Reading Time: 110 Minutes

Title: A Glimpse of Us
Author: Keira Marcos
Fandom: 9-1-1
Relationship: Evan Buckley/Eddie Diaz, Evan Buckley/OMC (past), Eddie Diaz/Shannon Diaz (past), Canon Pairings as appropriate for the AU
Genre:  Romance, Soulmate AU, Magical World
Warnings:  Canon-Typical Violence, Explicit Sex, Stalking, Homophobia, Character Bashing, Verbal Abuse, Grammarly Beta, Human Trafficking, Discussion-Domestic Abuse, Discussion-Child Abuse, Discussion-Child Abandonment, Discussion-Child Death, Discussion-Savior Siblings
Word Count: 56,004
Summary:  Eddie Diaz met his soulmate a year after he married Shannon Whitt due to an accidental pregnancy. Five years later, he’s been discharged from the Army and is newly divorced. He moves his son to LA for a fresh start in the hopes that maybe he can reconnect with the man he’d spent just six amazing hours with years before. Buck was going through the motions, working as a firefighter and sort of dating a man who doesn’t care that he has a soulmate. Then Eddie Diaz followed him on Instagram, something they agreed wouldn’t happen as long as he was married. Neither had wanted to be tempted into an affair with continued contact. Buck broke up with the man he’s seeing casually immediately and followed Eddie back.

* * * *

Chapter 6

Eddie had told him about his grandmother, so he thought he was prepared to meet Isabel Diaz. Water elementals didn’t always mesh well with fire elementals, so he was careful to keep his own gift on lockdown as they were introduced. But the deep well of power inside of her was stunning and comforting. He took the hand she offered, and she put her free hand in the center of his chest.

“I’ve rarely met a fire elemental with such a quietness in them,” she said.

“I’ve heard that before. I really didn’t understand why until I met Eddie,” Buck said, and she nodded. “They don’t talk about how easily an earth elemental can anchor those around them. Even separation didn’t change that for me. I’ve noticed over the last two years that my core has started to expand. In retrospect, I think my magic saw a reunion coming.”

“Yes, I agree,” Isabel said. “Some people dismiss the intelligence of magic to the detriment of themselves and others. I’m glad to see such wisdom in a man as young as you are. Come, we are making empanadas for lunch since Christopher loves them. I will teach you to make them.”

“Great,” Buck said with a quick smile in Eddie’s direction.

He let himself be led through the house to a large kitchen where Sophia Diaz was already making what looked like little meat hand pies. Everything smelled delicious. Eddie put Christopher up on a stool beside his aunt, and the boy leaned in. He kissed his forehead with a laugh.

They’d clearly laid out supplies to make many. He glanced over the operation and then went to wash his hands when Isabel had finished. “Did you make the filling the day before?”

“I like to,” Isabel said. “But long enough to cool in the fridge is fine as well, so the pastry won’t get too warm before baking or frying. These freeze very well, so we’re making enough for your freezer as well.”

“Eddie, her fence has some loose boards. Luis was supposed to come to fix them, but he had to go out of town for work. She didn’t remind him when he came back,” Sophia said with a look in her grandmother’s direction.

“He’s a busy man,” Isabel said. “It’s fine.”

“I’ll check it out,” Eddie said, and Buck nodded when he got a questioning look.

He appreciated that Eddie didn’t leave him alone with his grandmother without an affirmation that it would be fine. They had a sweet and overt family vibe that Buck had never really experienced in his own family. His sister had bailed as soon as she could, and his parents were a nightmare. It hadn’t taken him long to figure out they were the ones that were damaged and wrong, despite how often they’d like to say that he was the problem.

It took him a couple of tries, but he figured out how to fill and fold the little pies quickly enough that it wasn’t embarrassing. It wasn’t all that different than making soup dumplings, which he and Howard had learned to do via YouTube.

“Have you ever set anything on fire by accident, Buck?” Christopher asked.

“No, fortunately, I didn’t manifest the ability to make fire until I was nearly seventeen, and I’d already moved past the outburst stage,” Buck said. “My parents put me in training when I was younger than you—as soon as they realized I was a fire elemental. They did it for themselves instead of me since they were petrified that I’d set their house on fire. I’ve always had an even temper, so that helped as well. Many fire and water elementals are quick to anger.”

Isabel hummed under her breath. “Yes, I was quite well known for my temper as a young woman. But with age came temperance of a sort,” Isabel said. “Though most never considered me all that dangerous.”

“You mean those people who don’t understand that a water elemental was once called an ice elemental?” Buck asked with a grin, and she laughed.

“It’s been years since I put anyone on ice,” Isabel said dryly, and Sophia sighed. “Relax, dear, it wasn’t your mother.”

“Grandma could use a big time out,” Christopher said and shrugged when they all looked at him. “She gets all red-faced when she’s mad and yelling, so maybe some ice would help.”

“You’re a professional enabler, kid,” Buck said, and the boy laughed.

Eddie came back into the kitchen, went to a side door, and disappeared into what Buck assumed to be the garage. He came back with a toolbox. “Several of the planks need to be replaced. I’m going to nail everything back into place for the time being and come back with supplies to do a full repair. Also, it needs to be repainted.”

“Luis has been busy with work,” Isabel said. “It’s fine.”

Eddie just left with a little frown. Buck didn’t like to leave things undone either, so he got it.

“He’s always been that way,” Sophia said. “He didn’t even sleep in on Saturdays when he was little.”

“Me neither,” Buck admitted and shrugged when she looked his way. “I really don’t like sitting idle if I can help it. There’s always something I can do. When I was little, I kind of thought sleep was a waste of time. I still do, honestly, I just also recognize I need it.”

“I love to sleep,” Christopher said, and Sophia nodded her agreement. “It’s definitely a hobby I intend on keeping and taking seriously.”

Buck laughed. “You may feel different once your magic starts to manifest.”

Christopher made a face and huffed. “That would be so rude.”

It was kind of rude, but Buck figured encouraging that kind of thinking wasn’t the best choice he could make, so he concentrated on his task. He wondered if he could find an eBook on parenting with realistic and accurate advice. He made a mental note to ask his therapist for a recommendation, which seemed the safer option.

“Did you always want to be a firefighter, Buck?” Sophia questioned.

“It’s one of the public service careers that elemental mages are encouraged to pursue,” Buck said. “So, I started getting recruitment speeches in high school. Of course, I was approached by all the military service branches and the magicorps. I very nearly joined the Navy but changed my mind just short of enlistment. Some friends of mine were heading for Colorado after high school, and I tagged along. I was already climbing recreationally at that point, so I got some training. Then ended up climbing some mountains and worked as an instructor and guide for a while. Then, I started volunteering work with SAR in Aspen. I met a former battalion chief there, and he talked to me a lot about the LAFD.”

“And that was it?” Sophia questioned.

“Pretty much—I enjoy the work a lot and due to my abilities, I can be an immense help to society, and that’s important for mages to consider,” Buck said.

“Why?” Christopher questioned.

Buck hesitated as he was uncertain what Eddie had told Christopher about the politics of being magical.

“Mages have to be careful despite the protections we enjoy,” Isabel said. “Society finds us most tolerable when we are seen as useful and good. This is all the more important when one of our kind…shows their culo.”

“I know that’s a curse word,” Christopher said, and Isabel laughed. “I’m not allowed to say it. I can say butt, though.”

“Sure about that, Mijo?” Eddie questioned as he came back into the house.

“It’s on the list,” Christopher said and nodded firmly, clearly confident about his future use. “I just can’t call people butt holes.”

Buck laughed, and Eddie sighed, then went to store the toolbox.

“Even if they are,” Christopher continued. “Because that’s rude, and I’m not old enough to be rude. And once I am old enough to be rude—I can use the curse words.”

“This seems like a rule you made up yourself,” Buck said in amusement.

“Those are the best rules,” Christopher said as Eddie shut the door leading into the garage. “I have to be responsible for myself, right, Daddy?”

“Sure, Mijo,” Eddie said in amusement and tugged briefly on a curl before going to wash his hands. “I’m almost afraid to ask, but why are the four of you discussing butts?”

“Abuelita said that mages have to be extra nice and helpful to make up for mages that show their butts, but she used the Spanish curse word for butt,” Christopher reported.

“Tattle tail,” Isabel muttered, and Christopher giggled.

* * * *

“How’d you get so lucky?” Eddie asked, and Howard Price laughed.

The older man tapped his chest gently, just over his heart. “Met my girl again shortly after I finished my residency. Couldn’t believe that sweet and amazing girl was for me. Took me a whole year to get her to stand still so I could take a knee.”

Carla sent them both a look and returned to her reading. “If you boys burn my dinner—I’m gonna be cross.”

Eddie wasn’t entirely sure how he got saddled with the barbeque duty, except for the fact that he was from Texas, and apparently, both Buck and Howard thought that meant he was qualified. He was, of course. Since he didn’t want to make Carla cross, he checked on the hamburgers and earned a smirk from Howard.

Buck and Christopher were in the pool. Eddie was relieved by Buck’s boundless energy because he was still tired from the drive and didn’t think he could’ve handled the pool with his son. The Prices had a lovely energy that he envied. He hoped that once he and Buck got to a place where they could bond that they’d create a similar energy. It was very comfortable and warm. He wanted that kind of vibe for Christopher and any other children they were able to bring into their family.

They’d brought home two bowls full of empanadas since his abuela had wanted to send some to Carla and Howard as a thank-you for being so welcoming. Howard warmed one up to sample immediately and asked for the recipe. Buck had promised that he’d already gotten it, so there would probably be more in his future, and Eddie was pleased with the idea.

“What do you think of California so far?” Howard questioned.

“I’ve always preferred it over Texas,” Eddie said. “I came here a lot when I was younger and trained with my abuela. Coming back here to live permanently was something I always wanted to do. I’d have lived with her as a child if my parents would’ve allowed it.”

“Your parents aren’t magical?”

“They have no real magical gifts to speak of,” Eddie said. “They have the genetics, though, and all of their children are magical. My sister, Sophia, and I have active soul marks. Adriana’s smudged and faded when she was a baby, so she never really had any connection with that magic to miss it. Which is a blessing.”

Howard nodded. “That’s sad for her.”

“My parents refused to let her discuss it ever. From the outside, we were picture perfect,” Eddie said roughly. “No one would’ve questioned it.” He focused on his son, who was giggling and trying to splash Buck. “But staying in Texas gave me a gift I’d not part with for anything or anyone.”

Howard nodded. “Children change things, that’s for certain. We were not blessed this time, but we have a host of nieces and nephews. The youngest just graduated high school.”

“I dread the day my son asks to borrow my truck to go on a date,” Eddie muttered, and Howard laughed. “Seriously. It’s already life-ruining. In some ways, it’s like he was born yesterday. I missed a lot serving overseas. When I first came home, I was just grateful to be alive to see him again. I worried that I wouldn’t.”

“Must have been very difficult. You seem to have recovered physically from the experience.”

“I dislocated my shoulder in the crash and cracked a few ribs,” Eddie said. “After I put my shoulder back in place, I dragged out the members of my team who couldn’t get out on their then went back for the…dead.” He glanced toward the pool to make sure his son was still occupied. “After that, I used sand to create a wall for our protection. I had to dig deep magically for water to help solidify everything. It was taxing since I’d never done anything like it before.

“I had to fortify it over and over again due to artillery strikes. Eventually, I had to start sacrificing parts of my defensive wall. They had an elemental mage on their side throwing fireballs at us. The mage started targeting me. I must have been pretty easy to find since I was throwing off so much magic and had no one on the team to defend me magically. Then I took a bullet.”

“It must have been a very difficult experience,” Howard said. “What happened then?”

“The wall shattered, and I thought that was it. Then reinforcements arrived. I just buried my hand in the sand again and started to pull power from the ground as much as I could. I couldn’t heal myself, but I hoped I could prevent myself from bleeding out.” Eddie took a deep breath. “And I did.”

“We’re glad you’re here,” Howard said and stood. “I’ll get the buns and platter of fixings.”

Eddie wondered how much of his social life going forward would involve cooking and eating. If that was the case, he wasn’t mad about it. He checked to make sure the burger they’d made for Christopher was thoroughly cooked and slid it off the grill. It was smaller and thinner than the ones that had been shaped for the adults. Fortunately, everyone had settled on medium well, so he didn’t have to fiddle with different levels of wellness on that front.

Buck carried Christopher up the three steps and put him down on the deck next to where they’d left his crutches. Eddie watched them dry off and pull T-shirts on. When they’d taken off the shirts to go swimming, Eddie had gotten his first look at Buck’s soul mark. He knew that it would match his own, but it was different seeing it on his soulmate’s body.

“Daddy, Buck goes surfing. Did you know that?”

“I didn’t,” Eddie said and shot his partner a look. The man just grinned and shrugged. “Sounds like fun.”

“He also does climbing walls. I want to climb on a wall,” Christopher said.

“We’ll see what your physical therapist says,” Eddie said, and his son nodded.

“Okay, Superman, let’s go wash your hands,” Buck said and guided him toward the door that went directly into the Price’s kitchen.

Christopher patted the Superman logo on his chest with a smile and gamely followed Buck into the house.

Carla Price, his current personal savior, came to stand with him as he took the burgers off the grill. “We’re glad you’re here.”

Eddie took a deep breath. “This is going to sound weird, but I haven’t really felt welcome since I came home from Afghanistan.”

“It must be a very hard adjustment to make,” Carla said thoughtfully. “And it didn’t help that your divorce happened so quickly after that. You must have felt abandoned and rejected by her.”

Eddie nodded. “I do feel welcome here. A lot of it has to do with Buck, obviously, but your home is very inviting and warm in a way I’ve never ever really experienced.”

“I have a knack,” Carla said.

“For what?”

“People naturally trust and find comfort in my presence,” she said with a small smile. “Going into nursing was a true calling for me, as easing others when they need it most is very rewarding. I’d love to meet your grandmother and sister so we should plan a cookout later in the summer.”

“Sounds good,” Eddie said.

* * * *

The job interview with Bobby Nash ended up taking place at the fire station. Buck had never worked at the 118, though he’d done overtime at over a dozen stations since he’d started working for the LAFD. The sticking point for them both had been getting Christopher to agree to stay with his aunt. He knew the boy loved Sophia Diaz like crazy, but he was super curious about the whole firefighter thing and wanted to see a ladder truck.

“He’s gonna cry when he’s disappointed.”

Buck grimaced as he pulled his keys from the ignition and focused on Eddie, who was looking at him with a slightly amused expression. “Yeah, but it sucked a lot.”

“Of course,” Eddie said in agreement. “But we can’t give in to tears as he’ll learn that crying will get him his way. He’s smart and isn’t above a little emotional blackmail to get his way.”

“He’s six,” Buck protested.

Eddie laughed. “On the way here, we stopped at a Subway, and he had a cookie with his meal. He tried to get me to buy him two more and got pouty when I told him no. Then, while I was in the bathroom, he talked Sophia into getting them and hiding them in her purse.”

Buck laughed.

“When I found out, he tried to convince me that he should get a cookie reward for outmaneuvering me.”

“Shut up,” Buck said. “Did he get a reward?”

“It’s pretty hard to say no to him,” Eddie muttered and unbuckled his seatbelt. “Sophia gave him the cookies when I wasn’t looking because she’s a die-hard enabler. Then he had a sugar crash and slept all afternoon and nearly through dinner. So, I lectured her instead of him. Sophia uses sugar to feed her magic and kind of forgets that Christopher isn’t at a stage where sugar does anything but ramp him up and make him crash.”

“What kind of mages are your sisters?”

“We’re all three earth elementals,” Eddie said. “My mother is of Swedish descent and has some fey in her bloodline. Her great-grandmother and aunts all a slight point to their ears.”

“You’ve got a little bit of that going on yourself,” Buck said, and Eddie huffed a little. “You do.”

Eddie touched the top of his ear and shrugged. “Not enough for most people to notice without context. I’m not ashamed of it or anything. Plenty of people have creature blood in their family tree. You?”

“Dragonkin on my father’s side and wyvern on my mother’s,” Buck said. “Dragonkin is closer, but neither are genetically dominant, and most fire elementals have some combination of that going in their backgrounds.” He looked at the station house. “I wanted this house when I first left the academy, but the captain that was here didn’t want a mage on his shift. He was very blunt about it.”

“That kind of blatant discrimination common?”

