Archive of Our Own

Eddie wouldn’t say that he’s the most well-to-do alpha there is, but he gets by. He’d been able to save a good amount of money while he and Buck were splitting the bills 50/50, but now that the omega had moved into his own house down the street, Eddie was a little more frugal with what he spent his money on. 

That doesn’t stop him from standing in the middle of the omegas' living room and making a mental list of everything he still needs to spruce the place up. 

“I just don’t understand,” the omega all but yells into the phone. “I paid for the rental insurance exactly for this reason!” 

Buck has been on the phone with the storage garage for over an hour, trying to get his insurance money for all of the stuff that was ruined when the unit next to his flooded. 

“All of my things were in there…No, I can’t just go buy them again; that requires money. Which is why I’m calling you, for the insurance check.” 

The scent of the Buck’s distress permeates the air, and it’s messing with Eddie’s brain. He wants nothing more than to fix everything for Buck, but like he said, he’s not swimming in money. 

“You know what, have the day you deserve.” Buck hangs up the phone and flops down onto the floor, covering his eyes with his arm. 

“Eddie, what am I going to do?” Eddie can tell that Buck is holding back a whine. Ever since Eddie’s been back, it’s like his best friend is…more Omega than before. Or maybe Eddie is just more attuned to it. 

“Did you talk to Athena?” Eddie suggests before sitting down on the floor beside Buck. “Maybe she can go and pay them a visit?” 

Buck turns to look at Eddie and sighs. “I don’t….I don’t want to bother her right now. She-she’s got a lot going on with Bobby’s rehabilitation and stuff.” 

“I understand that,” Eddie sighs. “But maybe you can have her ask someone else at the station?” 

“I don’t want to be a bother,” Buck sighs. 

Typical Buck. 

“Okay, so what can I do?” Eddie asks, reaching over to give Buck’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze. 

“You got a gift card to the home store loaded with $20,000?” 

Eddie makes a show of patting at his pocket before grimacing. “Looks like I’m fresh out.” 

Buck chuckles and rolls over onto his side, propping himself up with his elbow. “Mind if I crash on your couch again?” 

“Whatever you need,” Eddie grins. 

“What I need is my therapeutic mattress and adjustable bed frame to not have water damage,” Buck groans. “I used all of my inheritance money from my Nana on that thing.” 

“I know,” Eddie chuckles. “I went with you to pick it up, remember?” 

“Yeah,” Buck sighs. “And you tried to talk me into something more expensive.” 

Eddie just shrugs. “The other bed was nicer.” 

“Well, it doesn’t matter anyway,” Buck shakes his head. “I have an entire house and nothing to show for it.” 

“You’re the one who bought a three-bedroom house,” Eddie reminds him. 

“That’s because it was dirt cheap thanks to the meth lab that had been running out of the garage. They basically just gave me the house.” 

Eddie chuckles and then stands up, offering his hands to Buck to help him off the floor. “Come on, no use staring at the walls when there’s nothing we can do. Pepa should be done cooking by now anyway.” 

Buck sighs and takes Eddie’s hands, letting himself be pulled up. They walk out of Buck’s house, making sure to lock the door before walking down two houses, back to Eddie’s house.  

___

That night, as Eddie lies in his bed with Buck snoring lightly down the hall, he can’t help but feel anxious that Buck has all that house and nothing to show for it. He wishes that he could provide Buck with everything that he needs and more, but barring throwing himself back in the ring, there’s no way Eddie would be able to. 

Maybe he can help him buy one thing each paycheck until the house slowly starts to fill with things? 

Not being able to sleep, Eddie pulls out his phone and begins searching, a habit he’s picked up from Buck over the years. It takes a while, but he finally finds what he was looking for…an answer. 

“Bingo,” Eddie says with a grin and takes a screenshot, before locking his phone and finally feeling relaxed enough to fall asleep. 

When he wakes up the next morning, it’s to the sound of someone rummaging through the kitchen. 

“Buck?” He asks, stumbling in, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. “What are you doing?” 

“Double-checking to make sure I didn’t leave anything here,” he sounds defeated. “I didn’t. It’s all gone.” 

“Buck-“ 

Eddie can’t help but feel like this is all his fault. He wasn’t the one who’d flooded the storage unit, but Buck moved out because Eddie hadn’t made it clear enough that he’d wanted him to stay. 

“One step forward and three steps back,” Buck says, pulling himself up off the floor and leaning against the counter. 

“Go get dressed,” Eddie says. “I’ll go wake up Chris.” 

“Where are we going?” 

“You’ll see,” Eddie grins. 

Buck stands there for a second, staring at him, before he nods and walks away. Eddie turns and walks back out of the kitchen, knocking on Chris’s door. 

