Chapter Text
Buck
Buck definitely should have thought this through a little more—then again, that’s the story of his life.
The White House isn’t exactly an impenetrable fortress, but Buck’s pretty sure Bobby (“President Nash,” Bobby always corrects him in formal meetings. His eyes are fond, though, so Bobby it is) has installed child locks on the exits in the residential wing as soon as Buck began his term as Vice President three months ago. Well, child locks in the form of dickwad Secret Service agents trailing him everywhere he goes. That’s why he said he was turning in for an early night (it’s 1am, but who’s keeping track) and dismissed his agent detail, convincing the agent at the back door he was feeling nauseous and just needed some fresh air in return for watching over him from just outside the door. He’s reckless, but he doesn’t have a death wish. Not because he’s afraid of getting shot by some alt-right lunatic, but because he’s afraid of Bobby’s wrath if he found out Buck went outside with no one watching him.
It’s not as if the security detail thing was a surprise to Buck. He was Governor of Pennsylvania for four years, for fuck’s sake; he also took office when he was twenty-five, making him the youngest Governor of any state in history, and came out as openly bisexual two years into his term after making an obscene amount of thinly veiled innuendos in press conferences. Long story short, Buck understands the need for security. It’s just that now he’s Vice President, there’s more of them. And they stand closer. And they never say no, except when he’s asking for freedom. Basically, he hates them all.
What was Buck saying about thinking things through? Oh yeah. He doesn’t. That’s sort of what you get for graduating high school at twelve years old, Columbia at sixteen, and Harvard Law at nineteen. He’s like Elle Woods, just… prettier. Also, starring quarterback for Harvard, which earned him enough scholarships to actually pay for law school after his parents died within a few months of each other. They weren’t exactly thrilled at his academic aptitude anyway, namely because they had to put two kids through college at once. Oh well. All of that gave him a tiny bit of a superiority complex, not exactly helped by his highly successful term as Governor (turns out, media attention for being hot, young Einstein spurs a lot of young voters. Who knew?) and the fact that President Nash personally invited him to join his ticket after Vice President Owen Strand decided not to run for a second term.
All that is to say, Buck currently finds himself tiptoeing across the grass behind the White House, glancing up at the stars partially obscured by D.C. light pollution with an air of confidence that does not match his situation. He thinks, just for a second, that he’ll actually make it, when—
“Vice President Buckley! Stop!” huffs someone from behind him, and he turns to see several members of his security detail trying not to draw attention to the fact that the VP is outside the White House and also trying to get to him as quickly as possible. Doug Kendall is the guy who yelled, and he’s a bit of a dick, to be honest, so Buck doesn’t feel bad about standing still and waiting for the agent to catch up to him.
“Sir, you know—” Lena Bosko starts as she reaches the two men.
“—Okay, okay. I’m coming,” Buck says, holding his hands up in surrender as he joins Kendall, Bosko and David Hale on the twenty metre walk back in to the White House.
As soon as they step inside the doors, Kendall turns on the agent who let Buck out in the first place and begins to chew him out, loudly, in front of everyone. Bosko hits him in the shoulder, saying something like, “you’re gonna wake Nash up if you keep yelling like that!” but Kendall doesn’t actually stop until Buck steps in between the two. Kendall’s finger falters on its trajectory to jab the agent in the chest, and he can’t quite meet Buck’s eyes.
“Agent Kendall, I understand that you came out to get me out of concern for my safety. While I think it’s unnecessary, I do understand that it’s your job as you’re directly assigned to me. What I don’t understand, however, is why you chose to publicly embarrass an agent in front of me, his superior, when I’m the one that convinced him to let me outside.”
Kendall opens his mouth to speak, and Buck holds up a hand. “Rhetorical question, Kendall. Here’s a statement for you though: you are dismissed from my detail. You’re good at your job—despite me not wanting you to do it—so I’ll request a transfer to the Pentagon or something for you in the morning. For now, though, I’m going the fuck to bed.”
Buck doesn’t wait for a response before he starts marching up the stairs, Bosko and Hale trying hard not to smile as they follow him up.