“Not as common as some of the shit I’m sure you’ve had to put up with,” Buck said frankly, and Eddie nodded. “My current captain warned me against going to the 56 because the only captain with openings on his shift by the time you get out of the academy is a covert racist. Apparently, I need to learn to recognize microaggressions.”

“Yeah,” Eddie said with a sigh. “He’s straight, right?”

“Black man who’s married to a woman,” Buck clarified.

“Trust me when is say we’ll get more grief about being together due to our gender than I will about my skin color. When I was younger, my parents forced me to attend church so I could hear lectures about the evils of homosexuality and how I should be strong enough to reject my soulmate if they were male. Granted, it’s a deeply unpopular opinion in today’s age and the main reason the Catholic Church is losing members left and right.”

“Do your parents know about me?”

“My father does. I didn’t tell my mother anything, and I don’t care what either of them thinks about it. I can’t predict how Shannon will react, however.” Eddie sighed. “Let’s go meet Bobby Nash.”

“Shannon can react badly, you know, it won’t change a thing.” Buck shrugged when Eddie looked his way. “It’s a federal law, and there are no religious exceptions. She’d have to seek to have my parental rights severed due to cause in a court proceeding as if I were you.”

“That’s good,” Eddie murmured.

Buck sighed and checked his watch. “We’re twenty minutes early, and it looks like they haven’t been dispatched. Captain Nash told me that they’d be offline for two hours to maintenance the ladder. I briefly considered the engineering track, but it was too much work when combined with my certs for heavy rescue. Plus, I don’t want to get stuck on an apparatus. I’m much more useful in a fire than watching a fire.”

“Granted,” Eddie said and opened the door. “Stop procrastinating.”

“I’ve just….”

Eddie closed the door. “What?”

“My first station coming out of the academy was the 76. I replaced a man who made a bad call on a scene and got himself killed. I couldn’t win for losing at that station, and I was stuck there due to being probationary. The captain certainly tried to shield me, but he didn’t prepare his crew for the replacement. If I did well, I was trying too hard to replace the dead guy, and when I made a mistake…. Well, then I was just another guy trying to get himself killed on their watch. I ended up on several high profile rescues that got a lot of attention on the news and online.

“Then I was just a glory hog, and it didn’t matter that I never, ever talked to the press or posted online about the rescues I did. I’ve never considered my job to be a form of entertainment. I tried to make it work, you know. But there was also another issue they were determined to hold against me.”

“Which was?” Eddie questioned.

“It’s hard to talk about this part with you because you’re going to blame yourself,” Buck said frankly. “And we can discuss it in detail later.” Eddie nodded. “I fucked around a lot when I came to LA because it made me feel better. I never stayed with anyone long and didn’t pretend to be interested in a relationship, and it was seen as another mark against me at the 76. I was literally the only single person on the whole fucking shift. I didn’t have kids, didn’t have any family in LA, and my biggest concern was who I was going to call to get laid when I got off work. There was a lot of resentment. One of them actually said I was irresponsible fuck up because I wasn’t settling down.

“At any rate, Howard talked me into giving up on the 76, and I transferred to the 122, which should’ve been better. And it was for the first two shifts. Then, one of the paramedics, who’d heard enough about me to assume I was easy, asked me to follow her home after work. I said no. I don’t fuck around on the job. It’s just a stupid idea.”

“Right,” Eddie said in agreement.

“By the next shift, she’d told them all that I sexually harassed her. I don’t know how she expected me to respond, but I ignored her and their behavior. She got really bent with me because I wasn’t engaging, and the cold shoulder I was getting from everyone else wasn’t working, in her opinion. I wasn’t being punished for rejecting her, I guess. At any rate, they all went out and were drinking. Beth had too much to drink and confessed that she’d lied to them about the whole thing and that I’d rejected her.”

“Wow, what a dick move.”

“Right?” Buck sighed. “So, I don’t really trust them personally at all. The captain got involved eventually, and he lost his temper on all of us. When he asked me point blank why I’d not reported the behavior to him in front of the whole shift—I told him that I was used to being treated like shit.”

“I’d have died of shame if I were one of them,” Eddie said.

“Beth cried,” Buck said roughly. “But I didn’t buy it. My sister can turn the water works like a faucet. I mean, sure, she was probably upset, but it was probably about her own embarrassment rather than my reaction to her lies and the fact that the rest of the shift ignored I existed when we weren’t on a call.”

“How long has it been since then?”

“Just about six months. I was trying to hold out for a year before I transferred. I just don’t want a reputation of being the problem, you know?”

“I get it.” Eddie sighed. “You’re a people pleaser. This is awful.”

Buck laughed. “Shut up.”

“It’s a good thing my kid’s addicted to your pancakes,” Eddie muttered. “Get out of this damn Jeep, Evan Buckley.”

They entered the 118 together and Buck thought that felt good. He wanted to have a fresh start, so he hoped his reputation didn’t follow him into the new station. He really just wanted to work, and that eventually might mean a transfer to LA County. Buck had already decided to push through Eddie’s probationary year at the LAFD and practically anything would be tolerable if they were together.

“Can I help you?”

Buck focused on the woman who’d spoken. “We’re here to speak with Captain Nash. Evan Buckley and Eddie Diaz.”

She smiled. “Ah, good. I’m Hen Wilson.” She offered a hand, and they took turns shaking hands. “I heard we were in the running to get a pair of soulmates.”

“Yes,” Eddie said. “If Captain Nash is busy, we can wait.”

“I’ll just go get him,” Firefighter Wilson said and motioned them toward the small public lobby in front of the station. “Shouldn’t be long.”

“Let’s just decide right now not to tolerate any bullshit,” Eddie muttered as they went to stand in the waiting room.

“Think there was something off about her greeting?” Buck questioned.

“Not necessarily, but there are rumors here already. What does that mean?” Eddie questioned.

Buck made a face. “I have no clue, really. Probably glory hog stuff. I mean, honestly, who cares if people fuck around? It’s really lame.”

Eddie laughed.

“It’s just weird,” Buck muttered. “I mean, if it was like adultery or something, I could understand the judgment.”

“Agreed,” Eddie said. “Young, single, and gorgeous should be a license to get laid as often as possible.”

Buck focused on the bulletin board and found it up to date on announcements and brochures for continuing education classes. The FEMA stuff was missing, but he’d added it to the board at the 122 since it had to be sought out rather than something that was distributed by the LAFD.

“Firefighter Buckley? Mr. Diaz?”

Buck turned and found an older man standing in the doorway of the lobby. He motioned them forward.

“Bobby Nash,” he said as he held out a hand to Eddie, who reached him first.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Eddie returned. “My partner Evan Buckley. He prefers Buck.”

“Buck,” Bobby Nash said and took his hand. “I missed offering you a job last year by a week when you transferred into the 122.”

“I had no idea,” Buck admitted. “I would’ve accepted. I tried to get into the 118 at the start since I wanted a task force station.”

“Let’s go into my office,” Captain Nash suggested. “We’re down for another forty-five minutes on our maintenance cycle. My second-in-command, Cosmo Fuentes, is running the show for me so I can speak with the two of you.”

The man’s office proved to be just as small and cramped as any other he’d ever seen. Buck wondered if Captain Nash avoided spending time in it as much as Captain Barnes did.

“Let me be blunt,” Captain Nash said as he shut the door. “I had a long talk with Captain Barnes from the 122, which led me to have a longer talk with Captain Peck at the 76.” He sat down at the desk and shook his head. “Vincent Peck admitted to making a host of mistakes with you, Buck.” He focused on him. “He was dealing with a lot of grief and guilt over the loss of a firefighter.”

“The whole shift was dealing with grief and trauma,” Buck said. “They watched him fall and die because of a mistake he made. Moreover, it was their scene, so they were the ones that tried to render him aid, but he fell off a ten-story building.”

Eddie sucked air through his teeth.

“One admitted to me one night that he screamed the whole way down, and they all ran…forward as if they could catch him, and he hit the pavement in front of them.”

“Dios,” Eddie muttered under his breath.

“At any rate, they all needed therapy in the worst possible way, and the last thing they needed was a probie who had no hope of understanding their circumstances. I was twenty-three and fresh off climbing K2. I graduated at the top of my session at the academy, and I was excited to start work.”

“So, you trotted into their misery all bright and shiny,” Eddie said wryly, and Bobby Nash laughed a little. “I realize it was horrible for them, so I can see how they might have resented you at first. But it clearly wasn’t a small period of adjustment.”

“I’d be hard-pressed to believe they’ve recovered even now,” Buck admitted. “There was no overt hostility or bullying if that’s a concern. I’d have never tolerated that. It was just clear that nothing I ever did was going to be good enough, and my joining their team was forever associated with the loss they suffered. I was either trying to outdo a dead man by being a glory hog or trying to do something stupid to get myself killed. There was a time when I actually resented Andy Morse, and I never even got to meet the man.”

“His accidental death on the job caused several policy changes,” Bobby Nash said.

“It should’ve also triggered a lot of therapy,” Buck muttered, and the older man nodded. “But that situation is done as far as I’m concerned. I learned a lot working at the 76, and not all of it was terrible. It just wasn’t a fit, and Captain Peck kept trying to make me a fit. It might have been grief over Morse at first. But then it turned into guilt over the fact that he didn’t handle my addition to his team properly. He’d still be trying to make it work if I hadn’t asked for a transfer.”

“Let’s talk about Firefighter Beth Gibson,” Bobby Nash said. “Why didn’t you report her to HR?”

“She didn’t do anything genuinely actionable, and Captain Barnes asked me if we could keep it in the house,” Buck said. “She asked me out—which is not a violation of the regs. I said no, and she lied to our co-workers about my personal behavior. She didn’t report it officially or unofficially, so it wasn’t like she tried to get me fired. Beth is objectively a very beautiful woman, and she probably doesn’t get rejected often or really at all.

“Had she actually lodged a false complaint against me with HR, then I’d have sued her personally, and that’s exactly what I told her. The team had her back and gave me the cold shoulder for about six shifts, and when she realized that I wasn’t going to take a knee—she got drunk with them and confessed that all I did was reject her. They all corrected their behavior, but only two of them apologized to me. I work with them with no issues whatsoever, but I don’t spend any of my personal off-duty time with them. Beth blames me. I blame her.”

“You’re just gonna skip over the slut-shaming that happened at the 76?” Eddie questioned.

“What’s slut-shaming?” Bobby Nash asked, and Buck groaned.

“Seriously?” Buck questioned.

Captain Nash flushed. “Yeah, seriously. What’s that mean? I think I might have heard my daughter, Brook, mention it once or twice related to Instagram.”

“You have kids?”

“Four,” Bobby Nash said. “May, Robbie, Brook, and Harry.” He picked up a framed picture. “My wife, Athena Grant.”

“I’ve met her,” Buck said as he took the frame. “Had a hard call with a truck full of illegal immigrants.”

“Ah, are you the one that found them?”

“Yes,” Buck said and focused on the picture. “Beautiful family.” He offered Eddie the picture, and he took it with a smile. “As to slut-shaming, it’s basically judging and degrading someone for their sexual behavior. I had to deal with it at the 76 since I was the only one who was single. It was like they literally held my freedom to have fun against me.”

Bobby Nash sighed. “Some people don’t know how to mind their own 2business, that’s for certain. I’ve reviewed your employment record, Buck, and I don’t have any concerns. After speaking with Captain Barnes, I’m confident that your biggest problem is that you tolerate a lot more bullshit at work than you should, which is not exactly a character flaw. I hope you’re working on that.”

“I am,” Buck said. “I do tolerate more on the job than I do personally—I strive to keep an even temper on the job. Not everyone is comfortable with mages and elementals often get a bad wrap.”

“My son, Robbie, is a fire elemental,” Captain Nash said. “My other three children have a variety of magical gifts, but nothing like his, as he’s the only elemental.”

“And you?” Buck questioned.

“Water elemental,” Captain Nash said. “It’s a familial legacy of a sort. I was really surprised when it was clear that Robbie was going to manifest fire instead of water.” He focused on Eddie. “Let’s talk about you.”

“Okay,” Eddie said.

“Are you following Buck onto the job because he’s your soulmate? It’s a perfectly reasonable decision. I’m just curious.”

“I worked as a combat medic in the Army,” Eddie said, and Captain Nash nodded. “I intended to serve in the military until I was forced to retire. I worked hard to reach the rank I had at the time I was involuntarily severed due to the loss of my kidney.”

“You were awarded the Silver Star for your actions during the event that saw you shot in the line of duty,” Captain Nash said.

“Yes, sir,” Eddie said. “It felt like I was being placated at the time, but I’ve worked my way through the loss of my career. Following Buck onto the job does seem like a natural choice. I want to work with him, have his back and our magical gifts will get stronger as we settle into our soulmate bond. I don’t expect to have any issues doing well at the academy.”

“No, I expect you have the experience and discipline to do very well,” Captain Nash said. “You’ll be the only pair of soulmates in the entire station. And you’ll be the only elementals besides myself on my shift. A few of them have knacks or small magic gifts. Nothing extreme. I am curious as to why I’m the only one to get an interview, Firefighter Buckley.”

“You’re the only one that asked to interview us together,” Buck said, and Captain Nash’s eyes widened in shock. “The rest wanted to meet me, and Eddie was just going to be my plus one. It was like speaking to me was like speaking to us both, which was weird.”

“Very weird,” Captain Nash said as he focused on Eddie. “Do you see yourself pursuing a paramedic path in the LAFD?”

“No,” Eddie said. “As an earth elemental, I won’t have an issue qualifying for heavy rescue despite my size and current muscle mass. I can deadlift over 500 pounds right now with magic. I did things as a combat medic that are going to haunt me, Captain Nash. Moreover, my own injuries were traumatic and intimately entwined with my discharge. I won’t have a problem working as an EMT or a firefighter. But the paramedic track is something else entirely.”

“The job can be heartbreaking,” Captain Nash said. “I’ve spoken with Captain Barnes and HR, Buck. You can start here on your next official shift, which is in seven days.”

Buck stared for a moment. “Seriously?”

“Seriously,” Captain Nash said with a smile. “And by the time Eddie leaves the academy he can come directly onto the job here at the 118.” He paused. “As long as you’re both comfortable with that plan.”

“I think it would be best for Buck,” Eddie said. “And the faster that I’m hired, the better. I want to make sure my son has the best possible health insurance I can provide.”

Bobby nodded. “Then you can stop by HR and start the hiring process.”

“Before the academy?” Eddie questioned.

“It’s not uncommon,” Bobby assured. “You’ll be there with people who have already been hired. The academy currently trains people for the LAFD, LA County, the Smoke Jumpers, and the regional magicorps for FEMA volunteers.”

“I was hired before training,” Buck said. “Though I did get other job offers shortly before I graduated, I stayed with the LAFD.”

“Fantastic,” Captain Nash said and stood. “Let me show you around and introduce you to everyone.”

 

Chapter 7

A quick conversation with Captain Barnes had made Buck feel better about the abrupt transfer, as he hadn’t wanted to leave the man in a lurch on the manpower front. Buck was one of his few heavy rescue assets. But as it turned out, he and Captain Nash had just done a straight-up trade on the firefighter front.

He’d ended up going to the 122 during downtime hours for his regular shift to clean out his locker. Buck wasn’t overly concerned about how the others would respond to his transfer, but he hadn’t wanted to slink out like he was ashamed of it, either. He was in the middle of emptying out his locker when Shane Joseph made an appearance.

“Heard you were leaving.”

“Yeah, the 118 has spots for me and my soulmate, who’ll be starting the academy soon,” Buck said as he tucked his spare uniform into the top of the duffel. “You guys are getting someone from the 118 in exchange. He has a lot of experience.”

“Heard that, too,” Shane said and leaned against the locker next to Buck’s. “This isn’t cool, Buck.”

“For you or me?” Buck asked with a raised eyebrow. “Because a transfer into a task force station where I can work with my soulmate sounds like a great deal for me.”

“And we give up our only mage for a non-magical,” Shane said sourly. “You bring a lot to the table besides magic, but Captain Barnes told us that without a mage on the shift, we won’t get any magicorps referrals.”

“Makes sense,” Buck said easily. “But that’s not exactly a bad thing. Most of those incidents are boring anyways, and what little work that was done, I had to do.”

“Sometimes we get magical fires and stuff,” Shane pointed out.

Buck laughed. “You’re magical enough to do liaison work with the magicorps. You just need to do the certification work for it. Stop being a lazy ass about it.” He grabbed the last thing in his locker, which was a package of unopened socks, and put them in the duffel and zipped it shut. “The coursework for it isn’t even hard.”