“Chris, you up?” 

“Yeah,” the teen calls from the other side of the door. 

“Get dressed, we’re going out to breakfast.” 

“Kay.” 

Eddie then walks to get himself dressed, opting for the jeans Buck says look good on him and a dark green t-shirt. 

He walks out of the room, putting on his watch and stepping into the living room. 

“Where are we going?” Buck asks, bending down on the couch and tying his shoes. 

“Breakfast,” Eddie says, walking over to the door to grab his shoes. “And then a surprise.” 

“For Christopher?” Buck asks. “Did we have plans I forgot about?” 

“Nope,” Eddie says. “This surprise is for you.” 

“F-for me?” Buck asks, standing up and stretching his back. 

“Yeah,” Eddie grins. “Chris, let’s go!” 

“Coming,” Christopher yells from down the hallway. 

“We need to take your truck, though,” Eddie says, more to himself than to Buck. 

“Uh, o-okay,” Buck says, looking around the living room, most likely for his keys. 

Chris comes walking out of his room, and Eddie smiles. “Good, let’s go.” 

He grabs Chris’s crutches that were leaning against the door and holds them out to him so he can easily wrap them around his arms. “We gotta do a bit of walking today, Mijo, how do you feel this morning?” 

“Good,” Chris says with a grin. 

“Do you want to take the chair, just in case?”

“I guess, maybe.” Chris shrugs. 

He’d recently gotten approved for an ambulatory wheelchair from their insurance and Chris still wasn’t used to the idea of having one yet. 

“You’re not going to get used to it if you never use it, Chris,” Eddie says as they walk out the door. 

Chris groans. 

“He’s right, kiddo,” Buck adds. 

“I just-” Chris huffs and opens the back door to the truck. “I feel like everyone is staring at me when I’m in the chair.” 

Eddie and Buck share a look. 

“People are going to stare no matter what, Chris,” Eddie says gently, waiting for his son to climb into the truck. “Better to let them stare while you’re riding around in a tricked-out chair.” 

Chris grumbles under his breath but doesn’t argue further. Eddie closes the door before walking around to the passenger side. Buck slides into the driver’s seat, giving Eddie a quick side eye. 

“You wanna tell me where we’re going?” Buck asks as he turns the key in the ignition. 

“Nope,” Eddie says with a grin. “Just drive. I’ll tell you when to turn.” 

Buck mutters something under his breath but does as he’s told, turning the truck down the main road. They stop at the diner Eddie knows Christopher likes and he watches as Buck relaxes a little when Eddie slides into the booth beside him. 

But Buck still looks wary.

“Alright,” Buck says, stirring his coffee. “What’s the deal? You’ve been acting weird all morning.” 

Eddie shrugs. “Can’t a guy take his best friend and his kid out for breakfast without there being an ulterior motive?” 

Buck raises an eyebrow.

“Okay, fine,” Eddie sighs, lowering his voice. “There’s a little estate sale happening a few blocks from here. They’ve got lots of furniture and house stuff from what I could tell online. I thought maybe we could check it out after we eat.” 

Buck’s mouth opens, then shuts. He looks down at his plate. “Eddie…I don’t have the money right now. I told you, the insurance company-” 

“Who said anything about you needing money?” Eddie cuts in. “I just figured…maybe you’ll see something you like. It doesn’t hurt to look.” 

Chris perks up. “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” 

Eddie grins at his son. “Exactly” 

Buck looks between the two of them, and Eddie watches as his chest seems to loosen. 

“Look,” Chris says, holding his hand out over the table. “You go to the sale and I’ll use my chair, deal?” 

Eddie bows his head in acknowledgement at his son for knowing exactly how to get Buck to do what he wants. Buck sighs and reaches across the table to shake Christopher’s hand. 

After breakfast, they pile back into the truck and head to the sale. It’s nothing fancy. There’s a table covered in mismatched kitchenware, a couple of old armchairs, a few rugs that smell faintly of descenter, and a million other little things. But Eddie watches the way Buck’s fingers trail over stuff like the old bookshelf and a lamp with a stained-glass shade, and it makes his chest ache. 

When Buck lingers too long at the lamp, Eddie clears his throat and pulls out his wallet. 

“Eddie-” 

“Don’t argue with me,” Eddie says softly. “Consider it a housewarming gift.” 

Buck swallows hard, blinking fast. He opens his mouth like he’s going to refuse, then shuts it again. Finally, he whispers. “Thanks.” 

Behind him, Eddie hears a low whistle and turns around to see Christopher giving him a look. 

“What?” Eddie asks. 

“Nothing,” Chris says before taking off in the other direction. 

