. Chim was still doing compressions, Eddie shouting, "Switch!" as he skidded to a stop next to the gurney.
Chim jumped off just as Eddie jumped on, his hands pressed against Buck's chest. A horrified shiver ran down his spine at the crackle under his palms from broken ribs, the lack of beat that Eddie was so intimately familiar with Buck's heart.
"I never order you to do anything, Evan Diaz, but I'm ordering you now. Come back to me. You're not allowed to leave me," Eddie hissed, knowing his eyes were red as his wolf simmered under his skin.
"We have sinus rhythm, shocking!" Hen yelled, the heart monitor spiking a bit. Eddie jumped off as Chim yelled, "Clear!"
The paddles were pressed against Buck's chest, Eddie's eyes drawn to the lightning-shaped scars decorating the skin. One striking through the biggest mark Eddie had just put on him that morning. His heart stuttered as Buck's chest arched with the shock, Eddie's knees going weak as the heart monitor showed an even pulse.
"We've got a pulse!" Hen yelled, Eddie leaping forward again as they rushed the gurney inside. His hand wrapped around Buck's for a moment, the touch of his now alive mate sending the bond surging to life.
Eddie did stumble at the rush of emotions, but managed to stay on his feet. He refused to let go of Buck's hand, not until the absolute last minute.
"30-year-old male Omega, severe cardiac arrest after a lightning strike. History of blood clots, he's allergic to naproxen!" Bobby rushed out as the nurses took control of the gurney.
"We'll do all we can!" One called out, Eddie's vocal cords finally working as he yelled out, "Do more!"
The doors swung shut, Eddie's heart stuttering as his mate disappeared from his view. Hen and Bobby grabbed onto him, Chim on Hen's other side.
"Bobby," Eddie choked out, his hand pressed against his chest. Now that he could feel Buck again, and knew he was getting help, the adrenaline was wearing off. And holy shit, ow.
"Are you hurt?" Hen demanded, Eddie looking up dazed. "I think so," he said dimly, hands shaking as he held up his hands.
Hen quickly yet carefully yanked the obviously burnt cloth of his gloves off his hands, gasping at the lightning marks on his palms and wrists.
Eddie's knees buckled, his vision flickering dangerously. "We've got another one!" He heard Bobby yell, sounding extremely far away for someone Eddie swears he can see his boots in front of him.
"You better hang on Eddie, your pups need you, Buck needs you," Bobby demanded, the slight hint of Alpha tone making Eddie's eyes open blearily.
"Yes sir," he mumbled before his eyes rolled back, everything going blissfully dark.