“Yeah, I know I’ve read through it. I just didn’t take the test. I guess I have to now,” Shane muttered.

“You know it comes with a ten percent pay raise, right?” Buck questioned, and Shane’s eyes widened. “Yeah, I figured not. Dude. You really need to read the benefits package and pay attention to shit that involves your own salary.”

“Okay, since you’re on the way out the door—answer one question.”

“Sure,” Buck said as he shouldered his bag.

“Why am I the only one you really talk to at all outside of job stuff?” Shane asked.

“Because you and Joe Reilly were the only ones who fucking apologized to me,” Buck said flatly, and Shane’s mouth dropped open. “The rest of them just expected me to get over their behavior and be a team player without admitting for a single second they were in the wrong. I don’t give people passes on shitty behavior, Shane. I learned that the hard way. A lot of people assume that forgiveness should be freely given, and they take it for granted.

“And some people think that since I’m a mage, I should tolerate a lot more than anyone else because I should be grateful my kind aren’t being burned at the stake anymore.” He focused on Shane and found him pale. “But mages weren’t the only ones burned at the stake, you know. They came after your kind, too.”

Shane wet his lips nervously. “Yeah, I know. Alchemists, herbalists, people with small magic, and even knacks were persecuted when they couldn’t get their hands on a mage.” He crossed his arms. “Only Joe apologized, besides me?”

“Yeah,” Buck said. “And even Joe kind of surprised me if I’m honest. He’s kind of a bro.”

“I’d be insulted if I didn’t know you noticed me,” Joe said wryly as he joined Shane. He put a large bag down on the bench. “Your turnouts and personal irons. They’re rated for your elemental ability, and they’re attached to your personnel file rather than the station equipment list.” He put the fifty-four-inch Halligan pry bar on top of the bag. “Avoid Gibson if you can. She’s made some stupid assumptions. The captain corrected her, but she’s still out to make this like you’re a problem to be gotten rid of.”

“Right,” Buck muttered and checked his watch. “I need to go.”

He picked up the Halligan and the bag. Since he had three sets of turnouts and irons in the bag it meant the reinforced bag weighed close to his weight limit of 350 pounds. The walk out of the locker room felt good because while he didn’t necessarily hate the 122, he was done. Shane fell into step with him and walked him all the way to the door.

“Good luck.”

“Thanks,” Buck said. “Do what I said. Okay?”

“Sure,” Shane agreed. “I’ll stop being a lazy ass.”

Eddie was leaning on the driver’s side door of the SUV when he came out to the parking lot. He walked around to the back of the vehicle and opened it. “Any problems?”

“Nah,” Buck said as Eddie took the bag of turnouts easily.

He tucked the Halligan against the backseat so it wouldn’t move around, and they put two bags up against it to further anchor it. Buck frowned and shook his head, then pulled the bags back out and picked up the Halligan.

“It’s basically a twenty-pound projectile if we’re an accident, Eddie.”

“Wedge it under the back seat?” Eddie suggested.

“Maybe,” Buck said. “I have a strap for one in the Jeep. I should’ve considered that before we came over here.”

“I have some cords in the roadside kit,” Eddie said and lifted the false bottom of the trunk despite the weight on it.

Buck pulled out two bungee cords with a nod. “Yeah, even better.” He tied it down using two cargo hooks. “We’ll add a strap to this vehicle because a small Halligan should be a part of your road kit in the future.”

“Agreed,” Eddie said and shut the door.

“Buck.”

He groaned as Beth trotted across the parking lot toward them. “Shouldn’t you be asleep?”

She made a face at him. “I don’t buy the bullshit excuse everyone is saying about your transfer. You’re making my life really fucking difficult, you know.”

“How?” Buck questioned curiously. “I haven’t said a single bad thing about you, Beth. I didn’t report you to HR. I didn’t sue you for defamation. What exactly have I done to you?”

“I made a mistake, and you just can’t move on from it.”

“You didn’t make a mistake. You told an egregious and disgusting lie that could’ve gotten me seriously injured or killed,” Buck said flatly. “We’re both lucky that our co-workers aren’t the kind to take personal grudges onto the actual job and all they did was ignore I existed unless they had to interact with me for work. Or one of them might have gotten into their head to kick my ass to defend your honor.”

“I wouldn’t have let any of that happen,” she said huffily.

“Like you’d have had any control over it,” Buck said evenly. “But it doesn’t matter because my transfer isn’t about you. Christ, check your fucking ego.” He motioned to Eddie. “This is Eddie Diaz, my soulmate. Eddie, this is Firefighter Beth Gibson. She’s a paramedic here at the 122.”

“And the one that lied about you sexually harassing her?” Eddie questioned.

“Yeah,” Buck said wearily.

“Just how many people have you told?” Beth demanded. “And soulmate, really?” She scoffed and rolled her eyes.

“I can tell anyone I like about my personal history and circumstances,” Buck said evenly. “Now, we’re done here.” He motioned between them. “I’d rather never speak to you again.”

Eddie slid into the driver’s seat with a clear look of distaste on his face.

“Why are you still so angry with me?” Beth demanded.

“When people lie about abusive situations, they make it more difficult for those that are abused,” Buck said evenly. “It creates doubt for valid complaints, and it makes it harder for victims to even think about stepping forward. There are people on your shift who will remember this and have serious doubts the next time someone tells them that they’re being harassed or abused. It may even be you, Beth. What happens to you if some asshole comes at you for real? Will the men and women you work with have your back a second time? Or will they think you’re lying to them again? You got off light this time. Do yourself a favor and figure out how to manage your own goddamned ego so it doesn’t happen again.”

He walked around the SUV, got in the passenger seat, and put on his seatbelt in silence. Eddie pulled out of the parking spot as soon as Beth walked away.

“She isn’t even your type.”

Buck laughed.

“Seriously—there isn’t a single blonde on your Instagram as far back as high school. The girl you took to your senior prom was a redhead, and the guy you took to junior prom was Latino.”

“Noticed that did you?” Buck questioned.

“Yeah, I’m better looking,” Eddie said easily, and Buck laughed. “Seriously.”

“You’re also a better person in general. I took the redhead to senior prom because Martín cheated on me,” Buck said. “His parents weren’t keen on the relationship, so they kept throwing girls at him until one stuck. Sort of. He ended up marrying her after high school, but they’re already divorced, and he’s living with a married couple. He apologized, eventually, but I was already over the whole thing at that point.”

“So, he went from being married to a woman to the sanctioned third of a married couple?”

“I’m sure his parents are furious.” Buck shrugged. “Who knows? When I found out he was cheating, he tried to say it didn’t matter that he’d cheated because I had a soul mark, and I wasn’t serious about him.”

“Were you?”

“Yeah, I was. He was my first…everything. I loved him like you do when you’re sixteen,” Buck said with a shrug. “In that hard, passionate way that feels world ending when it goes wrong.”

“Yeah,” Eddie said with a sigh. “I get it.”

“Is that how you loved Shannon?”

“I….” Eddie shook his head and focused on the traffic. “I was never in love with Shannon. We had a friends-with-benefits relationship going on, and she got pregnant. She claimed it was an accident, but a few months before, she’d pressured me for something serious. I told her I wasn’t interested in that because of my soul mark.”

“Then suddenly she’s pregnant?” Buck questioned.

“I was using condoms, and she claimed to be taking pills,” Eddie said roughly. “It seemed like a genuine accident. My father insisted I marry her because he didn’t want his grandchild to be a bastard. I don’t regret her pregnancy, of course. How could I?”

“Christopher is a great silver lining,” Buck murmured. “He should be finished with physical therapy soon. Is Sophia going to bring him home, or are we picking him up?”

“She said she’d bring him home after they finished figuring out all the stuff in the Prius. He wanted to go with her to plug it in to charge.”

“It is a pretty cool vehicle. Not sure I’d want one.”

“No, I need hauling capacity and cargo room,” Eddie admitted. “I miss my truck already, but this is a good vehicle for Christopher.”

“We can trade my Jeep in for a truck,” Buck suggested. “I’ve been considering it for a while. I’ve had the Jeep since I was eighteen, and its safety rating isn’t great. I certainly wouldn’t want to transport Christopher in it.” He cleared his throat. “But speaking of Shannon, are you going to contact her soon? If we’re going to need a lawyer, we might as well know sooner rather than later.”

“The only thing she could do is sue for custodial custody and that wouldn’t go in her favor. It’s just going to be an expensive mess,” Eddie said roughly. “But yeah, I’ll call her in the morning.”

Once they were home, Buck tucked the bags into his bedroom to deal with later and found himself on the couch with Eddie. They ended up sort of slumped together, casually bickering over control of the remote, though neither one of them wanted to watch anything in particular. He won and put it on the Discovery channel but turned the volume down pretty low.

“Do you think she’s going to continue to be a problem?”

“Beth?” Buck questioned.

“Yeah.”

“She’s very used to things going exactly the way she wants them to go,” Buck said. “Probably because of her looks and ambition. She’s smart but arrogant about it. Beth saw herself punishing me for the rejection and never expected to have any sort of consequence for it. And really, everyone but me basically forgave her for it within a month of her confession. They accepted that she’d made a mistake and just moved on like it was nothing.”

“And she expected you to do the same.”

“Yes, probably because that’s how it usually goes for her,” Buck said. “But I gave her consequences. Less than she deserved but more than she’d ever had before. Maybe she doesn’t understand it, or maybe she just can’t stand it. Either way, I want to be done with her and that situation. If she tries to be a problem in the future, then I’ll have to involve HR.”

Eddie shifted closer and sprawled across Buck’s chest.

“Comfortable?”

“Immensely,” Eddie admitted. “Cool?”

“Yeah, of course,” Buck murmured and let one hand trail down Eddie’s back. “Let’s just stay this way until Sophia brings Christopher back. Then we’ll figure out something to feed him.”

“Sounds perfect.”

* * * *

Shannon had insisted on an in-person meeting and had threatened to show up at his abuela’s if he didn’t agree, so Eddie had left the house while Christopher was fully intent on beating Buck at Mario Kart, the only game he was allowed to play. He’d appreciated the fact that Buck understood the need for an intense distraction and had delivered one.

Eddie walked away from the food truck with a large iced tea and sat down on a bench not far from it while Shannon ordered her own drink. He’d suggested an outdoor meeting place in the hopes that they could get a little bit of privacy even in public. She joined him and sat too close. Eddie shifted away from her, and she sighed.

He stood and motioned toward the small public park in front of them. “Let’s sit at that table over there.”

Shannon followed him, and he sat down on the opposite side of the table in front of her. “You’re moving better. All healed up?”

“Don’t act like you care,” Eddie retorted and took a sip of tea. “Why did you want to meet in person?”

“I wanted to see you,” Shannon said and reached across the table to touch his arm.

Eddie pulled his arm off the table. “Don’t touch me, Shannon. What do you think is going on here?”

“You’ve moved to LA. You called and told me you had something to discuss with me,” Shannon shrugged and smiled. “I was thinking maybe you’d changed your mind about the divorce.”

Eddie grimaced. “No, I haven’t. You abandoned me and Christopher in the middle of the night and haven’t called him once since. I had to involve your very sick mother in our situation to even find out where you were so I could see you served with divorce papers. You were an utter asshole in court, refused visitation, and called child support the only burden you were willing to undertake.

“Honestly, I can barely stand to look at you. I’m stunned you’d think I’d changed my mind about us after that bullshit.”

“Still being a sanctimonious twat, I see,” Shannon muttered. “So, if you aren’t here to apologize for divorcing me, then what?” She checked her watch. “I’ve better things to do if I’m not getting laid.”

Eddie barely kept his mouth from falling completely open in shock. “I suppose you can get laid if you want, but my dick won’t be involved.” He frowned when she rolled her eyes. “I’ve met my soulmate, and we’re bonding. Magically, we’re very compatible so I don’t expect it to take long at all to finish the process. Once we do, we’ll register as a bonded pair, and he’ll be granted parental rights to Christopher.”

Her face darkened, and she glared at him. “Absolutely not, Eddie. I forbid it.”

“You don’t have a say,” Eddie said. “It’s automatic and guaranteed under federal law, Shannon. He’ll be added to Christopher’s birth certificate as a third parent due to his status as my bonded partner. He’ll have all the rights that you and I have.” He paused. “Well, more than you since you don’t have visitation or have the right to make medical or educational decisions for Christopher.”

“Then you can’t register your bond at all,” Shannon snapped. “If you don’t register, then this asshole doesn’t get rights!”

“That’s not your call,” Eddie said. “And we’re going to register it as soon as possible. This is going to be our seventh lifetime together, Shannon, and we deserve the rights and protections that come with a legally recognized bond. Christopher also deserves to have another legal parent he can depend on because we both know he can’t depend on you.”

“I raised him for years alone,” Shannon hissed. “While you were off playing soldier and acting like you were making some fucking sacrifice to provide for him.”

“I was in the Army when we got married, Shannon. I told you before you ever got pregnant that I was going to be deployed to Afghanistan and that I had no idea how long I’d be stationed there,” Eddie said evenly. “I took a combat posting when it was offered because it gave me more money to provide for you and my son. You responded by quitting your job. Then you lived in the house I paid for, drove the truck I bought, and spent any money I put in your account down to the penny.

“Then, when I came home, you told me that you couldn’t take care of me and Christopher and suggested I send him to live with my fucking parents while I healed. Despite the fact that we’d both agreed that my parents weren’t safe for him! You bitched for months, and when I finally told you that I would never allow Christopher to live with my parents, you left in the middle of the night without a word while I was recovering from a second shoulder surgery.”

Shannon glared at him. “I’m not going to argue over this. If you register this stupid fucking bond, I’m going to sue for full custody.”

“Good luck with that,” Eddie said and took a sip of tea as she stared at him in shock. “You’re a mess, Shannon. You abandoned your child in the middle of the night, refused court-managed visitation because you considered it a burden, and haven’t contacted him in a year. The fact is that you won’t be seeing him at all going forward without a court order. I’ve canceled my account with the visitation center here in LA because I’m not going to pay for a service that I don’t want you to use.”

“I’ll sue.”

“I don’t care,” Eddie retorted. “As I said, good luck with that.”

“You think I’m bluffing?”

“I think you don’t want to be a mother at all,” Eddie said evenly. “And the only reason you had Christopher was to get me to marry you.” Her eyes went wide with shock. “You got pregnant on purpose, right? I’ve suspected so for years, but there came a point when I didn’t care because I love him so much. The question is…why? Why go through with a pregnancy when you clearly don’t want children?”

“My mom said I’d never get you to marry me without a kid since you had that stupid fucking soul mark,” Shannon snapped. “And she was right!”

“She certainly was,” Eddie said evenly.

“You never loved me, Eddie,” Shannon said and looked away from him. “You make me sick. It was even worse after the first year—you just disconnected. You clearly love Christopher, and it made it all the more obvious that you didn’t love me at all.”

“I tried to make the marriage work, Shannon,” Eddie said quietly.

“Yes, for Christopher,” Shannon snapped. “Never for me! Never for us!” She waved a hand in disgust. “Hell, you didn’t even seem to want to have sex with me near the end.”

“You mean when I came home disabled and missing a kidney?” Eddie asked and sighed. “Christ, Shannon.”

“Even before that—your last leave—you didn’t touch me once.”

“All you did was bitch and complain about my upcoming redeployment like I had any say in it,” Eddie muttered. “Look, there’s no point in having these arguments again, Shannon.” He stood. “You’re right—I don’t love you. I never did. I used to like and respect you. Now I can’t stand to fucking look at you. I hate how you make me feel, Shannon, so this is done. Sue me if you want. I don’t care.”

“If you think I’m going to pay child support after this….” Shannon trailed off when he glared at her.

“Oh, I know you will. If you don’t, I’ll make sure your ass gets put in jail for non-payment,” Eddie said evenly, and she reared back in shock. “Try me. You’re going to do one thing right by my baby, Shannon, or I swear to fucking God, I’ll ruin your life.”

He tossed his tea in a trash can as he left and got in Buck’s Jeep as soon as he could. He started the engine and left on the off chance that she might have tried to follow him. Since he was furious and didn’t want to be that way in front of his son, he drove straight to his abuela’s. In the driveway, he sent a text to Buck telling him where he was and got a thumbs-up in response.

His grandmother opened the door before he was up the front steps and shook her head at him.

“You look like a man who just talked to his ex-wife,” Isabel said dryly, and Eddie groaned as he followed her into the kitchen.