By the time they load the lamp and a couple of end tables into the truck bed, Buck looks lighter. Eddie hasn’t fixed the problem completely yet, but he made progress and that makes him feel like a good alpha for being able to provide for his ome-

His best friend. Buck is just his best friend. 

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Eddie coughs as he opens the hatch to his tia’s attic. “Hijole, Tia. How long has it been since someone was up here?” 

“A couple of years, mas o menos.” She says, looking up at him from where she was holding the ladder still. 

“Dios,” Eddie grumbles, pulling himself into the attic. 

“What is it that you are looking for anyway?” Tia Pepa asks, still at the bottom of the ladder. 

Eddie looks over the hole he’d just climbed through and shrugs. “I’m not sure yet.” 

“Then why are you climbing through my house so early on a Tuesday?” 

“I’ll know what I’m looking for when I see it,” Eddie calls, walking over to the far corner of the small space. There are plenty of things covered in white sheets over there, he figures it’s a good place to start. 

Before pulling off the sheets, Eddie pulls his shirt up over his nose, hoping to keep from inhaling as much dust as possible. 

“How’s my Evancito settling into his new house?” Pepa asks. 

“His storage locker flooded,” Eddie grumbles, still feeling like he should go down there and give the manager a piece of his mind. But he’d already been to jail once, he wasn’t trying to go back. “So he doesn’t have much there besides what was in my garage.” 

“Did he get the insurance? I told him to make sure he got the insurance.” 

“He did,” Eddie says, grabbing the half-body mirror hidden under the sheet and moving it towards the entrance to the attic. “Not that it did him any good, the manager is giving him the run-around.” 

“I’m guessing that’s why you are pillaging around in my attic, then?” 

“You said it yourself,” Eddie says, taking the mirror and carefully lowering it down to her. “You haven’t been up here in years; someone needs to put this stuff to good use.” 

She grabs the mirror and leans it up against the wall beside her, looking up at Eddie with that same expression Chris had given him the other day at the estate sale. 

“What?” Eddie asks, already turning to go back to grabbing things he thinks Buck might like. 

“Nothing,” She hums. “Just trying to figure out what I want to wear to you and Evancito’s mating ceremony.” 

Eddie trips over a rug, “ow.” 

“¡Cuidado, Edmundo!” Pepa gasps. “I don’t know how solid that floor is.” 

“I’m fine,” he says, moving to his knees and rolling the rug up, pushing it towards the entrance. “Buck and I aren’t mating, Tia!” 

“Porque no?” She gasps. “You are just going to court the boy and then leave him hanging?” 

“I’m not-” He pauses to drop the rug out of the attic. “I’m not courting Buck.” 

“And what do you call this?” She asks with her eyebrows raised. “Sneaking out with his truck and coming to my house before the sun came up?” 

“I’m just being a good friend!”

Eddie gets up off the ground and goes back to digging around. 

“Ay, so, you come home from Texas and come out to me and then you won’t let me set you up on any dates…but you expect me to believe that you think of Buck as just a friend?” 

“I haven’t told him yet,” Eddie sighs, before grinning at finding an almost identical lamp to the one Buck got the other day. 

“That you’re gay or in love with him?” 

“Both,” Eddie says, taking the lamp over and handing it down to her. 

“Ay, Dios mio,” Pepa throws her hands up in exasperation. “What am I going to do with you?” 

“Help me start carrying this stuff out to the truck,” Eddie grins, effectively ending the conversation. 

Eddie makes it back to the house just in time for Buck to be waking up, stretching on the couch, and letting out a cute little yawn. Eddie pauses, taking in a lungful of Buck’s fresh apple scent, indulging himself while Buck couldn’t see. 

“G’morning,” he mumbles, looking over at Eddie. “Where were you at so early this morning?” 

“I’ll tell you after breakfast,” Eddie says, holding up the bowl Pepa had sent home with him. “I’ve got enchiladas.” 

“From the taco truck or from Pepa?” 

“The taco truck doesn’t do breakfast,” Eddie says, kicking off his shoes and walking towards the kitchen. Buck is quick to follow behind him. 

“I’ve got to get her to tell me how she makes them so perfect,” Buck says, grabbing two plates out of the cabinet. “I always mess it up somehow.” 

“I’m sure she’d love to help you out if you asked her,” Eddie says, popping the lid off the Tupperware and putting two breakfast enchiladas on each plate, the rest going in the fridge for Chris. 

“Not that I have anything to cook them with right now,” Buck grumbles. “I think I’m going to try calling again today, maybe someone nicer will answer the phone.” 

“I can call for you,” Eddie says, handing Buck his plate and sticking a dollop of sour cream on top of them. 

Buck looks up at him for a second, and Eddie thinks he’s going to consider it, before he shakes his head. “No, I need to do this on my own.” 