“Aaaaand that’s five agents gone, folks,” he hears Bosko say as he shuts the door to his quarters.
Buck was vaguely aware that his habit of dismissing agents (two of them left of their own accord, that’s not on him, surely) is not typical behaviour, but he had no idea it was a record. He doesn’t know, actually, until he strolls in to his usual morning briefing with Bobby to find Maddie, Chimney and Athena sitting in the Oval Office waiting for him.
Maddie, who’s job as Head of Public Relations often does not mix well with being Buck’s sister, informs him of this very fact as soon as he sits down. It’s then that he realizes that this is probably an intervention. For a…dismissal addiction?
“Buck, you’re the youngest Vice President in history. Your election also resulted in the highest voter turn out in history—”
“—With over a quarter of registered Republicans switching sides after the primaries to vote Dem,” he cuts in.
“Yeah, that too. I’m saying that despite all the nice things that happened during the election, we’re still in the first hundred days. You know these are the most important, not just for policy changes but also for public image. Plenty of people already think you’re a child, so they don’t need evidence you are one.”
“I think your sister is trying to say that you need to be careful with how you treat your security detail, especially in public,” Chimney says. “She already spent the last week cleaning up after your mess with the flashing fiasco.”
Ah, yes. The flashing fiasco. At a public event last week, Buck was greeting the crowd when he got flashed by a young woman. He winked instinctively, still struggling to shed his player persona even after dating journalist Abby for a while before she broke up with him. Anyway, the wink was caught on camera, blah blah blah, Maddie had to say he had something in his eye. Whatever.
“I should take a page out of your book then, Mads,” Buck says. “Marry Bosko.” It’s sort of an unfair jab, because he’s always been nothing but supportive of Maddie and Chimney meeting when he was assigned to her security detail, and they both know he means nothing by it.
“Come off it now, Buckaroo,” Athena chimes in. “I know it ain’t easy having your life dictated by a bunch of suits, but it’s part of the job. Bite your tongue, then break a vase when you’re in the comfort of your own home.”
“It’s true,” Bobby says diplomatically from his spot at his desk. “How’d you think we got through our first term?”
Maybe it’s the fact that Buck truly cares about all of these people and knows they truly have his best interests at heart (and gathered here even though they’re all insanely busy to tell him this) … or maybe it’s that he went to bed at 3am last night and is too tired to be argumentative. Either way, something compels him to shrug his shoulders. “Okay,” he concedes warily. “I’m not asking Kendall back, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“I submitted his transfer papers myself,” says Maddie. “He was an asshole anyway.”
Even Bobby nods his head. “I’ll cut to the chase, because the Prime Minister of Norway is arriving for the luncheon in a few hours, so we really do have an agenda to get through. A new agent is joining your detail, and you’re going to stick it out for six months. If you really hate him after that, we’ll find you someone else, but I need you to at least try.”
Buck must look hesitant despite his want to please Bobby, who’s basically a father figure at this point, because Chim goes on to explain. “Agent Michael Grant himself approached me to help him vet applications, and I really think you’ll like this guy. He’s fresh out of two tours of Afghanistan, so he isn’t weathered in the Service bureaucracy bullshit like any of the others, but he’s got great instincts. I trust him with you.”
That—combined with Maddie’s hopeful puppy-dog eyes—is what makes him hesitantly agree. Maddie cheers and fist bumps Chim as they get up to leave, Athena kisses him on the cheek, and even Bobby cracks a smile.
They really do have a full schedule today, so Buck doesn’t really spare the whole new-agent-thing a second thought until after he’s shaken hands with the Prime Minister and his wife and turns to see Chim standing expectantly behind him. Buck’s supposed to meet the guy now, he supposes. Okay.
Chim takes him into one of the meeting rooms and sits him down, saying he’s going to get the agent and that he’ll be right back. Bosko waits with him, and for once he’s thankful for the company. “Bosko, promise me you’ll let me know if the guy’s a tool, alright?”
She smiles but nods. “Sir, it feels a bit like you’re bein’ set up on a blind date,” Bosko says after a few moments of silence.
Buck barks out a laugh. “I hope he’s payin’. I don’t come for free.”