“Just seeing her makes me feel like shit,” Eddie admitted and sat down in the chair he was pointed to.

“Negative emotions can be magically taxing,” Isabel said, and he nodded. “And you’re holding on to a lot of resentment where Shannon Whitt is concerned.”

“What do you mean?”

“She gave you something precious while her very existence denied you something fundamental,” Isabel said, and Eddie took a deep breath. “It must have been very difficult to ignore the fact that you’d met him.”

“I made a magical oath,” Eddie confessed, and his abuela’s eyes widened in shock. “I promised Christopher that I’d never do him any intentional harm, Abuela. I swore it on my magic on the day he was born, and it wasn’t until I was dealing with the aftermath of Shannon’s abandonment that I realized that maybe staying in that marriage wasn’t in his best interest at all. I couldn’t bring myself to contact or even think about Buck until the divorce was final.”

“That’s probably more about your father than your son,” Isabel said, and Eddie winced. “He’s cheated on your mother more than once, has he not?”

“Yeah, they cheat on each other,” Eddie admitted. “Then they fight, get lawyers, make up, and pretend to start over. I’ve always known that a soulmate bond can be utterly corrupt.”

“Are you afraid to bond?”

“No, Buck’s great,” Eddie said and his abuela just nodded. “I see all the best parts of me in him. I hope he sees the same.” He took a deep breath. “And the flaws are more charming than alarming, which is certainly a problem.”

She laughed.

“He’s a people pleaser.”

“Good Lord,” Isabel muttered and crossed herself.

“You jest,” Eddie said and shook his head. “It’s awful. He’s got this big, soft heart that he tries to hide. But also puts up these concrete boundaries with people who abuse his trust. It’s an interesting duality in his personality.”

“He must have had a terrible childhood,” Isabel said.

“Yeah,” Eddie admitted. “He told me that his parents hate him. I believe him when he says it, and that makes me furious. I’m relieved he’s not a bitter asshole.”

“Ah, well, one is enough for any soulmate bond,” Isabel teased, and Eddie huffed like he was offended. “I adore you, Nieto, but your parents raised three incredibly bitter children.”

Eddie couldn’t deny it, so he just nodded and tried to avoid pouting. “Do you have any cake?”

“Of course,” she said and got up. “I made a tres leches for Sophia this afternoon. There is plenty left. I will cut some for you to take home to your boys.”

“Sounds good,” Eddie said. “They were playing Mario Kart when I left. Christopher’s probably talked him into swimming in the pool again.”

“It has a fence?” Isabel questioned.

“Yes, and we already made sure the key is hidden so Christopher can’t find it,” Eddie said. “I told him he’s not allowed to swim without us, and he doesn’t normally break the rules, but we aren’t taking any chances.”

* * * *

Buck watched Eddie slide a bowl of cake into the fridge. The man’s shoulders were tense, and Buck wasn’t exactly certain how to approach the situation. Still, he was very much a fixer, so he walked over to Eddie and took his hand.

Eddie took a deep breath but let himself be pulled into a hug. “Sorry.”

“Must’ve been a bitch of a meeting,” Buck murmured against his cheek. “He’s down for a nap.”

Eddie slumped against him and buried his face against Buck’s neck with a shudder. “I hate her,” he whispered fiercely.

Buck pulled him closer and took a deep breath. “Eds.”

“All she’s ever going to do is hurt my baby, and I hate her for it,” Eddie said lowly, and his breath hitched. “She tried to order me not to register our bond. But it wasn’t about him. It was about denying me you. It’s always been about denying us. She admitted she got pregnant on purpose because she knew I’d never marry her otherwise because of my soul mark. She said I made her sick, and I stayed with her. I told you no and stayed with her.”

“You stayed with Christopher,” Buck said, and Eddie took a deep breath. “Come on, sit down. You’re a wreck.”

“I don’t want to cry,” Eddie said. “She doesn’t deserve to have this kind of power over me.”

“It’s okay to be hurt by her betrayal,” Buck said and put him on the couch. He sat down next to him, and Eddie leaned on his shoulder. “You trusted her, and she destroyed that. You believed you were at least friends. Now you know that she lied to you and misled you from the very start.”

“Yeah.” Eddie cleared his throat and rubbed his face with a shaking hand. “She threatened to sue for custody.”

“Do you think she’ll follow through?”

“No, she just wanted to scare me into compliance,” Eddie said. “I hate talking about her with you. It’s like I’m putting her in the middle of us again, and it’s awful.”

“You’re not,” Buck assured. “There’s nothing standing between us anymore. Okay?”

“Okay,” Eddie said quietly. “I’m exhausted.”

“Getting really pissed off makes me tired,” Buck said. “Why don’t you take a nap?”

“Come with?” Eddie questioned and pulled at Buck’s hand as he left the couch. “We’ll nap on your bed.”

“Yeah, of course,” Buck said with a smile.

 

Chapter 8

Eddie stumbled over his son’s shoes and swore because he’d been absolutely certain he’d put those away and headed for the front door. Someone was banging quite loudly, and that was very irritating. He opened the door.

A man glared at him. “Who the fuck are you?”

Eddie stared for a moment and rubbed the back of his head. “A very tired man who doesn’t appreciate some asshole banging on my door a full hour before I have to get up. So, who the fuck are you?”

The man put a hand on his chest and shoved. “I asked you a goddamned question, asshole!”

Eddie moved back half a step, grabbed the man’s wrist, and jerked him around. “You’re a dumb bastard.”

“Daddy?”

“Go to your room, Christopher,” Eddie ordered tersely, even as he shoved the stranger back through the open door and out onto the small porch.

He pushed the man down the stairs, and he stumbled across the sidewalk and onto the lawn. Eddie followed him, bare toes curling into the grass as the asshole fell flat on his ass. “One more time, who the hell are you?”

The man stood up and glared. “Where’s Evan?”

“None of your business,” Eddie said evenly. The man was too old to be the prick that Buck had been dating before he’d come to LA, so the situation was even more concerning. “Who are you?”

The man stood and pointed toward the house. “I’m going in that house. You’ll stay the fuck out of my way if you know what’s good for you.”

“You’re not going in the house,” Eddie said evenly. “Who are you, and what do you want?”

“I’m looking for my wife,” the man hissed.

“Well, she’s not in my house,” Eddie said. “And you aren’t going to scare my child any more than you already have.” He held out a hand when the man tried to move around him. “I’m not the one you want to fuck with, cabrón.”

The guy took a swing, but he telegraphed like an amateur, so he missed, and Eddie punched him in the face. The stranger clutched his face with a shocked yelp.

“You hit me!” He staggered a bit. “You fucking hit me!”

“It’s kind of weird that you’d take a swing at someone then get surprised by getting hit in return,” Eddie said. “What? Are you one of these weak motherfuckers who only hit people who won’t hit back?”

“That’s exactly what he looks like,” Howard Price said from his back porch. He waved his cell phone. “Got 9-1-1 on the phone. Are we going to need an ambulance or what?”

“You fucking called the cops?” The man demanded and pulled a gun out of the back of his pants. “You stupid old bastard! Now I have to do this the hard way!”

Eddie tackled him as the stranger leveraged the weapon in Howard’s direction. They both hit the ground with a hard thud, and he wrenched the weapon from his hand. He separated the magazine from the gun and threw it across the yard even as the man under him started to fight for control. Eddie held him down with one hand as he offered Howard the gun. The older man took it hesitantly.

“Just put it down on the table, Howard,” Eddie said quietly. “Tell the LAPD we have an intruder in custody who brought a weapon onto your property. Tell them I’m an elemental mage and that I’m holding the man with magic. They’ll need to dispatch their magical unit to deal with him.”

“Is he magical, too?”

“Just enough to be stupid and confident of his ability to be a threat,” Eddie said evenly. “But he doesn’t have a goddamned thing on me.”

Carla rushed past them at that point and headed for his house, which he appreciated. He knew his son was probably near hysterical.

“Let me go!”

“No,” Eddie said and pulled the man’s wallet from his back pocket.

“Eddie, can I bring Christopher out and take him into my house?” Carla asked.

“Yes, please,” Eddie said as he handed the wallet to Howard.

Carla hurried by them, this time with Christopher in her arms. His son was crying, and it made Eddie more furious.

“Doug Kendall,” Howard reported. “His license says he’s from Boston, Massachusetts.” He rattled off an address and license number, then listened for a long time in silence. “Ah, okay. I’ll tell my tenant.” He cleared his throat. “Eddie, he’s wanted in Massachusetts for attempted murder, and he’s a person of interest regarding the disappearance of his wife. She says he’s considered armed and dangerous.” Howard made a face. “She wants to know if you’re having a hard time holding him?”

“No.” Eddie took a deep breath. “I’m fine. Tell them about Buck. He might be hearing this over the radio. We’re in the 118’s zone. And please go back into the house in case he gets stupid and tries to lash out magically.”

Howard nodded and limped back into the house, shut the door, and Eddie focused on Doug Kendall when he heard the door lock. “Is your wife’s name Maddie Buckley?” He only remembered vague details about Buck’s sister from the first talk he’d ever had with Buck. “Why do you think she’s here?”

Doug struggled under him and hissed when he got nowhere. “Found a postcard from her little brother from here. Figured she’d run to him when she left me.”

* * * *

Christopher wouldn’t stay out of his dad’s lap and Eddie didn’t appear all that fussed to make him. Carla had replaced the ice pack on his hand twice, and Buck was pacing around in front of him as he called his sister’s cell phone for the tenth time in the hour since he’d gotten home. It was Buck’s third shift with the 118, and he’d gotten off the clock about a half hour after the cops had shown up to arrest Doug Kendall.

Buck put the phone aside and took a deep breath. “I don’t want to call my parents, but it looks like I don’t have a choice.”

“The LAPD has certainly called them, and so have the police in Boston if your sister is missing,” Eddie said. “If she did run from him, then she probably ditched the cell phone.” Christopher leaned back against his chest, and Eddie took a deep breath against his curls. “Comfy, Mijo?”

“Yep,” Christopher said. “I have to sit here so you don’t get up and pace around like Buck. Only one person gets to pace around at a time in this house.”

“Sounds like another rule you made up, Superman,” Buck said, and Christopher laughed. “I’m sorry that my sister’s husband came here and scared you.”

“I’m okay. Daddy kicked his butt.”

“He certainly did,” Carla said as she approached Eddie with a new ice pack.

Buck’s phone started ringing, and they all looked at it. He picked it up and answered it.

“Maddie?” He shared a look with Eddie and left the house.

Buck offered Howard a wave where the older man was sitting on the back deck of his house. He’d come and gone from the guest house several times since Buck had gotten home, but now he was lingering over his coffee.

“Evan? You’ve called me a dozen times. What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong?” Buck questioned. “Do you know that you were reported missing and probably murdered in Boston a week ago by your co-workers? Doug beat your supervisor half to death, then came here to LA looking for you.”

“I didn’t…I left Doug. He wasn’t supposed to bother my co-workers. None of them know where I am.”

“Did you leave him one of my postcards to find so he’d come to California?” Buck demanded, and she said nothing. “Maddie, did you trick Doug into thinking you’d come here? Where are you? The cops in Boston and LA want to talk to you.”

“I can’t handle this conversation with you, Evan,” Maddie said. “I’ll call the cops in Boston and tell them alive, but I’m not ever coming back. I’m going to make a new life for myself—it’s what I deserve.”

“So, you did send your homicidal asshole husband in my direction,” Buck surmised, and she didn’t deny it. “I don’t know what’s going on with you because you’ve been avoiding me for nearly a decade. But you endangered my family, Maddie, and that’s unforgivable. Doug showed up at my house with a gun. He threatened my partner and child.”

“Partner and child?” Maddie repeated. “You’ve…never mentioned any of that in your postcards.”

“I told you I’d send cards to prove I was still alive,” Buck said flatly. “But I didn’t give you any personal information, and I never said I would. Since I don’t know where you are, I guess you’ve gotten your last card from me. Have a nice life, Maddie.”

“Wait. You have a kid? Evan? Why didn’t you tell me about a kid?”

“Why did you leave Doug?”

“None of your business,” Maddie snapped.

“And my kid is none of your business,” Buck said evenly, and she huffed. “Clean up the mess you made with the cops and leave my family out of it.”

He hung up on her, and she didn’t try to call back. Buck wasn’t surprised at all.

* * * *

“Boston wants him back,” Howard reported as he joined them at their kitchen table. “The DA here is willing to press charges for attempted home invasion and trespassing, but it’s not going to amount to much.”

“I told them that as long as he’s actually prosecuted for the crime he committed in Boston, that they could have him,” Eddie said, and Buck made a face. “I also asked for a permanent restraining order for the three of us. The DA submitted that for us and expects a judge to sign off on it easily. Kendall will be told that he can’t contact Buck ever again. He also can’t come near this property.”

Howard nodded. “It all seems reasonable to me. Carla wanted to go down there and curse him out while he was in custody.”

Buck laughed before he could help himself. “Oh, god, don’t tell her I laughed. She might curse me out.”

“She might,” Howard said with a nod. “She’s been pissed off since yesterday. I didn’t even get biscuits for breakfast. She told me to fend for myself.”

“Sorry.” Buck made a face. “I’d make you biscuits, but she’d probably hold it against me.”

Howard nodded. “Yeah, that’s why I didn’t make my own biscuits.”

“What?” Eddie glanced between them.

“Only my girl makes my biscuits,” Howard said and sighed. “She came precariously close to putting it in our marriage vows.”

“We could buy biscuits,” Christopher suggested and they all three turned to stare at him. “What? We can get them at McDonalds.”

“This child is trying to get me put on the couch,” Howard said wonderously, and Eddie laughed as he stood and put Christopher on the chair he’d been sitting in.

“I have to be in class in an hour,” Eddie said. “I don’t want to miss another day. I just hope that I don’t get a bunch of questions about the whole thing.”

“Maybe not,” Buck said. “I won’t get that lucky since we listened to the whole dispatch call, and Bobby let me leave early. Text when you’re on your way home, and we’ll figure out lunch.”

* * * *

Only the fact that Doug Kendall was in police custody made it possible for Eddie to actually leave home and go to class. It wasn’t hard to concentrate, so at least there was that, and he found the class lecture interesting. He took notes and answered questions as required with some relief because he had been concerned that he’d be too worried about Christopher and Buck to actually concentrate on the material.

There was only one lecture for the day, and he was routed along with other LAFD employees into a magical assessment area. He’d done that kind of thing more than once in the Army, as they’d been hoping that he’d grow into his magic. The night he’d gotten shot, he’d done more magically than he ever had before. But acts like that were classified much the same way acts of hysterical strength were. He was grateful that the LAFD wasn’t going to take that as an example of his everyday abilities.

“Are you experiencing any symptoms of PTSD?”

Eddie rolled the water bottle he’d gotten out of a machine while he’d waited his turn and shook his head. “No, I’ve never had those kinds of issues. A blessing, I suppose, due to my magical nature. I can sign a permission form to get my records from the military if you’d like to review my psychological assessments. Because I’m a mage, I was subject to review once a year.”

“They were hoping you’d have an expansion?” Denise Cordell, the HR rep handling his assessment, speculated.

“Yeah, certainly, and they did their best to help me manifest more abilities both in basic training and when I trained as a combat medic. I still do some of the exercises I learned because they help settle my magic. My core is gradually expanding.”

“A response to your soulmate, perhaps?”

“Yeah,” Eddie agreed. “I can’t say when it started exactly, but well before I came to LA.”

“I understand that your soulmate’s brother-in-law attacked you yesterday,” Denise said as she typed on her laptop. “How do you feel?”

“I’m more concerned about his sister than Doug Kendall,” Eddie admitted. “She basically set us up to be her husband’s focus so she could escape him. He’s an abusive individual with a terrible temper who nearly killed her supervisor. She set her brother up, but it fell on me and my son as well.”

“Do you blame Firefighter Buckley for that?”

“No, I blame his sister. He’s very hurt by her behavior and the knowledge that she used him. I don’t think he’d have told her no if she’d told him what she’d planned to do. But she didn’t say a single word and hasn’t said much of anything to him for an entire decade. My biggest worry is that she’ll show up here and expect to be a part of our lives. I don’t know that I can tolerate that after what she did.”

“My experiences with Firefighter Buckley tell me that if she showed up here, she’d be facing consequences that she’d be surprised by. He doesn’t tolerate betrayal,” Denise said. “Have you had magical outbursts since your magical and physical maturation?”