“Okay,” Eddie isn’t going to push…yet. But if he has to look at the defeated look on Buck’s face much longer, he may have to take matters into his own hands. 

___

“Alright,” Eddie says, sliding on his shoes. “Chris knows that we’re going down to your house, let’s go.” 

“Why are we going to my house?” Buck asks, walking out of the house behind Eddie. 

“I hope you don’t mind,” Eddie says, walking backwards towards the truck with his hands in his pockets. “I borrowed your truck this morning.” 

Eddie watches as Buck’s face changes, awe covering his features. “Eddie, what is all of this?” 

“Tia Pepa needed her attic cleaned out,” Eddie shrugs. “Figured, two birds, one stone.” 

“How early did you wake up this morning?” Buck asks, and Eddie can tell he’s trying to fight a grin. 

“I had to get up there before it got too hot,” Eddie shrugs. “Come on.” 

Buck takes a deep breath and nods before walking over to the truck. It feels silly to drive a few houses down, but Eddie isn’t trying to make multiple trips back to the house to get everything out of the truck. 

“Wow, this is-uh, this is a lot of stuff,” Buck says, taking a deeper look at all of the stuff Eddie’d brought. “Are you sure Pepa is okay with this?” 

“Okay?” Eddie scoffs, “After she realized what I was doing, she started throwing in random things too. ‘My poor Evancito, anything for my Evancito.’” Eddie mocks.

Eddie looks up to see a light flush on Buck’s cheeks. “Well, you’ll have to let me cook at your house so I can thank her.” 

“Don’t thank her just yet,” Eddie says, pulling out a quilt that he’s pretty sure is the one Tia Pepa came home from the hospital in, on account of all the dust. “I think some of this is just junk she didn’t want to haul off to the dump.” 

“No no,” Buck says, grinning as he pulls some throw pillows out. “It may be a little old, but it just needs some TLC.” 

Eddie watches as Buck’s face lights up with each item he pulls out of the truck bed. 

“Oh, no way!” The omega all but squeals. “This almost matches the other lamp perfectly.” 

“Yeah, I thought so too,” Eddie says softly. 

“It’s so pretty,” Buck coos, walking towards the house. 

“Yeah,” Eddie says to himself. “You are.” 

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Eddie feels like punching someone. Namely, the manager of the storage rental place, who just so happened to conveniently misplace Buck’s contract stating that he had insurance on all of his stuff. 

“Hey, walk it off,” Chimney says, walking up to Eddie in the station. “You’re leaking alpha pheromones all over the place.” 

“Sorry,” Eddie says, taking a deep breath, trying to feel just a bit calmer. “It’s just…this whole thing with Buck trying to get the money to replace all of his stuff.” 

“I mean, yeah, it sucks,” Chimney shrugs. “But it’s nothing to be this angry over.” 

“You don’t get it,” Eddie sighs. “Imagine if Maddie lost all of her things and some asshole was trying to give her the run around.” 

Chimney crosses his arms over his chest and looks at Eddie with amusement. “You want me to imagine me and my wife in the same situation as you and your best friend? You understand how this sounds, right?”

Eddie falters. “I-what, uh…that’s not what I meant.” 

“Uh-huh, sure.” Chimney nods. “But I guess I understand where you’re coming from. If the love of my life were getting screwed over, I’d be pretty heated too.” 

“Exactly,” Eddie paused. “Hold on, Buck’s not-” 

“You’ve never been good at lying, Edmundo. Don’t try now,” and with that, Chimney walks away. 

A few moments later, his phone buzzes in his pocket. 

Maddie: I’ve got the spare bed from when we were fostering Mara, will that work? 

Eddie: yeah, that’s perfect

Maddie: and all the blankets he used when he crashed here when you were in texas 

Eddie pauses. Why did Buck stay with Maddie and Chimney while he was in Texas? Long enough to warrant him having a stache of blankets, at that? 

Eddie: why did he stay with yall? 

Maddie: uh, have you not talked about this? 

Eddie: first im hearing of it

Maddie: oh would you look at that, my break is over

Eddie sighs. If Maddie is anything like her brother, Eddie could text her a million times and not get a response back. He’ll just have to ask Buck about it later. 

The rest of the workday goes off without a hitch. There are no major calls, which is always a good thing. 

“Hey,” Buck says, walking up to Eddie in the locker room as they’re getting ready to go home for the evening. 

“He-“ Eddie looks up to see Buck’s eyes red-rimmed. “What’s wrong? What happened?” 

Eddie’s up off the bench and standing in front of Buck in record speed. 

“Nothing,” Buck says, his voice sounding defeated. “I just-I’m tired.” 