“Damn right you don’t. That’s why we pay taxes.”
Buck is in the middle of laughing again when the door opens and he awkwardly dissolves it into a cough, standing up and buttoning his suit jacket. Chimney enters, followed by a taller man that makes Buck wish he was being set up on a blind date. He’s lean, with dark eyes and soft brown hair that Buck has to restrain himself from reaching out to run his hands through. It’s just so… floofy.
Buck can tell from Bosko’s wiggled eyebrows as she leaves the room that she also approves, and Buck fights back another giggle as he puts on his most charming smile and reaches out a hand towards the other man. “Hi. Buck. Pleasure to meet you,” Buck says, and the man shakes his hand firmly. He can’t help but notice that Buck’s only a bit taller than him, but Buck’s definitely stockier, and the man’s fingers are oddly delicate given that he was in the army. Buck also remembers that, as VP, he probably shouldn’t be introducing himself as the nickname the frat bros christened him with at Harvard.
Still, the man manages a small smile. “Eddie Diaz, sir,” he responds. “The pleasure’s mine.”
Buck expects him to look away. He does not. The two of them stare at each other for a beat too long before Chim coughs and gestures for the three of them to sit down. “So,” Buck says as he sits down. “Any nicknames? Agent Han over here goes by Chimney. We got Hen as our Chief of Staff, me of course, and Bosko and Hale—those are the two agents you’ll be running point with.”
Eddie shakes his head. “No, sir.”
“Anyone ever call you Diaz?”
A flash of something—annoyance, maybe—passes over his face, but it’s gone before Buck can place it. “Not since the Army, sir, but I understand it’s what’s easiest to refer to me as, so you go ahead.”
Buck replies, “sure. I don’t think ‘Agent Eddie’ sounds very professional anyway.” It’s a weak excuse of a joke, but apparently, it’s the wrong thing to say. Eddie finally breaks eye contact for the first time since he walked into the room, and it’s to turn to Chimney expectantly.
Chimney, ever the astute observer, bulldozes right ahead. “So, Agent Grant suggested we do a brief onboarding with some extra steps than the regular one Agent Diaz already got, since you’re VP and all. First, as you know, Agent Diaz, the security detail assigned to both the President and the Vice President are assigned to not only those people, but to their families as well. You’ll notice President Nash’s detail is bigger than Vice President Buckley’s is—it’s not only because he’s the big boss, but because his family includes First Lady Athena Nash, and her kids, May and Harry. Vice President Buckley’s family is much smaller, just him and his sister, and his sister already works at the White House as Chief of PR. She’s also my wife, so don’t badmouth her to anyone who can speak, because I’ll hear about it.”
Eddie raises a brow, but says nothing. Chimney continues. “So, Maddie Buckley-Han already had her own individual detail—yours truly, for example—which has now increased since Vice President Buckley has taken office and they both live in the residence here at the White House. You specifically will coordinate with the rest of his private detail as well as other agents assigned to him during various events, speeches and appearances. What else… oh. Vice President Buckley’s codename is,” Chimney winces, but powers on, “firehose. Maddie’s is fable, and as I am technically both an agent and a member of the Buckley family, my code name is falcon. Anyway, you’ll get a full list of everyone else’s codenames in the information packet. Buck, am I missing anything?”
Buck shakes his head. To be honest, he’s sort of been staring at Eddie the whole time. “Can’t think of anything right now. I’m sure Bosko and Hale will brief him on all the unofficial things he needs to be aware of.”
Eddie
Buck is both everything and nothing like Eddie thought he would be.
Sure, he’s seen more than enough interviews of the guy—he’s not exactly a low-profile man in America. He knew that Buck was charming, whip-smart (graduated high school at 12, Jesus) and more than a bit too casual given his position. Despite all of that, plus the reading he did to prepare for the job when he was briefed two days before, he’s surprised when he meets Buck. He’s… well, he’s sort of like if you made a golden retriever VP.