“No, I only had two as a teenager, and they were both in self-defense,” Eddie said.

“Are you willing to discuss the circumstances?” she asked as she typed.

Eddie took a deep breath. “My parents made two attempts to send me to a conversion camp because I wouldn’t magically promise to reject a male soulmate. My sisters are straight, so they had no problems promising not to be with women. I think I knew early on that my soulmate was male. I’d have never promised to reject him.”

“What happened with the conversion camp situation?” Denise asked.

“The first time, they caught me unaware and subdued me magically for transport. But they quickly learned they couldn’t keep me hostage, and I wasn’t going to adhere to their stupid program. One of the instructors hit me, and my magic heaved inside of me. The next thing I knew, I was being evacuated by a magicorps medical team and taken into their custody.

“Unfortunately, conversion camps aren’t illegal in Texas, and the magicorps couldn’t keep me or terminate my parents’ rights. The camp in question ended up facing a bunch of charges for physical abuse, and the instructor who hit me went to jail for child abuse since I was just thirteen.”

Denise grimaced. “I hate to even ask, but what about the second time?”

“I was sixteen, and I saw it coming, so the so-called extraction team got their asses kicked, and I insisted on them being charged with attempted kidnapping,” Eddie explained. “My parents were furious because the camp refused to give back the 50,000 dollars they gave them for the therapy. My parents also tried to make me pay that bill when I turned eighteen, but I told them to sue me for it.”

Denise laughed and then cleared her throat. “Sorry.”

“No, practically everyone laughs at that part,” Eddie assured. “As I said, I don’t carry that kind of trauma forward with me. Both situations irritated me, but I’ve got an immense amount of chill since I’m an earth mage. It takes a lot to make me lose my temper. I ruminate sometimes on things I wish were different, but I think I’m entitled to brood.”

“Everyone on this side of twenty-five deserves to brood as much as they’d like,” Denise assured, and Eddie laughed. “Let’s go over the legal matters. You aren’t required to use your magic on the job and can’t reprimanded for failing to provide magical support. Your service as a mage is voluntary and is not a condition of your employment with the Los Angeles Fire Department.

“Mages are a protected class, as you know, and there are several federal and state laws that protect you from discrimination. You cannot be denied training opportunities, job placements, or promotions due to your magical ability. Conversely, you are not entitled to special treatment due to your status as a mage. Should you choose to use your magical abilities while working for the LAFD, you will receive a twenty percent increase in pay. Questions?”

“If I agree to use my abilities on the job, can I be ordered to do something detrimental to myself or my soulmate?” Eddie questioned as he started to set out different stacks of paper on the table.

“No, in fact, if you were to be ordered to do something that would damage you or your magic in any way, you are required to report the incident to HR,” Denise said. “We have a zero-tolerance policy regarding the abuse of magical gifts of any sort.”

“Since I’m working with my soulmate, can we be separated on the job against our will?” Eddie questioned.

“No and trying to do that would be a federal crime due to bonds and magical ability,” Denise said and picked up a stapled stack of papers. “You’ll want to learn all of those laws to make sure no one takes advantage of your lack of knowledge on the subject. Additionally, no employee of the LAFD can ask you to verify your soulmate bond with Firefighter Buckley. That is a private matter that can’t be investigated or otherwise inspected by a supervisor or another employee. You’re never required to indulge someone’s curiosity regarding your bond on the job or off, for that matter.”

Eddie nodded. “Okay.”

“Start reading,” Denise instructed. “I don’t let anyone sign documents in front of me without reading.”

Eddie noted, with some amusement, that she hadn’t given him a pen. He ended up reading six different documents concerning rights, privacy, next of kin, and the paperwork associated with his soulmate relationship with Buck, which would allow them to make decisions for one another in the event of injury.

He saved the paperwork for his magic for last and read every single word twice. Eddie knew that Buck had signed on to use his magic on the job for the pay increase, and he was going to as well. Every dollar he could make was another step toward providing Christopher with the best possible care. He’d already handled most of the employment paperwork, including medical insurance, and was relieved that HR had come out to the academy to handle the last bits. Granted, it wasn’t just for him, but he appreciated it, nonetheless.

“You’ll be eligible for a few magical-based certifications,” Denise said as she gathered everything he’d signed and created two piles. “Your choice, of course, but you’ll want to match Firefighter Buckley as much as possible on that front to make work assignments easier.”

“I don’t want to hold Buck back professionally,” Eddie said. “So, I’ve already signed up for everything I could at the academy to meet him on an even playing field certification-wise. I’ll have to wait until the fall for the swift-water course, but that’s the only one I’ll lack when I go on the job.”

“Good,” she said with a smile. “It’s always nice to see…positive mirroring in soulmates, Firefighter Diaz.”

“You know Buck well then?”

“Yes, I went to the academy with him,” Denise explained. “I was a firefighter for two years before an injury took me out of the field. I had a few choices when coming back to work, but I already had some experience in human resources. It’s not what I wanted, but I’ve adjusted as much as I can.”

“I get it,” Eddie said quietly. “I’m sorry for what you lost.”

“I see that,” Denise murmured. “And I’m sorry that your career in the military was taken from you. I think many people assume that your relief for surviving a big injury should overwhelm all of your other emotions.”

“Yeah, I’ve been told that. I get thanked for my service a lot, and I appreciate that, but it’s rare for anyone to acknowledge the full extent of what I lost when I was shot in the line of duty. In some ways, the kidney was the least of it. I certainly adjusted to that part faster than any other. Where did you want your career to go?”

“I wanted to be a firefighter engineer. I’d already started studying for the certification when I broke my hip. It required replacement,” Denise explained, and Eddie winced. “Yeah, and don’t get me wrong, I’m stupidly grateful that I survived the fall and got to go home to my kid, eventually. But my dreams were destroyed, and precious few people seemed to consider that. Even my husband was dismissive of that part until I had a full-blown meltdown over it.”

“You’re in therapy, right?” Eddie questioned. “Because it helped me a lot.”

“Yeah, I want to do right by my family,” Denise said. “And I see that in you. But back to the positive mirroring. I’ve known a lot of soulmated couples in my life, and I’ve noted with older generations that the negative mirroring often outweighs the positive.”

“Many of them were raised in difficult times,” Eddie pointed out. “One of the things I worry about is projecting something negative onto Buck because of my service. I saw a lot of ugly things. Are you soulmated?”

“Yes,” she said with a quick smile. “My husband is a city engineer.” She pushed one pile of paperwork toward him. “These are yours. The LAFD is unionized, so you’ll receive membership information from the union from them. If you join, you can submit a form to have your dues automatically deducted from your paycheck. Each station house has a dedicated union rep, and Firefighter Thomas Kinard is the union liaison for the 118.”

“I’ve met him,” Eddie said. “He’s currently on the shift I’ll be working, but I’ll be taking his place because he’s nearly finished his engineering cert and is moving to B shift at the 118.”

Denise nodded. “Great. I think you’re all set, but please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or if I can make your transition into the LAFD easier in some way.”

“I’m grateful for your time, ma’am,” Eddie said and stood. “I’ll reach out if I have any issues.”

* * * *

“How did physical therapy go?” Eddie questioned.

“It was good. He’s very proactive, and she was surprised by that,” Buck said. “We brought a resistance band home, and she suggested a Kinderboard, so I got one of those as well.”

“What’s a Kinderboard?” Eddie asked.

“I had to ask,” Buck confessed. “It’s a balance board, and it’ll help him with a variety of physical skills—balance, coordination, and strength. She gave us a printout of exercises with pictures. He asked for a binder to put them in, so we went to Target.”

“His assessment appointment was done by an older woman, who didn’t seem to be all that progressive regarding PT,” Eddie said. “He seemed to like the place, so I was willing to give it a try. I wish I could’ve gone this morning and met his regular therapist.”

“He won’t have a regular therapist,” Buck said as he started to pull ingredients out of the fridge. “They do a team approach so each therapist will help him with individual issues. I couldn’t sign off on everything they suggested because I’m not a legal parent yet, but they offer a lot of things that he was interested in.”

“Can I help?” Eddie questioned as he grabbed the bag of potatoes. “I can wash these.”

“I make my own vegetable wash,” Buck said. “Water, vinegar, and salt. We’ll let the potatoes soak for a while, then scrub them. One part vinegar to three parts water and a couple of tablespoons of regular salt.”

Eddie nodded. “Christopher’s stomach is delicate. We realized early on that we needed to buy organic as much as possible.”

“I shop at an organic farmer’s market,” Buck said. “We can go together if you like. It’s fun.”

“Christopher would like that. He’d get a kick out of picking out stuff from the farmers that grew it. What’s on the menu?” Eddie questioned.

“Christopher asked for hamburgers, potato wedges, and a salad. Howard was in agreement, so he’s making buns while I handle the rest.”

“He’s making homemade buns?” Eddie questioned.

“Sourdough buns,” Buck said as he started to season the minced beef. “He has a great starter and actually started a batch yesterday since Carla likes to make sandwiches for her meal when she works. We were talking about them, and Christopher suggested they’d make great buns for hamburgers. We agreed and made a plan.”

He put the potatoes in a bowl to soak with the vinegar water, as Buck said, and watched him form hamburger patties.

“Grilling out seems to feature heavily around here.”

“Yeah, Howard loves it, and I can hardly turn down grilled meat of any variety.”

“Yeah, same. We should smoke a pork shoulder sometime this summer, and we could do a pit barbeque if Howard is willing to sacrifice a spot in the yard for it.”

“Boy, is he,” Buck admitted. “We’ve been talking about a pit barbecue for a whole year, but we’re both kind of intimidated by it. He wants to make barbacoa the authentic way. We tried it in a crockpot to great success, but we think roasting in the ground will give us a different experience.”

“It’s night and day,” Eddie admitted. “My abuela cooks in a pit oven several times a year, and it’s often the feature of any party she has.”

“Christopher’s binder is on the coffee table. He wanted you to look at it when you got home.”

Eddie nodded and walked across the large room to the coffee table to pick up the red binder. It had dividers and a series of instructions tucked into plastic paper protectors. There were also a bunch of empty protectors. He took it to the kitchen table and sat down with it so he could read through the exercises.

“I see you indulged his addiction to office supplies.”

“Well,” Buck said with a shrug. “It could be worse. I got him a sketchpad and some drawing pencils, too. I hope that’s okay.”

“Yeah, of course,” Eddie said. “His crayons and coloring books are packed with the toys he said he didn’t need for a while. I think I should’ve left them out. I’m going to go the pod and get some of his things.”

“His birthday is in August, right?”

“The third, why?” Eddie questioned as he turned the page and looked over the pictures. “These are good. The PT place in Texas seemed to be…maintaining a status quo rather than trying to advance him. I don’t know why.”

“Jacy, the physical therapist who is in charge of designing Christopher’s program, said our goal should be preparing for his next surgery, which will require stamina and strength,” Buck said. “As to his birthday, I was considering getting us an annual family pass to the Los Angeles Zoo. He’s mentioned going more than once.”

“That sounds really great,” Eddie said. “I don’t suppose he mentioned wanting anything in particular?”

“I think he’s probably ready for his own iPad so he can read on it,” Buck said, and Eddie nodded. “I’ve noted he never complains when he can’t use yours, but the older he gets, the more frustrating it will be to share a device with him. I’ve kept mine in my bedroom because I’ve got a lot of adult content on it.”

“Oh yeah?” Eddie said with a grin. “Like what?”

“You know exactly what,” Buck said in amusement. “All of my porn is digital. Regardless, a small iPad would be a good gift. We could lock it down and monitor his Internet access to make sure he doesn’t make any weird or inappropriate connections with adults.”

“Yeah, okay,” Eddie said. “I’m kind of floundering on the parenting front, you know. I was the parent that came and went on the regular until I left the Army. I’m just grateful that he trusts me at this point.”

“You’re a great dad,” Buck said easily. “You love him and give all the attention that he needs. You provide for him and always have. Since neither one of us know a damn thing about receiving paternal love…well, I think you’re doing great.”

“I think you know about a bit of receiving paternal love,” Eddie said, and Buck focused on him. “It’s clear that Howard sees a son in you. I’m surprised they haven’t tried to legally adopt you.”

“I’d honestly let them,” Buck admitted and shrugged when Eddie grinned at him. “Hell, I’d pay for it. My parents are so fucking awful, and my sister used me to escape her homicidal husband without a fucking warning of any kind.”

Eddie left the table and walked across the kitchen as Buck washed his hands. “Hey.”

“Hey, back,” Buck muttered and took a deep breath. “I don’t want to be hurt by what she did. I just want to be pissed off, Eddie.”

“Then be pissed off,” Eddie said gently and pulled him into a hug. “It’s fine.”

“It’s really not.” Buck buried his face briefly against Eddie’s neck and took a deep breath. “I hate feeling this way. It’s unnatural for me to be this furious and hurt. I’ve never had a family I could depend on, and this just brings it home.”

“I understand,” Eddie said and cupped the back of his head. “I’m your family now, Evan. Me and Christopher.” Buck shuddered against him. “I hope that’s enough.”

“More than,” Buck said hoarsely.

A small hand curled into his jeans, and Eddie looked down at his son, who had managed to sneak up on them. “Where are your crutches?”

“I used the wall,” Christopher said. “And the couch.” He looked up at them with a frown. “I love hugs. Why isn’t this a group hug?”

Buck laughed and picked Christopher up easily. “You’re the best part of any group hug, Superman.”

Christopher threw his arms around both of their necks and pulled them close. “Cool.”

Eddie kissed his son’s temple and took a deep breath against his curls. “Did you have a good nap?”

“Yeah, of course,” Christopher said. “Moving to California has worked out great for me, Daddy.”

“Is that so?”

“Yep.” Christopher nodded. “I got everything I need right here.”

Eddie focused on Buck, who looked shocked, and he smiled. “Me, too.”

 

Chapter 9

Ravi Panikkar, a firefighter who worked on the triple engine, leaned on the counter and stole a piece of chicken out of the basket.

“That’s hot,” Buck warned as he used tongs to turn the chicken that Captain Nash had left him to fry.

“Fire’s my element, but I just have a knack,” Ravi said and took a bite of the steaming chicken. “I asked Bobby if I could join you on the USAR since we’d be compatible, but he told me that your partner is at the academy. Are you sure you want to partner with a probie?”

“He’s my soulmate and an Earth Elemental,” Buck said easily, and Ravi hummed under his breath. “He’s just out of the Army and doing very well at the academy, so it won’t be like having a clueless twenty-year-old hanging off my belt.”

Ravi laughed. “Right. Soulmate, huh? Congrats, I guess.”

“You guess?” Buck questioned.

“I don’t have one.” Ravi shrugged. “So, I don’t know much about it. I never considered it a good thing, either. Don’t you deserve some sort of choice?”

“I do have a choice,” Buck said. “And I’ve made the same choice seven times.” Ravi blinked in surprise. “Meeting him was the most amazing moment of my life because I knew I could trust him like I trust myself. That’s priceless.” He turned the chicken again and checked the time.

Ravi nodded. “Okay.”

“Why do you want on the USAR? Do you have your heavy rescue certs?”

“A few of them,” Ravi said. “But there wasn’t room for me before, and I figured I’d just wait until I could get a spot before I start working toward those certifications.”

“I got most of my certs at the academy or during my probationary year while I rode an engine,” Buck said. “I had a few coming onto the job because of volunteer work. I’m doing the course work for structural collapse through FEMA in my spare time now.”

“Why?” Ravi questioned. “You’ve already got one of the highest paying jobs in a task force station unless you want to go for engineer.”

“I don’t want to get stuck on an apparatus,” Buck said. “So, I wouldn’t pursue that even as a back-up for the current engineer. Plus, I’m of better use in a fire. As to educating myself, I like to learn, and keeping my certifications current is necessary. You can’t coast through this job on experience and outdated certs.” He paused. “Well, you can if you want to stagnate and get nowhere fast in your career.”

“It’s not that serious, Buckley,” Chimney Han said as he joined them and peeked at the basket of chicken.

Ravi pushed it back on the counter. “Too hot for you, Chim.”

The older man huffed but nodded. “It smells great, though. Bobby said he let you make it from the start, Buck.”

“Yeah,” Buck said. “I think he’s just relieved to have someone who can cook. I’m starting to wonder if that’s why he really recruited me.”

“Well, we had heard you were a great cook,” Ravi said in amusement. “That kind of thing gets around faster than anything else.”

“We also heard you like to fuck around,” Chim interjected and smirked when Buck glanced his way.