“Emotionally tired or tired in general?” Eddie asks, both of his hands going to Buck's shoulders. 

“Little bit of both,” Buck sighs. “All day, all I’ve wanted is just to go home and lie in my nest. And I can’t, because I don’t have one. Because of stupid Jerry at StoreSafe.” 

“Okay,” Eddie says. “This is an easy fix.” 

“It is?” 

“Yes,” Eddie nods. “You can just build a nest at my house for the time being.” 

Eddie watches as Buck's lip trembles, making plans to pay Jerry a visit. 

“Eddie, I can’t.” Buck sighs, and Eddie has to hold back a growl. What does he mean he can’t build a nest at Eddie’s house? 

“And why not?” Eddie crossed his arms over his chest.

“Because-“Buck scoffs, like Eddie should know the answer to the question. 

“Because?” 

“It’s improper for omegas to nest in an alpha's house that they don’t intend to bond with.” 

“We’ve been best friends for years,” Eddie sighs. “It would be perfectly normal for you to have a nest at my house.” 

Buck just stares at him with puppy dog eyes. 

“Unless you don’t feel safe enough to nest at my house?” 

“What?” Buck reels back. “Of-of course I do. Probably safer than anywhere I’ve ever been.” 

“Then why are we still standing here?” 

“Because  I can’t nest at your house, Eddie.” 

“Who the fuck says you can’t?”

Eddie watches as Buck’s face falls, and he knows the answer before it even falls from his lips. 

“My-my parents.” 

The growl escapes from Eddie’s chest before he can even register that it’s happening. It echoes off the lockers, low and menacing. Buck flinches, his eyes wide, like he hadn’t expected Eddie to actually sound like that. 

“Buck,” Eddie says, forcing his voice to steady. “Your parents don’t get to dictate how you live your life anymore. They don’t get to tell you where you can or can’t feel safe.” 

Buck looks down, twisting his fingers together like he’s a kid again. “It’s…ingrained, Eddie. I can’t just…just ignore it. I was raised to believe-” 

“Yeah, well, we both were raised to believe a lot of crap,” Eddie interrupts gently but firmly, reaching out to grip Buck’s chin and tilt his face up so that their eyes meet. “And none of it changes the fact that you do feel safe with me. Right?” 

Buck swallows hard, then nods. “Always.” 

“Good,” Eddie says, letting his hand fall but staying close enough that Buck can’t retreat into himself. “So, here’s what's going to happen. You’re coming over, you’re building your nest in my house, and anyone who’s got a problem can deal with me. Got it?” 

Buck gives a shaky laugh, the corner of his mouth twitching like he wants to argue but doesn’t quite have the strength. “You make it sound so simple.” 

“Because it is simple.” Eddie squeezes his shoulder. “You need a nest. I’ve got space. End of story.” 

For a moment, Buck just stares at him, his eyes bright and vulnerable, and Eddie has to remind himself to breathe. The Buck nods before whispering, “okay.” 

Eddie finally lets out the breath he’s been holding and gives him a small smile. “Okay. Now grab your stuff. We’re going home.” 

As they leave the locker room, Eddie’s mind is already racing…spare blankets, the bed he needs to pick up from Maddie, all of the little things Buck needs to be comfortable. 

If Buck needs a place to belong, Eddie’s damn well going to give it to him. 

Eddie pulls Buck’s truck in front of Maddie’s house and puts it in park, careful not to jostle the sleeping omega. He’s quick to run in and grab the bed frame that’s already been taken apart. 

“Where’s Buck?” Maddie asks, holding open the door. 

“Asleep in the truck,” Eddie says, readjusting the rails for the bed and carrying it out the door. It’s not like it’s huge; it’s just a full-size, but it’s awkward to carry. 

“Bad shift?” She asks, concern laced in her voice. 

“Not necessarily,” Eddie sighs and lifts the frame into the bed of the truck. “He needs to nest and your parents have put it through his head that he can’t do it at my house.” 

Eddie takes a few deep breaths, not trying to get as angry as he was earlier. “Have I mentioned how much I loathe them?” 

“Hmm,” Maddie says, staring at Eddie. 

“What?” Eddie asks, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“Nothing,” her arms fall to rest on her very pregnant belly. “Just-” 

Eddie watches as she looks between Buck, asleep on the window, and Eddie. “You’re acting a whole lot like his alpha.” 

Eddie stands up straight at the implication. “And-and as his older sister, I have to look out for my brother. So, if you have no intention of courting him and bonding with him, then I need you to tell him that. Before he gets his hopes up.” 

“That’s not what I’m trying to do,” Eddie says, feeling defensive. 