Buck is also busy, so it’s no surprise that he’s ushered out by one of his agents—Hale, Eddie thinks—almost immediately after they finish the meeting. Eddie looks to Chimney questioningly. “Bosko’s gonna give you a more in-depth tour and talk you through the more boring parts of the job. Buck wouldn’t sit through that anyway. You’re in good hands—just let me know if you need anything,” Chimney says.
“I do have one question,” Eddie says just as Chimney turns to the door.
“Shoot.”
“Why do they call you Chimney?”
Chimney scoffs. “I’m not nearly drunk enough to tell that story. Make it through the probation period, and then we’ll talk.”
Chimney leaves, and in comes a woman in a suit who introduces herself as Lena Bosko. When she walks in, Eddie smiles. “Afghanistan?” he asks, but it’s not really a question. Bosko holds herself like an army woman, and anyone can see that.
“Just one tour,” Bosko says, impressed. “Got called up to Secret Service about five years ago, but I guess I haven’t lost the army walk.”
“No, ma’am.”
“I knew you were from Texas, but I didn’t know you were from Texas,” Bosko says with a grin as they turn down a corridor and begin the walk.
“You take the man out of Texas, but you can’t take Texas out of the man.”
Bosko looks at him for a minute and then smiles to herself. “VP says that too, about Pennsylvania. Though I’m not sure what exactly he thinks is unique about Pennsylvania.”
Eddie smiles, but doesn’t say anything in return, instead choosing to look around. Bosko nods. “Right now, we’re in the West Wing. This is where the office of the President is, as well as the VP—” she pauses to point at Buck’s office, which is gigantic “—and other major staff members.”
The tour is long. Very long. Eddie’s head is spinning with the names and locations of all the main rooms, offices and halls, as well as the sub-basement where the Secret Service has a sort of headquarters set up. He meets a few other agents, some working security and others on detail, and when he tells them he’s head of Buck’s detail most of them scoff. He brushes it off and continues with the tour.
It’s only when they reach Executive Residence that Bosko mentions it. “Ignore the other agents about being assigned to Buckley. It’s just because he has a bit of a… track record. He’s the first VP in years to have only three agents assigned directly to him, and it’s not because he’s a lower security risk. In fact, he’s more of one because of how progressive he is and all. He just hates being followed all the time, and he’ll make sure you know about it.”
This isn’t a surprise to Eddie. He did his homework, and besides—when he first started at the Secret Service less than a year ago he was assigned to plenty of foreign dignitaries who thought the American “Men in Black” were unnecessary. He gives Bosko a short nod. “I’m sure I can handle it.”
Bosko explains that Buck rejected the idea of living in Number One Observatory Circle, where Vice Presidents and their families usually live. He wanted to stay in his apartment downtown (how dumb is this guy? Eddie thinks) but eventually President Nash decided to split Executive Residence. Buck now lives on the third floor with Maddie and Chim, and they tend to have dinner with the First Family most nights. It’s… well, it’s kind of sweet. Still. Buck is dumb.
Buck’s idiocy is proven to Eddie when his shift officially begins that evening. He’s told to follow Buck until he goes to bed (“you have to make sure he’s actually gone to sleep,” Bosko had explained. “Is he a toddler?” Eddie can’t help himself from responding. Bosko grins. “Nah, but he acts like one sometimes. Flight risk.”) and then he can go home, returning in the morning to go with Buck to a meet-and-greet type thing with some kids from the local daycare centre.
At about two in the morning, Buck finally exits his office, yawning loudly and nodding to Eddie, Bosko and Hale. The lights are all dimmed, and Eddie fights the urge to lean against a wall to drift off himself. Buck chats quietly to the three of them as they head to Executive Residence, asking Eddie politely about his first day, Hale about his kids, stuff like that. Eddie notices that Bosko’s loud and brazen air is clipped slightly, much more professional as she answers Buck’s questions in short sentences. Obviously, that’s their job, and he’s doing the same thing—it’s just a stark comparison to her calling him a toddler a few hours ago, as well as the part of the conversation he overheard before his first meeting with Buck.
They finally reach the third floor and Buck nods to the three of them, heading down the long hallway and rubbing his eyes gently. They watch him go, and when he apparently realizes they’re staying until he enters and shuts his bedroom door, he turns around and rolls his eyes dramatically. With a final salute, he’s in his room and safe.