Buck shrugged. “I have no problems getting laid if that’s your question, and I didn’t pretend otherwise when I was single. Some people, I guess those who can’t get laid, always seem to treat it like it’s some big deal or something. Which I don’t get. Maybe that’s partially generational since most of the people on my first team were easily ten years older than me and, in some cases, closer to twenty.”

Ravi laughed even as Chim frowned.

“But it’s not my fault some people have no game,” Buck continued, ignoring the older man’s growing irritation. “It’s also not my problem, and for the record, I don’t tolerate questions about my sex life on the job.” He offered Chim a smile. “It’s inappropriate, but I’m sure you already know that.”

“Just trying to get to know you,” Chim said and leaned on the counter.

“Okay, I’m twenty-six. I love mountain climbing, surfing, and swimming. I read more than I watch movies or television. My favorite color is green, and I’m especially fond of Thai food. I love to cook, explore new cuisines, and travel when I can. My favorite country to visit is probably Peru, but I only took two weeks there last year as a vacation. I’d like to visit Brazil next year, but my Portuguese isn’t as fluent as my Spanish.”

Ravi laughed, and Chim outright frowned.

“I live with my soulmate, we’re a reincarnated pair, and I have an absolutely adorable six-year-old bonus baby whom I’m currently trying to convince that a Lego space station is a better investment than a Lego T-Rex.” He focused on Ravi. “We’re gonna try to get him both for Christmas, though.”

“I’d vote space station,” Ravi admitted.

“T-Rex,” Chim said reluctantly.

“What are we voting on?” Hen Wilson asked as she joined them.

“Christmas present for Buck’s kid—Lego space station or T-Rex?” Ravi questioned.

“Space station,” she said immediately. “Denny has one, but it’s Star Wars-themed. He loves it and he just turned seven. Though he also really likes the big box of Lego we got him that doesn’t have any kind of goal so he can build whatever he wants without worrying about losing an important piece to a planned build.”

Buck nodded. “He has a big box of those already—we got them out of storage over the weekend, and this morning, I learned the unique and horrifying pain of stepping on a piece of Lego.”

“That’s just a rite of parenthood,” Hen said in amusement. “Can I help with anything?”

“The potatoes are ready to be mashed,” Buck said, and she nodded. “I’ve got them in the stand mixer. I was waiting to ask someone about dairy usage. I skipped the milk on the chicken breading because no one was around to ask.”

“No one on the shift is lactose intolerant,” Hen said. “The soy milk in the fridge is for Kayla Snyder on C.” She went to the fridge and retrieved the butter and milk. “You put mayo or sour cream in yours?”

“Usually sour cream, but I’m not picky about it. Some people hate it, so I wasn’t going to add it to make it more palatable. I learned quickly it’s best to keep it simple when feeding a large crowd.” Buck took the last of the chicken out of the pan to drain.

Captain Nash came up to the loft at that point with a couple of grocery bags. “Are you guys helping or hindering? I’d like to eat before we come back online. Cosmo is almost done with the ladder’s oil change.”

“Chicken’s done, Hen’s mashing the potatoes,” Buck said. “The biscuits you wanted are in the oven and should be ready soon. I have the rest of the chicken in the warming drawer.” He paused. “How did you get a stove with a warming drawer?”

“I won a bet with the shift and used the money to buy a stove,” Bobby admitted.

“Best bet I ever lost,” Hen said. “The food only got better, and Bobby should already work as a chef.”

“Working in a restaurant was the most unrewarding experience of my life,” Buck muttered, and Bobby nodded his agreement. “The pay can be decent if you work a lot of hours, but the stress is outrageous. Also, people are awful, and you learn that fast when you work in that kind of service industry.”

“I hated it,” Bobby agreed. “I don’t have the personality to run a kitchen anyway.”

Buck just nodded and helped unpack the groceries when neither Ravi nor Chim stepped up to help. It was kind of off-putting. He thought he could probably work Ravi into a different kind of mindset, but Chim seemed pretty set in his ways and weirdly superior since he’d meandered off to sit on the couch. Who the hell sat while their captain worked?

“Ravi, get that strainer from the rack and rinse these green beans in cold water,” Buck said and pushed a bag in his direction.

Ravi hesitated, then gamely went to wash his hands. “Sure.”

Hen hummed under her breath as Buck pulled out the two large baking sheets of biscuits. He’d made four biscuits per person on the shift, but there would probably be left over as not everyone carb-loaded.

“How is Eddie?” Bobby questioned. “An attempted home invasion sounds pretty stressful.”

“He’s fine,” Buck said. “More irritated by the whole thing than anything else. He served nine years in the Army, so a gun in his face wasn’t as startling as it could’ve been. The guy is facing some serious charges in Boston, and the DA has agreed to send him that way as long as he’s prosecuted fully for those crimes. It’ll save a trial process because we were worried that Christopher might be questioned by the defense since he was a witness. I don’t know how that would’ve worked out for them, but keeping him out of it entirely was a goal.”

“Is it a good idea to shelter him?” Chim asked from the couch. “The world is a hard place.”

“He’s six,” Buck said and looked toward Bobby for some guidance on the subject.

“He has plenty of time to learn the world is awful,” Bobby said shortly and sent Chim a look. “He has enough on his plate trying to figure out long division.”

“Man, I hated math in school,” Ravi muttered.

Buck had as well, but he figured he had to pretend otherwise going forward so his attitude didn’t discourage Christopher. He pulled out the large woks and put them both on the stove.

“Where should I put these, Buck?” Ravi questioned as he shook the beans a little to get rid of excess water.

“Next to the cutting board,” Buck said absently. “Then get the bread baskets out for the biscuits, okay?”

“Okay,” Ravi said, but there was a bit of attitude tinging this voice, which was irritating.

“Or you can go sit on your ass while your captain works,” Buck said evenly, and Ravi shot him a wide-eyed look.

“Baskets,” Ravi said with a nod and flushed cheeks.

Hen just offered Buck a little smile as she passed him with two bowls of mashed potatoes for the table. Chim huffed a little from the couch, then got up and went to the cabinet where the supplies were and pulled everything out to set the tables. He really didn’t get the attitude at all, and it wasn’t something he’d be able to ignore. Plus, he knew that Eddie would actually be worse.

Three hours later, Buck was letting himself be lowered into a sinkhole that had surprised a pair of runners on a relatively well-used path in a city park. Considering the depth, he figured he was looking at body retrieval. Tommy Kinard was coming down with him, and they’d prepped two baskets as well, but they’d wait until an evaluation had been made. LAPD was on the scene. The air was damp and had a distinct smell that he knew well.

Buck activated his radio. “Halt the descent.”

“Problem, Buck?” Bobby questioned.

“Yes, sir, we’re moving into an underground cave. We need to come up and get some equipment,” Buck said.

“Can’t handle a little cave?” Chimney questioned.

Buck exchanged a look with Tommy Kinard, who was frowning, as the crane started to pull them both up. “I have a great deal of experience in caves, Firefighter Han, and have even camped in them. Which is why I know what bat guano smells like. I also understand how dangerous it would be to breathe in bat guano dust. I’d rather not contract histoplasmosis.” He turned off the radio when there wasn’t a response.

“He isn’t used to people responding to his smart assed comments,” Tommy said quietly. “Most everyone just ignores the digs.”

“Are you telling me I should as well?”

“Nope,” Tommy said. “He gets away with a lot because of his history with the department, and he learned all the wrong lessons on that front. We used to be friends, but he gave me flak for pursuing my engineering certification when there wasn’t room for me to stay with A shift. I’m just glad to stay with the 118, honestly, and also that we’re getting two elementals out of the deal as well. He took it as some kind of personal betrayal. Also, I’m really glad you’ve been pushing Ravi a bit. He’s eight months into his probationary year and has picked up some attitude from Chim that I don’t have time to manage. He’s talented and has a lot to offer, but the problems might outweigh the good in the long term.”

Buck just gave him a nod as they left the sinkhole. A few minutes later, they headed back down with hazmat onesies, masks, and air. The LAPD agreed to a quick removal due to the environmental hazard and the multiple witnesses to the accident. Buck wondered if anyone had ever taken a sinkhole as an opportunity to chuck someone in. He was really proud of the fact that he didn’t say the thought aloud. They’d put both bodies in bags to avoid spreading the guano dust around during transport.

Back at the station, Buck and Tommy hit the showers just in case. The protective gear was good, but neither were willing to take any risks with spreading the dust around.

Buck sat down on the bench in front of his locker and pulled on a pair of fresh socks. His boots were with Tommy’s in the sink where they’d already rinsed them, so he pulled out his second set to put on.

“Your soul mark….”

Buck turned and found one of the firefighters from the engine standing near him. “What about it?”

“It’s duplicated seven times,” Chad Rogers said. “What’s with the faded circle? I thought your soulmate was alive and at the academy.”

“He is,” Buck said. “It’s not faded, it’s just coming in. We only started bonding recently. This will be our seventh lifetime together.” Buck pulled on a T-shirt and tucked it into his pants then grabbed a belt. “Did you have a specific question beyond that?”

Chad shrugged. “Is your bond platonic or what?”

Buck shot him a look, and Chad just grinned. “We’re in a relationship, but even if we weren’t, I don’t fuck around with co-workers.” He paused. “With the obvious exception going forward.”

“Probably a good policy,” Chad said. “But you’re very attractive, so I had to ask.”

Buck figured that was reasonable as he’d have probably done no differently if he didn’t have the policy. “Well, you can’t be hurting for opportunities.”

Chad grinned. “I do okay.” He leaned on the locker next to Buck’s. “But I’m not above being a thoroughly used and casual third.”

Buck sighed, and Chad laughed before he walked away. He finished dressing, closed his locker, and slid the lock into place. Since he’d already worked out, he headed up to the loft to take care of emptying the dishwashers. Ravi joined him about halfway through the job.

“Do you rest?”

“I sleep about seven hours a day,” Buck said. “But I have to burn a lot of energy due to my magic. Elementals are task-oriented, as I’m sure you’ve noticed with Captain Nash. Moreover, I don’t actually get paid to sit on my ass. I take the breaks and the rest period I’m entitled to, but you’re never going to see me not working on the job.”

“How much magic could you possibly have?” Chimney questioned.

Buck barely glanced in his direction as he stacked the plates on the counter so he could move them into the cabinet all at once. “You know it’s illegal to ask for my individual rating or regional ranking, right?”

“If he doesn’t, he’s going to end up in a sensitivity seminar,” Cosmo Fuentes muttered as he joined them. “Chim, if you aren’t busy, you can go ahead and start the inventory restock for RA1.”

Chimney left with a grimace.

“Most of us ignore Chim,” Cosmo said casually.

“Don’t you mean you that rug sweep his inappropriate behavior?” Buck questioned and raised an eyebrow when Cosmo gaped at him. “I don’t do that. I don’t get paid enough for even that level of masochism. If you want to keep his boat steady, you should probably trot around behind him at all times.”

Cosmo sighed. “I guess I’ll have to look up a psychologist so I know where to refer him when he has a meltdown.”

“Well, why not refer him now?” Ravi questioned earnestly. “You know, so he doesn’t end up sectioned or fired.”

“I have to have a reason to order him into therapy,” Cosmo said. “And being an asshole isn’t actually just cause. Otherwise, most of us would be in mandated therapy.”

“I’m great,” Hen declared as she joined them and pulled the whole basket of silverware out of the dishwasher Buck had open. “So, I don’t need therapy for that.”

“What do you need therapy for?” Ravi questioned, and Cosmo cleared his throat. “Sorry.”

“I tolerate too much crap,” Hen said. “And I can’t throw away any tax documents. I’ve got copies of my income taxes from when I was 18. Karen thinks it’s a problem, but I don’t.”

“Well, you only need to keep seven years,” Buck said. “But I’d probably keep ten. I filed taxes for the first time at seventeen, so I don’t have ten years yet.”

“I have a pathological and unwarranted fear of being audited. We file a short form,” Hen admitted. “So, I should probably get therapy for that as well, and I have a chocolate addiction that I never plan to have treated.”

“Same,” Buck told her, and she laughed.

Chad came by at that point and snagged the stack of plates from the counter. “Why are we all hovering around the dishwasher?” He tucked the plates into the cabinet where Hen was standing, putting away silverware.

“I came over to help Buck,” Ravi admitted. “Cosmo came over here to let Buck know that we all ignore Chim’s assholery. Hen came over here because she’s nosy but is pretending otherwise.”

“I told Buck we ignore Chim’s assholery,” Tommy said as he joined them. “I don’t think he’s on board that particular team-building exercise.”

“I’m not,” Buck assured and moved to the second dishwasher. “People should always be accountable for what they do and say.”

“What’s Chim been an asshole about now?” Bobby asked. “And why are you guys all in the kitchen? Most of you only come in here to eat.”

“Buck makes me feel sad,” Ravi blurted out.

Buck grimaced. “Your own laziness makes you feel sad.”

Cosmo laughed.

“And I don’t know why they’re in here. I came in here to empty out the dishwashers by myself so they’d be ready for the next shift,” Buck explained. “As to Chim, he questioned me about my sex life, which is gross and weird. I don’t want to know about anyone’s sex life, for the record. So, none of you are allowed to share the intimate details of your life with me. I realize that’s probably be weird, for you guys, because I think you’re probably all weirdo over-sharers. But I’m not on board that train, and I’m not buying a ticket either.”

Hen groaned in what sounded like frustration.

Bobby sighed. “I told him to stop making comments about people’s sex lives. Everyone clear out and leave Buck to the task he clearly chose to work on alone.”

Buck laughed as the others slouched off. Bobby leaned on the counter as he watched him start making another stack of plates. “I don’t mind them much.”

“Your magic attracts people,” Bobby said. “As you know. Some people recognize they’re being drawn in by the magic, and they resent you for it.” Buck nodded. “I’ve been dealing with it my whole life. My ex-wife had issues with jealousy because of it, and it only got worse when our daughter manifested telekinesis as her one and only knack at the age of four.”

“That’s a very popular and attractive knack,” Buck said. “Your ex isn’t magical?”

“Not at all,” Bobby said. “It led to the dissolution of our domestic partnership, and she brought the kids to LA. I followed them, of course, and insisted on the court-ordered visitation. Then I met my soulmate.”

“You won the lottery on that front,” Buck said.

“Athena and my ex are oil and water,” Bobby said. “How are you going to deal with Eddie’s ex?”

“Oh, she’s not in the picture, but that’s not about me at all,” Buck said. “She bailed before she even knew I was a factor. Do you get to see your kids often?”

“They both live with me now,” Bobby said. “My son asked to move in with me because his mother wasn’t allowing him to take magical classes. Since he’s an elemental, she was violating federal law.” Buck nodded. “She was charged with child neglect and lost her parental rights. I was fortunate that I could prove I’d actually paid for the classes she was refusing to allow him to attend. I was granted custody of both kids, and she’s halfway through a prison term.”

Buck huffed a little. “Wow.”

“Yeah,” Bobby said and exhaled noisily. “So, you’ve got a knack as well.”

“I try to keep it tamped down, but yeah, that’s why I told them all not to over-share with me. I didn’t know it was a knack until after high school when I noticed it got progressively worse. I didn’t know what it was until I was in Colorado, and someone I worked with pointed out that I should try to control my confidence knack. And I was, at the time, the least confident person I knew.”

Bobby laughed.

“So, he explained that he meant that I’m extremely easy to confide in and that it had to be a knack. I went to a magical center in Denver, got tested, and learned how to tamp. It’s harder with other magical people, especially one like you.” Buck paused. “Between your elemental abilities and your own knack.”

Bobby hummed under his breath. “Most people don’t consider it much of a knack to know when I can trust people and when I can’t.”

“I can see it,” Buck admitted. “The fact that you have a knack, and I figured it was related to some interpersonal skill based on the way it sits on your aura. My landlady has a home and hearth knack. It was practically love at first sight. Too bad she’s super married to her soulmate.”

Bobby grinned. “I bet.” He sobered. “So, tell me what Chim said to you.”

“He said he’d heard that I fuck around,” Buck said, and Bobby winced. “It was just something that the people I worked with at the 76 could pick on me about consistently in a way that was seen as a joke, as you already know. I’ve never let that shit bother me all that much and didn’t consider it a problem until it led to that situation with Gibson. But maybe it would’ve happened anyway because of her entitlement.”

“I’ll speak with Chim.”

Buck shrugged. “I can handle him.”