“You may not be trying to, but you are.” Maddie sighs. “And look, maybe I don’t get it because Chimney and I are both betas. But I do get my brother, and I know that he’d take any part of you that he can get, and he’s going to hurt himself in the process.” 

Eddie can’t do anything but nod. 

“So, you need to stop. If you don’t have any intention of making it official, of making him your omega. Then you need to stop.” 

___

Eddie doesn’t stop. He intends to make Buck his omega. That’s just that. There’s no use fighting it. They were always going to end up here. The realization should have hit him like a truck, and yet it was more like a soft pillow. 

The pillow that Buck just threw at him, actually, because it didn’t feel right in his nest. That’s all it took, really, watching Buck being comfortable enough to nest in Eddie’s house. Eddie doesn’t want anything else; he doesn’t need anything else. 

Just him, and Buck and Christopher. That’s all he needs. 

A contented sigh pulls Eddie out of his thoughts to look over at the corner of his room, where Buck was now buried under a pile of blankets and pillows.  

The feeling in Eddie’s chest is familiar. It reminds him of the time after Buck got struck by lightning and the only place he could fall asleep was on Eddie’s couch. 

Eddie can’t help it, he just stands there, leaning against the dresser, watching. Buck’s cheeks are pink from the effort of fussing with his blankets, his curls are sticking up at odd angles from where he’s been burrowing. He’s finally settled, tucked so deep that only the top of his head is visible, and Eddie feels his chest ache with something fierce and tender. 

Maddie’s words echo in his ears: if you don’t have any intention of making him your omega, then you need to stop. 

The thing is… he does. He’s never been more sure of anything in his life. 

Eddie pads quietly into the hall, peeking in on Christopher, who’s sprawled across his bed, mouth open and snoring softly. For a second Eddie just soaks it in. His kid is safe, Buck is safe, their home is full in a way that it hasn’t been in a long time. 

When he comes back into his own room, Buck stirs. His sleepy blue eyes blink up at Eddie from inside his pile. “Sorry,” Buck mumbles, his voice rough with drowsiness. “I know I’m taking over your space. I can-” 

“Don’t you dare move,” Eddie says, softer than he means to. He sits down on the edge of the bed, careful not to disturb the nest. “This is your space too, as long as you need it.” 

Buck swallows, and Eddie doesn’t miss the way his throat bobs, the way his lips part like he wants to argue, but he can’t. “Eddie…” 

“I mean it,” Eddie cuts in, leaning closer. “You’re safe here. Always.” 

For a long moment, neither of them breathes. Buck’s eyes glisten and Eddie knows…he knows that one wrong move will send him scurrying back behind those walls his parents built for him. 

So Eddie plays it safe. He smiles, reaches out to adjust one of the blankets that's slipping off the plie, and brushes his fingers against Buck’s hand. 

“Go to sleep, Buck,” he murmurs. “I’ll be right here.” 

Buck’s lips twitch into the faintest smile, and he burrows back into the nest with a sigh. Within minutes, his breathing evens out. 

Eddie sits there in the dark, his heart pounding, and lets the truth settle into his bones. 

He doesn’t just want to protect Buck. He wants all of him. 

And once he gets him, he doesn’t plan on ever letting him go. 

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

For the second time in his life, Eddie can’t call Buck to bail him out of jail. 

“Look,” Eddie says, looking up at the officer from the chair he was sitting in, holding ice to his eye. “This is all a big misunderstanding.” 

“Beating up poor Mr. Jenkins is a misunderstanding?” The officer, whose name he couldn’t be bothered to remember, asks. 

“I was just defending my omega’s honor, officer.” 

Eddie hadn’t planned on beating up the storage center’s manager when he woke up that morning; he was just planning on going down there and giving him a stern talking to after picking up a kitchen table from one of Ravi’s evictions. 

That was before Eddie overheard the conversation Mr. Jenkins was having with the insurance company, and then the second conversation he had with the car dealership, making an appointment to test drive a new Tesla. He couldn’t be certain, but Eddie felt strongly that the two situations were connected. 

So naturally, he confronted him about it. And…Eddie didn’t swing first but he sure as Hell swung last. So there’s no reason for him to be here in the first place, in his professional opinion. 

“Your omega, huh?” The amused voice comes from behind him. “I wasn’t aware the two of you had made it official.” 

“Athena, hey,” Eddie says, turning around slowly. 

“Why am I not surprised?” She asks, an amused look on her face. 

“Look, I can expla-” 

“Save it,” She says, holding up her hand. “Ruiz, let the man go. While it may have been stupid to provoke Mister Jenkins, Eddie didn’t swing first.” 

“But-” 

“But nothing,” Athena says. “I said let him go, so let him go. If you get any backlash from this, tell them to come talk to me.” 