“Thank God. Thought he was never gonna leave the office,” Bosko says.
“He sleeps in there sometimes,” Hale adds. “We’re technically not allowed to leave until he’s “in bed”, so a month in we bought a cot and put it in his office. A bed is a bed.”
“Half the time we have to stay anyway. God, the man works too hard,” Bosko responds.
Eddie’s lip quirks. After a few minutes, they agree to lighten the detail for the last twenty minutes, and Eddie offers to stay. “You’ve got kids, and you’ve got…longer-hire superiority,” Eddie says to Hale and Bosko in turn.
“You know you’re technically our superior, right?” Bosko says with a smirk.
“Then I’m ordering you to leave.”
They don’t need to be told twice. Before Eddie can even blink, the pair have disappeared down the stairwell, leaving him alone in the hallway. He knows there’s still agents around the building, there always are, but right now he feels like the only person awake at this hour.
Before long, Eddie hears a thump and a muffled yell coming from the direction of the room Buck went into. His instincts kick in and he puts a hand on his holster, creeping slowly down the hallway. He’s half-sure he just imagined it, but when he hears a hissing sound and then another, louder thump, he’s heading towards Buck’s room at the speed of light.
Eddie knocks twice on the door and tries the handle when there’s no response. Thankfully, the door opens with ease and he dashes into the room, surveying the scene around him. Buck’s bedroom is a soft blue and a little ornate for what he guesses would be Buck’s taste, but he’s got a California King and a pinball machine in the corner so he can’t really complain. More importantly, though, is the fact that Buck’s bedroom does not have Buck in it, and the window is open.
Eddie knows that the window only opens from the inside, so it’s not some freak kidnapping incident. He also knows that there’s a screen fitted over the window so Buck can let fresh air in and still have some privacy from the paparazzi that sometimes linger at the gates. Eddie finds that very screen on the floor next to the bed and immediately puts two and two together. He runs to the window and looks down to find Buck shimmying down the lattice that covers the wall with expert precision, dropping the last few feet with a soft grunt and then turning around.
Eddie is… well, he’s mad. Buck must know that if something happens to him while Eddie’s on his detail, he’s done. As in, done. Eddie needs the money. He and Chris need it. Buck doesn’t know that, but it’s really about the principle of the thing. Buck is being reckless for literally no good reason besides being a little shit.
Which is why Eddie climbs down the lattice in about ten seconds flat and tells him that. When Buck realizes he’s been caught, he sighs and goes pliant, narrowing his eyes when he registers the fury on Eddie’s face. Eddie is definitely disproportionately mad, but the kid is a menace. “Sir, you can’t just jump out of the window whenever you feel like some fresh air. If you wanted that, you could have asked me and we’d go down together, so I could do my job, but you’re being reckless just to prove that you can. So, apologies, sir. Please come with me.”
Buck blinks at Eddie, and Eddie is reminded—not for the first time today—of how much Buck looks like a puppy. Slowly, Buck raises a brow, stepping towards him. “Ballsy for the first day, Diaz. Very ballsy.”
“Ballsy is climbing down a lattice fence at two thirty in the morning. Sir.”
“You’re not very professional, are you?”
Eddie laughs dryly. Yeah, he’s very mad now, because the kid won’t apologize for any of it, or explain a good reason why he couldn’t’ve just grabbed Eddie and gone outside with him. “I’m not sure we should compare professionalism in this situation.”
Buck looks like he’s holding his breath, and Eddie gulps, realizing his mistake. “Sir,” he adds, but it comes out more sarcastic than intended.
Buck’s face hardens. “Alright, then. This is typically the point where I’d dismiss you,” he begins, and it’s Eddie’s turn to hold his breath, “but I won’t. I promised Bobby—President Nash—that I’d give you a try, and I take that promise seriously. Let’s make one thing clear, though, Eddie.”
Eddie fights the sharp intake of breath he wants to take when Buck says his first name. “Yes?”
“Stay the fuck out of my way.”
This is going to be a long six months.