“I’ll speak with him,” Bobby said firmly. “I’m not going to allow him to alienate you. Frankly, I won the lottery at work and at home. Fire and earth elementals, who are soulmates on my team, is the stuff of dreams in any firehouse. I received some ugly emails from the captains you refused to interview with. I responded and told them that they shouldn’t have considered your soulmate a plus one.”

“As long as he can keep it professional, then I’m fine.” Buck made a face. “I didn’t appreciate his questioning my judgment on the scene of that sinkhole. First, he doesn’t have any rank on me. Second, he’s not qualified for that kind of rescue work, so his opinion was unnecessary. Third, that kind of inane chatter on the scene of a rescue is a waste of time, and it can be distracting. That behavior is more concerning to me than his fascination with where and in whom I put my dick.”

Bobby snorted. “God, it’s like looking at a grown-up version of my son. Someone should figure out why fire elementals are like this. Robbie is blunt to the point of insulting about practically everything. It’s a good thing his sister decided at the age of two that he loves her no matter what comes out of his mouth.”

“I try to keep it civil,” Buck muttered as he picked up the bowls to put away. “Also, this dishwasher was half-full from yesterday when I loaded it. Someone, namely you, should tell the captain of C that we don’t appreciate them leaving their dirty dishes for us to clean up.”

“I’ll put a note about it on the log,” Bobby said. “Right beside the one about them using all the damned rice without replacing it.” He crossed his arms. “In the mood for a snack? I was considering making cookies.”

“Cookies would be great,” Buck said. “I make a peanut butter shortbread that I learned from Carla, my landlady, that will change your life.”

“I love shortbread cookies,” Bobby said, clamped a hand on Buck’s shoulder, and guided him toward the pantry. “Let’s get started. Maybe we can make a whole batch before some idiot tries to ruin our night.”

* * * *

Buck put his work bag down on the luggage rack he’d bought and put by the front door. Keeping the floors clean and free of unexpected obstacles had become super important after Christopher had moved in. He kept a relatively neat house anyway, but it didn’t hurt to take extra care. The house felt off, and he immediately realized that he was minus one Diaz.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” Buck said as Eddie left the couch. “Where’s Christopher?”

“Sophia picked him up last night. They’ve got plans for the day and I wasn’t invited. I was ordered to sleep in, but it was weird being alone. I almost camped out on Howard and Carla’s couch. They offered it.”

“It’s not a bad couch,” Buck said as he pulled Eddie into a hug. “I need to get a new bottle of lotion for my locker—something extra moisturizing. I took two showers at work.”

“Why two?” Eddie asked as he kissed Buck’s jaw. “Didn’t bother to shave, I see.”

“I got my limits,” Buck muttered, and Eddie laughed. “One was after working out, which I normally do. The second was because I had to pull two bodies out of a sinkhole that turned out to be a cave full of bat guano.”

“Ugh,” Eddie said. “You wore safety gear, right?”

“Yeah, of course. I totally rocked that hazmat onesie,” Buck said, and Eddie laughed, then tugged him to the couch to sit. “Regardless, I had a second shower and the lotion I have in my locker just didn’t do a great job. I’ve just been putting up with it for a while, but it’s started to get worse. I think it could be a magical reaction at this point. I’ll have to do some research and find a new one.”

“I like Gold Bond, personally,” Eddie said. “But we can probably visit an herbalist and get you a personalized product if necessary, and it might be due to your element getting stronger in response to our bond.”

“Sounds good,” Buck said and frowned.

“What?” Eddie questioned.

“It’s just weird that Christopher isn’t here. I was kind of looking forward to making pancakes with him. We got some blueberries at the farmer’s market.”

“He’ll be back tomorrow,” Eddie said with amusement. “You’ll just have to suffer with me for company in the meantime.”

“I guess,” Buck said and made a face then laughed when Eddie frowned at him. “I’ll just have to make do with you.”

“Maybe I don’t even want to spend time with you,” Eddie muttered.

Buck grabbed his hand and tugged gently. “Come here.”

Eddie took it as an invitation to slide right onto Buck’s lap. His breath hitched a little as Buck cupped his hips and pulled him close. All they’d shared so far were a few kisses, but each one had been better than the last. Their bond was building on mere proximity, and they’d both allowed the gentleness of that without discussing it.

“I miss you when you’re not here,” Eddie murmured against his cheek. “Are you ready for more? Because I want you in the worst way.”

“I think I got so used to denying myself even the thought of you that I haven’t adjusted as much as I thought I had,” Buck responded. “And, of course, I’m ready for more. I want to complete our bond, register it, and buy a house as close as possible to Carla and Howard.”

“Funny you should say that. The house next door went on sale yesterday afternoon,” Eddie said. “The moment I noticed the sign, I went right over there and asked them for all the information. It’s on the table, and I also asked them if they’d be willing to briefly take the sign down because unless something drastically is wrong with that house, we’re going to want it. They agreed since they’re just trying to sell it themselves instead of using a realtor.”

Buck barely refrained from putting Eddie’s fine ass right down on the couch so he could go visit the neighbors. “The Brantleys or the Thompsons?”

“Thompsons.”

“Oh, god, I love their house,” Buck confessed. “They hosted a neighborhood party last year, and I got a tour. It has a full basement with five bedrooms, and we could remove the privacy fence and share the backyard with Howard. We don’t have room for a garden with the pool, and he really wants one. But the Thompson’s yard is pool free.”

“Yeah,” Eddie said with a smile. “I already took a tour and arranged for an inspection. They said they would love to sell the house to people that Carla already knows and approves of.”

Buck cupped Eddie’s head and pressed their mouths together. They fell into the kiss like they were both starving, and magic started to drift between them. Buck scooted forward and urged Eddie to wrap his legs around his waist as he stood. Eddie groaned softly against Buck’s mouth and held on tight.

Buck carried him into his bedroom, shut the door with a foot, and crawled onto the bed. He put Eddie down and settled on top of him at the same time. Buck really had no idea how the sex would go as they’d not discussed it at all. He pulled his mouth free, and Eddie tugged at his T-shirt so he allowed it to be pulled over his head.

Eddie tossed the T-shirt and brushed his fingers over Buck’s soul mark. “It’s always felt like just my mark, and I love seeing it on your body.”

“I understand,” Buck murmured, and Eddie shrugged out of his shirt in response.

Buck eased down on the bed beside Eddie as the shirt was tossed away and let one hand rest on his partner’s stomach. “This is weird, but I’ve no idea if you’ve ever even been with a man.”

Eddie stared for a moment, then laughed. “Yeah, a couple.”

“Okay, I just…we haven’t discussed sex.” Buck waved a hand and tried to push down the building anxiety.

Eddie caught his hand and laced their fingers together gently. “Well, why wouldn’t we be utterly compatible in this? We are everywhere else that matters.”

Buck relaxed on the bed beside him and let his chin rest on Eddie’s shoulder. “Yeah. Everything has been great so far, and I don’t know why I’m worried.” He touched the pink scar on Eddie’s side. “I hate that you were hurt, and I didn’t know it. I couldn’t have done anything at all. I wish you’d reached out immediately after Shannon left so I could’ve helped you.”

“Do you want to know why I didn’t?” Eddie questioned, and Buck found himself nodding though he did wonder if the answer would hurt. “I couldn’t make myself risk another rejection at that point, Evan. I had no idea what was really going on in your life or even for certain where you were. You could’ve already gotten married, and Shannon…her betrayal gutted me. I thought I could trust her because we’d been friends since high school. Maybe our relationship was never what she wanted it to be, and I ignored that.”

“I don’t know why she left,” Buck admitted. “She got what she wanted. You were married to her, and Christopher is amazing.”

“She refused to look at me naked,” Eddie said, and Buck stared in shock. “The first time Shannon saw the scars…she looked like she might throw up. She also kept asking me if I was certain I wasn’t going to end up disabled because of my shoulder, which I’d had to have surgery on because of my field treatment of the dislocation. To say I’d been unkind to myself on that front would be an understatement. But I didn’t have a choice if I was going to survive.”

“I can’t stand her,” Buck admitted.

“I can’t either, but she’s the last thing I want to talk about,” Eddie admitted and pulled gently. “Come down here and kiss me some more.”

Buck complied but lifted away after a few moments. “I have sex questions.”

“Of course you do,” Eddie said with an amused grin as he lifted his hips and pushed his shorts down, then off completely.

Buck huffed. “You think you can distract me?”

“Oh, I know I can distract you,” Eddie murmured. “Is anal sex an option?”

“Yeah, I’m comfortable with both,” Buck said and focused entirely on Eddie’s face like his life depended on it.

Eddie wet his lips. “Great, then you can fuck me. Get the supplies.”

Buck huffed a little but left the bed. He went to the tall dresser and opened the top drawer to retrieve the lube and condoms. “I moved everything from my nightstand into this drawer, just in case. I didn’t want to have to explain condoms to Christopher.”

“Too late, I’ve already had to have that conversation with him,” Eddie said. “It was as terrible as you’ve already imagined.”

Buck dropped the lube and a few condoms on the bed before he shed all of his clothes as quickly as he could. It was hard to concentrate when Eddie was staring at him so intently. He returned to the bed and shuddered when Eddie pulled him close. Buck enjoyed sex, and it had always been a sweet kind of comfort that he wasn’t going to explain to anyone, not even himself. But the warmth of Eddie’s skin against his was such a rich sensation that it got hard to breathe.

“You feel great,” Eddie murmured. “It’s been a while for me, but I did get tested when I was in El Paso to make sure I didn’t have anything to worry about.”

“One betrayal can make it easier to imagine others, so I understand,” Buck said. “I got tested just before you came to LA. I’d never want to take any risks with you.” He wet his lips as he let one hand settle on Eddie’s stomach. “Being with you like this is surreal.”

“Agreed,” Eddie said and took a deep breath. “But also, it’s a relief. Come here, please. I want you as close as possible.”

Buck pressed close to Eddie’s side and sought a kiss. He let himself be pulled in as he eased over Eddie’s body. With a shudder of acceptance, he settled between the man’s legs. Buck had thought he’d feel desperate, but there was just a quiet acceptance in the way their bodies fit together.

Eddie trailed a hand down his back and sucked in a deep breath as they moved against each other. “I love this.”

“Me, too,” Buck murmured against Eddie’s jaw.

“Let’s not use the condoms,” Eddie suggested. “So, it’s just you and me.” He cupped the back of Buck’s head. “The way it always should’ve been.”

Buck nodded his agreement and grabbed the lube. He rolled them over, and Eddie sprawled across Buck’s chest with a pleased hum. Buck slicked up his fingers and took a deep breath as Eddie kissed his mouth gently. The moments blurred together as he slid his fingers into Eddie’s body for the first time. Eddie gasped against his mouth and rocked down on his fingers eagerly.

Eddie rubbed his cock against Buck’s abs several times. “I want to come on you.”

“Yeah,” Buck agreed and wrapped his free hand around the back of Eddie’s neck. “You can take a ride.”

The idea was thrilling, so Eddie just continued to rock gently down on Buck’s fingers, fucking himself open. He adored it but was ready for more and just groaned as Buck added a third finger without being prompted. He hadn’t had a male lover in nearly seven years, and he craved it. After Shannon left, he’d bought a small dildo, but it hadn’t done much to satisfy him on that front.

Eddie grabbed the lube and sat up as Buck pulled his fingers free. He slicked up Buck’s thick cock with a pleased noise he couldn’t contain. Intense sexual desire was rare for him, but he’d never really bothered to dissect it. He didn’t have casual sex as a rule, and so he’d never really focused on how attraction worked for him. What he did know was that he desperately wanted Buck and had from the moment he set eyes on him.

Buck shifted under him, spread his legs for leverage, and bit down on his lip as Eddie settled down on his cock. “Yeah.”

“You feel great,” Eddie murmured as he braced himself on Buck’s chest. “Okay?”

“Absolutely,” Buck said and cupped his hips. “Perfect.”

Magic thrummed between them, and the air grew hot as Eddie started to move. His skin dampened with sweat, and he relaxed his hold on his own magic in a way he never had. Buck was the first elemental he’d ever slept with, so keeping his magic tamped down had been more important than pleasure with previous partners. The air grew damp and misty with his power, and the fresh, earthy scent of an ancient forest filled his senses.

“You’re gorgeous,” Buck murmured and wrapped one hand around his dick. “We should go camping so we can fuck outside.”

Eddie laughed a little because he agreed. “Sounds great.”

Orgasm started to tease at his senses, and he slowed down so he could focus on his partner, who was staring so intently at him as they moved together. He rubbed his thumb over Buck’s soul mark, and magic swirled between them. Eddie watched, startled and pleased, as the seventh circle darkened on Buck’s mark.

“Evan,” he whispered.

“Come here,” Buck said and pulled him gently.

Eddie came to rest against Buck’s chest, and their mouths met in a soft kiss. Buck’s hands slid down his back, cupped his ass, and he started to roll his hips upwards in one long, slow thrust after another.

“It feels like I’ve always known you,” Eddie said against his cheek as his body gave into orgasm between one thrust and another.

Buck shuddered against him, thrust in one more time, and relaxed on the bed with a pleased groan as he came. “It’s crazy.”

“What is?” Eddie questioned as he sat up slightly.

Buck touched Eddie’s mark with trembling fingers. “I didn’t have to fall in love with you this time, Eds. I just remembered how much I’ve always loved you. Our love wrapped around the whole of me like it was custom-made, and that’s been the most relieving part of this whole thing. Because it was like the love always there with me—keeping me company through all of those horrible years in my parents’ house.”

Eddie blinked back tears and pressed an urgent kiss to Buck’s mouth then lifted his head. “I remember it, too. I had a dream a few nights ago that we were on a train heading west.”

“We had a baby,” Buck said, and Eddie nodded. “You were worried that riding on the train would make him sick and that he wouldn’t want to breastfeed. But I said that he would be fine.”

“Yes,” Eddie said and took a deep breath as they separated. He slid onto the bed but stayed close. “The baby’s name was Christian.”

Buck nodded. “Did you name Christopher?”

“Yes,” Eddie admitted. “Shannon didn’t even offer up a different suggestion. She just nodded her agreement when I suggested it, and that was it.”

Buck took a deep breath. “Wow.” He ran his fingers over Eddie’s soul mark. “Your seventh circle is complete.”

“So is yours,” Eddie said. “I want to go register right now, Buck. I need Christopher to have as much security as possible.”

“Then let’s get in the shower,” Buck said and pulled him from the bed.

 

Chapter 10

The registration process was simple, and they finished it up in just half an hour. Eddie had been kind of startled by the whole thing, but Buck had clearly researched it as he’d known how it was going to go. He’d known they wouldn’t do any testing as it was illegal to prod or otherwise touch a soulmate bond.

They’d done some grocery shopping then gone home to have lunch with Howard before taking a quick tour of the house next door. Buck had quickly gotten started on a home inspection then they’d sat down to discuss some of the changes they’d eventually like to make to the house. The Thompsons would be taking all of their furniture, but Eddie had the basics in storage.

“Should we tell Christopher about the updated birth certificate?” Buck questioned.

“Yeah,” Eddie said and shifted on the couch so he was propped against Buck’s shoulder as he made notes on his iPad. “I don’t want it to surprise him, and it’ll come up during the school process. A teacher might even call you his parent, and it will confuse him if he’s not already fully informed. He doesn’t like to be surprised with information like that, which is probably my fault.”

“What do you mean?” Buck questioned.

“Well.” Eddie made a face and took a deep breath. “When Shannon left, I kept it from him as much as I could. In retrospect, it was a mistake because the divorce blindsided him. He tried to be good about it, but I certainly misstepped. I was just trying to avoid hurting him, but I just made it worse.”

“He doesn’t seem to resent you for it.”

“No, I mean, I worked very hard to correct the situation. I apologized to him and promised that I would do better going forward. I think I have,” Eddie murmured but frowned. “I really hope I have. You know, there’s this moment when the baby you’ve been planning for and taking care of just becomes a person. It’s like you blink, and there they are—suddenly having opinions and deeply held beliefs about chicken nuggets.”

“Gah, I’m sorry I bought the wrong brand. How did he even know?” Buck huffed when Eddie laughed. “Who knew there was more than one freaking company that makes dinosaur chicken nuggets?”

“I didn’t,” Eddie admitted. “I just kept getting the same grocery order that Shannon always got.” He shrugged. “I don’t even like going to the grocery store, as I’m sure you’ve figured out.”