“Yes ma’am,” Ruiz says and then takes off running in the other direction. 

Eddie waits until he’s gone before turning fully around to Athena. “We, uh, we don’t have to tell Bobby or Buck about this, right?” 

“Wrong,” she says. “Get up.” 

Eddie gets up out of his chair and follows Athena through the bullpen and into her office. 

“What are you-“ 

“Here,” she says, handing him the blanket off the back of her chair. 

“What is this for?” 

“You’re going around collecting things for Buck’s new house, are you not?” 

Eddie nods. 

“You didn’t think to come to me when this first happened? When that sleazeball first told Buck there was nothing he could do?” 

“Buck didn’t want to bother you,” Eddie says, throwing the blanket over his shoulder. 

“Of course he didn’t,” Athena chuckles. “But as you just pointed out, you’re his alpha. You should have come to me to deal with this instead of beating the man up yourself.” 

“I’m not-“ Eddie swallows the lump in his throat. “Not really.” 

“Now that is a lie if I ever heard one,” Athena scoffs. 

Eddie shifts on his feet, clutching the blanket like it’s a shield. “I mean… we haven’t even talked about it. There’s nothing official.” 

Athena arches a brow. “You stood in my precinct and called him your omega.” 

Eddie opens his mouth, then shuts it again. His face heats. “That’s…that’s different. I was trying to make a point.” 

“Mm-hmm,” Athena says, sounding unconvinced. She leans back in her chair, folding her arms. “Eddie, I’ve been around for long enough to know an alpha staking their claim when I hear one. You can dance around it all you want, but you already decided. You just haven’t told him yet.” 

Eddie runs a hand over his face, groaning. “What if I screw it up? What if I ruin everything?” 

Athena softens. “You won’t. Not if you treat him the way you already do. Buck trusts you more than anyone. He’s safer with you than he’s ever been in his life, and don’t think for a second he doesn’t know it.” 

Eddie drops heavily into the chair across from her, the blanket sliding into his lap. “His parents messed him up so bad, Athena. He thinks he can’t even nest in my house without it being ‘improper.’ Like how…how am I supposed to fix that?”

Eddie stares down at the blanket, running his thumb over the stitching. He pictures Buck curled up in his nest back at the house, finally at peace, and something clicks in his chest. 

Athena must see it, because she smiles knowingly. “There it is. Took you long enough.” 

Eddie huffs out a laugh. “Guess I’m not as subtle as I thought.” 

“Not even a little,” Athena says, standing. “Now go on. Take that blanket home before Buck wakes up and wonders why you’re late. And Eddie?” 

“Yeah?” 

Her smile softens. “Stop worrying about messing it up. You’re already his alpha. The only one who doesn’t seem to realize it yet…is you.” 

Eddie swallows hard, nodding, then stands and tucks the blanket under his arm. For the first time all day, he feels lighter. 

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

When Eddie pulls up in front of Buck’s house, Bobby’s truck is already outside in the driveway. Eddie puts the truck in park and rubs his face. He decides just to leave the kitchen table for now, not wanting to have to carry it on his own. 

He walks up the driveway and turns the door handle, making sure to enter loudly enough that Buck and Bobby would hear him.  

“Eddie,” Buck says, turning around from the wall he was painting. “Hey.” 

When Buck really looks at him, his face falls. “What happened?” 

Eddie winced, realizing that he probably had a black eye. “Oh uh, Muay Thai incident.” 

Eddie lies and Bobby gives him a look, telling him that Athena probably already sent him a text. 

“Oh,” Buck says, his voice giving away that he doesn’t totally believe him. 

“Yeah,” Eddie nods, setting the blanket on the back of the couch. “This is for you.” 

“Is that Athena’s office blanket?” Buck asks, with a raised eyebrow. “Why were you at the station, Eddie?” 

“Uh,” Eddie looks around for something, anything to ask about to get Buck’s mind off the subjects. “No reason. Hey, what’s all this?” 

He motions to the pile of brand-new pots and pans, practically shining from where the light is hitting them. 

“Oh, these?” Buck asks, looking at the pile of pots and pans lying on the counter. “Bobby brought these. They’re his old ones from the station.” 

Eddie doesn’t point out that they look brand new (and if he rips a tag off of the saute pan, then that’s between him, the tag, and Bobby, who’s been awfully quiet in the corner.) 

“Right,” Eddie nods, tucking the tag into his pocket. “So, what else do we have left to do?” 

Buck wipes his hands on the back of his blue jeans, leaving a streak of light blue paint. “Well, I still need to finish this wall. And then the trim in the hallway. After that,” he shrugs, gesturing to the mostly empty living room. “…everything else.” 