“Well, I don’t like crowds, but I do like to pick out my food so I don’t often do pick up. It’s happened when I was exhausted after work and I needed a few things.” He shrugged. “I don’t really like to do it.”

“I see how my future is going to be.” Eddie pressed back against Buck. “You can expect me to stay in the truck if you decide that hitting the grocery store after work is on your agenda.”

Buck laughed. “You know you’re going to come with me.”

“No, I’m not,” Eddie denied.

“You already can’t stand to be more than ten feet from me if we’re in the same place,” Buck said in amusement, and Eddie huffed.

Eddie put aside his iPad and turned around to lay across Buck’s lap. “You got a problem with that?”

“Not a single one,” Buck murmured and pulled him closer. “We’re not really meant to be far apart, you know, and we were separated by circumstances that were difficult on us both. I tried not to think about how it was impacting you, but I know I wasn’t alone in how I felt about the day you walked away from me.”

“It was agonizing,” Eddie admitted. “The hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, but in the end, the only person I resent for it is Shannon. It’s really hard to hate the woman who gave birth to my son, Buck. But I can’t stand the air she breathes.”

“Did you inform her about our registration?”

Eddie made a face but grabbed his cell phone. He really didn’t want any contact with Shannon going forward, but he knew that he was biased. Since talking to her would just make him furious the rest of the day, he gave her a silent ringtone before sending a text. He did consider blocking her on his phone an option and hoped she could remain civilized.

Eddie: We registered our bond today and updated Christopher’s birth certificate.

He started to put his phone down, but it buzzed in his hand almost immediately.

Shannon: I fucking told you not to do that! I don’t agree with it. How dare you Eddie!

Eddie: I don’t care what you agree with. It’s done and it was well within our rights. Have fun finding a lawyer who will actually challenge the federal laws regarding soulmates.

Shannon: It’s bullshit. You’ve let this asshole steal my son from me!

Eddie: You abandoned Christopher and haven’t seen him since you left Texas in the middle of the night. You didn’t even say goodbye to him. You’ve been terrible since I was shot and my baby deserves better than you. I’ve guaranteed he’s got that now. I don’t need you. I never did. This conversation is over. If you want to see Christopher get a lawyer and we can discuss it in court.

Shannon: One day Christopher will find me and ask me why I wasn’t in his life and I’m going to tell him the truth. I’ll tell him that you chose your so-called soulmate over me and broke our family. Then he’ll hate you.

Eddie: I’ve already told Christopher the truth Shannon. He knows you abandoned us. He knows you didn’t want visitation and I have the court transcripts to back it up. Feel free to never contact me again.

He closed the conversation and set aside the phone.

“Are you going to block her?”

“No, she’ll keep texting and digging a hole for herself. Verbal abuse is her go-to when she’s furious so I’ll get a lot of evidence to use against her in court. I know that’s mercenary, but I don’t care.”

“Hey.” Buck shifted them around so they were face-to-face. “Did she do that often?”

“Yeah,” Eddie said. “But I was used to it since my mother was much the same. I didn’t know Shannon was like that until we were already married. But I was the only target. She never treated Christopher that way.”

“Are you sure?”

“My house in Texas had internal and external security cameras, Buck. Plus, I had access to the baby monitoring system when I was overseas. I obviously couldn’t watch twenty-four/seven, but I watched enough to know that she wasn’t mistreating him. Shannon was a good mother while I was gone. I’d have never let Christopher with her.” He frowned. “Looking back, it was clear she was only playing the role of wife and mother to get what she wanted from me.”

Buck nodded. “Did she disparage you in front of him?”

“Once, and I lost my temper with her. We ended up arguing most of the night over text since I was in Colorado at the time,” Eddie said.

“Let’s find a lawyer,” Buck said. “Get ahead of it. We’ll get Christopher evaluated by a psychologist and see what they recommend. She doesn’t want to be a mother, and maybe she doesn’t deserve to have any contact going forward. You’ve ruined the fantasy she had of her life and the relationship she had with you. I can’t see how that won’t be a problem in some way going forward.”

Eddie nodded. “I want the best for him and any other children we can bring into our family.”

“Me, too,” Buck said quietly. “I’m really so happy about the house. I kind of coveted the Thompson’s house for over a year.”

Eddie grinned. “It’s nice, and staying near Carla and Howard is ideal. I like them both, and I know you love them. Being close while Howard recovers from the knee replacement surgery is definitely a requirement. It’s going to be very stressful for them both.”

Buck smiled at him, pulled him close, and kissed his mouth softly. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Just being you,” Buck murmured. “It’s so crazy, but my life feels perfect. I feel like I have everything I could possibly need.”

* * * *

With all the good, Buck had expected some bad to surface. He had the worst kind of luck in that regard. His parents showing up at his door was the very last thing he expected, however. Buck stared for a moment, then took a deep breath as he stepped back and allowed them to enter.

“This is your home, Evan?” Margaret asked with a small frown.

“A rental,” Buck said shortly. “What do you want?”

“Maddie told us you have a child,” Phillip said shortly. “We’re here to meet our grandchild. How old are they? Did you really think it was appropriate to keep such a thing from us?”

Buck was deeply relieved that Eddie and Christopher were at Isabel Diaz’s house for the afternoon. “You don’t have a grandchild and you can go.” He motioned toward the door. “I made it clear to you both years ago that I don’t want anything to do with you and your dysfunction.”

“We’re here to see the child, and we will. We have rights, Evan,” Phillip said sternly. “I’m not even certain you should be allowed to raise a child. You’ve always been a fuck up, boy, and I can’t imagine you’ve managed to make something of yourself at this point. Do you even have a proper job?”

He knew he needed to nip that shit in the bud immediately. “He’s not my biological child, you have no rights, and my life is none of your business. You need to go home and never come near me again.” He took a deep breath when they both glared at him. “I mean it. I want nothing to do with either of you and I get a lawyer to tell you that, if necessary.”

“You’ve met your soulmate then,” Margaret said stiffly. “And claimed their child? You realize if you put your name on the birth certificate, then we are the child’s legal grandparents, and we can pursue visitation. You can’t prevent it, Evan.”

He played the card he didn’t want to for lack of a better choice. “My soulmate is a Latino male.” He smiled when his mother blanched. “I’ve kept every single homophobic message you’ve ever sent me—text, voicemail, email, instant message. Hell, I even have a copy of your tirade on TikTok that you deleted because it got you thrown out of your little book club, Margaret.” He shrugged. “Did you want to keep telling me about your rights?”

Phillip glared at him. “You registered a soulmate bond with another man? I told you that you weren’t allowed to do that!”

“Look, Phillip, I pay all of my own bills,” Buck said. “I don’t owe you a damn thing—not even obedience. I told you the day I left home that I didn’t want anything to do with either one of you ever again. You’ve basically ignored I existed my entire life and that’s worked out just fine for me. I have a great deal going on here and a good career. There’s absolutely nothing of value you could add to my life at this point. It’s too late for either of you to pretend to care about me. I’m not your avenue for grandchildren. Period.

“Though, seriously, I don’t know why you’d want grandchildren when you didn’t bother to parent your actual children. You were terrible, uninvolved parents. You don’t love me and never pretended to.” He waved a hand. “I’m just glad sociopathology isn’t actually something that can be inherited.”

His mother glared at him. “You’re right. I don’t love you and never did. You failed me and had the goddamned gall to be born with a reincarnated soulmate mark. You didn’t deserve that! You didn’t deserve to live!”

“Margaret,” Phillip said quietly.

“No, he deserves to know! He deserves to know he’s a failure. A failed spare parts baby who couldn’t save his brother’s life. It was the only reason he was born! And we were stuck with him after he failed!”

“This is about Daniel?” Buck questioned and they both made shocked, startled noises like even the name was painful to hear. “What do I have to do with Daniel?”

“How do you know about him?” Margaret demanded.

“Maddie told me after I left home that we had a brother and that he died,” Buck said in confusion. “She said that you two didn’t like to talk about him.”

“She had no right to do that,” Phillip ground out through clenched teeth. “Daniel is none of your business.”

“Except for the fact that your wife blames me for his death,” Buck said snidely. “And called me a spare parts baby.” He took a deep breath. “Am I a savior sibling?”

“A defective one,” Margaret said coldly. “All you do is fail, Evan. It’s in your bones. You’re worthless.”

Buck nodded slowly. “Get the fuck out of my house and never come anywhere near me ever again.” He went back to the door and opened it. “I mean it. Being in the same room with either of you is sickening.”

“We make you sick?” Margaret laughed harshly. “You’re the freak, Evan. You’ve been a waste of time and money since the day you were born. Daniel was worth twenty of you.”

“Yeah, well, I feel sorry for him,” Buck said evenly. “His life was unbearably short, and he spent it with the two of you. No kid deserved that. Get out and don’t come back. I’ll call the cops if you do.” He took a deep breath. “And tell Maddie to fuck off, too.”

“Like she wants anything to do with you,” Margaret snapped. “Her life is a mess because you had Doug arrested.”

“Yeah, sure, her abusive husband is all my fault,” Buck retorted as she stalked out of the house with his father in tow. “Contact me again, Phillip, and I’ll sue you.” The older man just glared at him furiously before leaving the small porch.

Buck shut the door and picked up his phone. He blocked his sister’s number without hesitation and verified that his parents’ cell phone and landline numbers were still blocked. He dropped the phone on the table and tried to settle himself so he could focus on the meal prep he’d been working on when there had been a knock on the door.

There was another knock, and he took a deep breath because if those assholes hadn’t left, he really was going to call the cops. Buck snagged his phone as he passed the table and jerked open the door. Carla tilted her head at him and sighed.

Buck stepped back and let her in. “I’m okay.”

“If those two people were your parents, then I know for a fact that you’re not okay, baby,” Carla said. “They looked furious, too.”

“Maddie told them I had a kid, and they came to meet their grandchild,” Buck muttered. “It wasn’t about me, and they lost interest in Christopher as soon as I told them that my soulmate was a man. They’re both deeply homophobic, and I knew it would push them right off the deep end. They told me…that I’m a savior sibling and that I failed to save my older brother, so I was always worthless to them.”

“I hate them,” Carla muttered. “And I like everyone.”

“I know, weird, right?” Buck said. “It’s so odd because I rarely just outright hate anyone, but I wouldn’t piss on those two assholes if they were on fire.”

“We could roast some marshmallows,” Carla said darkly and went to the sink to wash her hands. “Howard’s asleep, so I’m going to keep you company for a while.”

“He’s been getting tired quickly,” Buck murmured as he washed his hands after her. “I’m prepping proteins—I thought I might smoke two chickens tomorrow. We can do one for you as well if you’d like.”

“Sounds great,” Carla said. “I also have a brisket that I bought yesterday. It’s marinating.”

Buck worked in silence for a while and was relieved that Carla just did the same. She was good for that—waiting for someone to gather their thoughts without picking at them and trying to force them to talk.

“I had an older brother. His name was Daniel, but I didn’t know he existed until after I left home. My sister told me that his death was the reason our parents disengaged from us. It was just grief, she said. I know he died of some kind of cancer. Margaret confessed tonight that I’m a savior sibling but that I was defective and didn’t save my brother.”

Carla sighed. “First, if that happened at an age you don’t remember, the most it could’ve been would be was a bone marrow transplant. They might have also used stem cells from your umbilical cord. Either way, the odds would not have been in your brother’s favor at that point. The fact that they had a child to act as a donor means that he was sick for a while, and no match was found in the system. We can try to find out more if you want, but I can’t see how it would help.”

“No, me neither,” Buck murmured. “I blocked my sister. She’s the one who told them I had a kid. I don’t want any of them near Eddie or Christopher. All three of them are just immense sources of stress and hurt. I can’t think of a single happy memory right that involves all three of them. Maddie was the better part of my childhood, but she wasn’t consistent. Also, looking back, it was clear she resented being responsible for me as a teenager.”

“She probably needs as much therapy for your parents as you did,” Carla muttered.

“Certainly,” Buck agreed. “But I can’t make Maddie my problem. I need to focus on Eddie and Christopher. I also can’t get over the fact that she used me to distract her husband when she feared him enough to run and hide. She tried to protect the people she worked with but not me. I don’t….” He shook his head. “I can’t put myself in her shoes, and I don’t want to judge her too harshly, but she could’ve gotten us all hurt. Doug came here with a gun because she pointed him at us like a weapon.”

“Everything will be fine,” Carla said. “We just have to do the work to process what’s happened and find a place to be comfortable going forward. We can do some research about your brother if you want to see what is available in the public record.”

Buck shook his head. “I know he died of cancer when he was eight. The rest is best left alone. I don’t want to know more because it would just further connect me to those people, and I don’t want those connections. I don’t really remember a time when I did. It makes me feel mean to think the way I do about them, and I hate that.”

“It’s a testament to your hearty and healthy personality that you came out of the household as whole as you did,” Carla said. “That woman has no idea what she gave up all those years ago when she decided to blame you for the death of your brother.”

“Thanks,” Buck murmured and exhaled slowly.

* * * *

“I wonder if we’ve always had toxic parents,” Eddie said, and Buck sighed. “Seriously. Maybe we were cursed in a previous life—fated to be raised by assholes.”

“We certainly didn’t lucky this time around,” Buck muttered. “I hate that they came here. I’ve never hidden from them, you know, but they’ve just never had any interest in me. It was mutual. I want to curse Maddie out for telling them anything about me.”

“She deflected their attention off of her and onto you,” Eddie said. “Just like she did with her husband. We just need to make sure that all three of them leave us alone in the future. We need a lawyer to send a cease and desist letter to them. I already sent one to my parents.”

“Yeah, we’re probably cursed.” Buck sighed. “At least we always have each other.”

“Yeah,” Eddie said and shifted closer to him in the bed. “That’s enough, right?”

“More than,” Buck said. “I feel like we’re always better together.” He pulled Eddie into his arms and took a deep breath against his hair. “We’re incredibly lucky to have each other.”

“Yeah.” Eddie agreed but then shifted away. He sat up with a little hum and left the bed.

“Something wrong?”

“Just a little intruder,” Eddie said and left the bedroom. He came back shortly with Christopher, who he tossed gently on the mattress. The boy giggled. “Found him.”

“Is he under arrest?” Buck questioned, and Christopher laughed.

“Definitely,” Eddie said and laid back down. The boy sprawled between them, utterly at ease. “Charges are as follows: being sneaky, not using his crutches to facilitate being sneaky, and being up past his bedtime.”

“Defendant pleads not guilty,” Buck said, and Christopher giggled. “Due to being adorable.”

Eddie sighed.

“Why are you up, Mijo?” Eddie questioned.

“Couldn’t sleep,” Christopher said and yawned as he cuddled close to Buck. “I heard Tía Pepa asking Abuelita if you guys registered as soulmates.”

“What did your abuelita say?” Eddie questioned.

“She told her to mind her own business,” Christopher said. “Then they started talking in Spanish and I talked Luis into playing Mario Kart with me. He’s really bad at it.”

“Well, we did register,” Eddie said quietly. “So, we can be legal family to each other.”

“And me?” Christopher questioned.

“Yeah, of course, and you,” Buck said. “You and your dad are a package deal, Superman. We wanted to talk to you about that.”

“Oh yeah?” Christopher turned and threw an arm over Buck’s chest and propped his chin on Buck’s arm. “What about it?”

“Well, one of the things that happens when soulmates register is that they can share children legally,” Eddie said. “It means that Buck was added to your birth certificate and is also your legal parent now.”

“Like you and Mommy?” Christopher questioned.

“Yeah, just like me and your mom…except your mom can’t make decisions for you.” He paused. “Remember?”

Christopher huffed and curled his fingers in Buck’s T-shirt. “I hope she’s happy wherever she is.”

“Yeah?” Buck questioned.

“Yeah, because I’m happy, and everyone should be happy,” Christopher said. “We can be family to each other.”

“Just like that?” Buck questioned.

“Gah, Papa, don’t make it complicated,” Christopher muttered huffily and yanked at the blanket. “I’m cold.”

Eddie pulled the covers up with a laugh. “Yeah, Buck, don’t make it complicated.”

Buck reached out and turned off the lamp on his side of the bed and caught Eddie’s hand gently in his own as Christopher slouched in a fashion that meant that he’d fallen asleep.

“I’ve not slept that hard that fast in a decade,” Buck muttered.

“I’m super jealous,” Eddie confessed in a whisper and squeezed his hand gently. “Good?”

“Great,” Buck admitted and exhaled slowly. “Perfect.”

The End