Eddie follows his gaze, seeing the seemingly endless empty floor, the few pieces of furniture he had somehow making it look more empty. He feels that ache in his chest again, the one that started when he first realized that he was in love with Evan Buckley.

“You don’t have to go it all at once,” Eddie says gently. “Piece by piece, it’ll come together.” 

Buck’s lips twitch into a small smile, “piece by piece, huh?” 

Eddie huffs a laugh, then picks up a roller from the tray. “Come on, that trim’s not going to tape itself.” 

Buck blinks at him. “You-you’re staying?” 

“‘Course I am,” Eddie says matter-of-factly. “What kind of alp-best friend would I be if I let you tackle this all by yourself?” 

Bobby clears his throat from the corner, a smile tugging at the edge of his mouth. “I’m going to go see if I have any more drop cloths in the trunk. If we’re going to paint the hall today, we definitely need more.” 

Buck watches him go and then turns to Eddie, eyes soft. “You don’t have to. Stay, I mean.”

“I know,” Eddie says quietly, meeting the omega's eyes. “But I want to.” 

For a second, the air between them hangs heavy with words that remain unsaid. Then Buck looks away, clearing his throat and tossing Eddie a roll of tape. 

Piece by piece, Eddie thinks, catching the tape. 

“I’m just saying,” Buck shrugs. “I’m sure there are better things for you to be doing on a Friday afternoon.” 

Eddie lets out a sarcastic laugh. “You still aren’t getting it, are you?”

“Getting what?” Buck asks, blue eyes wide with an emotion that Eddie can’t quite read. 

“That there’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” Eddie says, his tone caught somewhere between exasperated and fond. 

Buck’s shoulders tense, like he doesn’t know what to do with that. His mouth opens, then closes, then opens again. “Eddie…” he starts, his voice quiet. 

“What?” Eddie presses gently, stepping closer without even realizing it. “What’s so hard to understand? You need help. I’m here. End of story.” 

Buck swallows hard, and Eddie watches the movement of his throat, the way his fingers tighten around the paint roller. “It’s not just help,” Buck says finally. “You-you make it sound like it’s nothing, but it’s not nothing.” 

Eddie’s chest goes tight. He sets the tape down slowly and keeps his voice low. “You’re right. It’s not nothing.” 

For a heartbeat, they just look at each other, and the paint smell is sharp in the air. Eddie feels all the words he wants to say pressing against his ribs, begging to be let out. 

Then Buck blinks and breaks eye contact, but he doesn't turn away. Not this time. He set the roller down with a thud, paint dripping onto the drop cloth. 

“No,” Buck says, his voice low but steady. “You don’t get to say it’s not nothing and then act like it is. You don’t get to-” His breath hitches. “You don’t get to keep doing all of this for me without telling me why.” 

Eddie’s pulse pounds in his ears. He’s been waiting for this moment, dreading it but needing it all the same. And now that it’s here, he can’t hide. Not when Buck’s staring at him like that: wide-eyed, raw, and demanding the truth. 

Eddie takes another step forward until he's close enough to feel Buck’s warmth and get a hint of his apple scent. “Because it isn’t nothing,” he says again,  with more emotion behind the words this time. “It’s never been nothing. Not with you.” 

Buck blinks, stunned. 

Eddie swallows hard, pressing on. “I want to be here, Buck. I want to be the one you lean on, the one you build this life with. I want-” His voice cracks, and he has to take a steadying breath. “I want you. All of you. Not just as my best friend. Not just a piece here and there. As my omega. Mine.” 

The silence that follows is so sharp that it almost hurts. Eddie braces himself with his heart in his throat. 

Buck’s lips part, trembling and his eyes shine like he might cry. “Eddie…” he whispers, a world of longing packed into a single word. 

And then Buck steps forward, closing the distance between them until there’s no space left for doubt. “Yours?” He whispers, like he can’t bring himself to believe it. 

Eddie nods, steady and sure now that the words are out there. “If you’ll have me.” 

For a heartbeat, neither of them moves. Then Buck exhales and closes the last inch between them. His lips brush Eddie’s like a question, feather light. Eddie answers without hesitation, cupping the back of Buck’s neck and pulling him in. The kiss is clumsy at first, all the nerves and adrenaline getting in the way, but then Buck sighs against his mouth and it settles. It’s soft and warm. Inevitable. Eddie feels Buck melt into him, and something in his chest finally, finally, settles. 

When they part, Buck’s eyes are wet, and his forehead is pressed to Eddie’s. “I don't want this to be a mistake,” he whispers. 

Eddie shakes his head, his thumb brushing Buck’s jaw. “It’s not. It never could be.” 

Edde grins, kissing him again, more gently this time. “Piece by piece.”