Chapter Text
The pots in the cabinet clanged together while Buck put them away. Eddie was working one of his rare shifts that Buck wasn’t scheduled for, so Buck had taken it upon himself to do as many chores around the house as he could, since Chris had reached the age of preferring to spend time online with his friends over hanging out with Buck on a Saturday. Buck understood, though he sometimes missed the kid Chris used to be and the Buck he got to be for Chris.
Buck tried not to let his brain go there, but the habit of thinking that he’d been demoted from an unofficial guardian of Christopher to his dad’s overbearing best friend had a way of sneaking up on him.
But he could hear Chris talking to his friends through his headset from down the hall, and he knew that Chris would never find it odd that Buck was technically watching him while Eddie was at work, and that could be enough for Buck.
Finishing putting the dishes away, Buck decided to move on to sweeping and mopping the floors. Sure, he’d just given the floors a pretty thorough cleaning on his last day off, with Eddie helping him, but Buck had enough self-awareness to know that if he stopped to take a break he would be overwhelmed with boredom, and judging by the turn his thoughts had taken a moment ago, some loneliness and nostalgia.
This is why Buck needed to be on shift with Eddie and off shift with Eddie. Eddie could quiet his mind like nobody else ever had, and if he couldn’t, he would reassure Buck that what he was feeling was valid - well, he’d probably actually call it bullshit and tell Buck that he was an idiot, but he would empathize in his own Eddie way.
Buck valued his relationship with Eddie and the role he’d allowed Buck to play in his and his son’s life. There were no two people Buck would rather spend his time with. His open invitation into the Diaz family was something he held close to his heart, even if he had the occasional fear of being the outsider of their trio. Technically, he wasn’t Eddie’s partner - outside of work - or Chris’ legal guardian or parent, so Buck knew his position was a little bit precarious. He had the least amount of ties to the Diaz boys, which would make him the easiest to cut out if Buck slipped up.
Knowing this, Buck had long since vowed to never, ever slip up - not in the relationship-ruining kind of way. He would never overstep with Christopher, he would never assume his role came with any authority over the Diaz family decisions, and he would certainly never admit to Eddie that he longed to be so much more, together. Buck knew how his luck worked. At work, he liked to push it. In his personal life, he had way too much to lose.
“What time did you say?” Buck heard Christopher ask. There was a pause, during which Buck continued to mop the already-spotless floors, and then, “yeah, probably. Let me just ask my dad quick.”
Buck heard the clatter of Chris’ headset being set down on his desk and then the sound of a chair being pushed back, followed by soft footsteps down the hall towards the kitchen. He looked up right as he heard Chris stop in the entryway, already smiling at the kid who he thought of as sunshine personified.
“Would you mind taking me to Michael’s house in, like, an hour?” Chris asked him. “He wants to host a last-minute party to try out a new game he was just surprised with as a late birthday present.”
Chris was just at Michael’s for his friend’s birthday party a few days ago, so Buck knew that he was already on Eddie’s approved list of friends that Christopher could go visit. Buck also knew Michael’s parents, and had just recently exchanged recipes with his mom while picking up Chris from said birthday party with Eddie.
So, Buck knew he probably didn’t have to verify, and he’d heard Chris say he was going to do it, but just in case: “Did you ask your dad?”
Chris blinked, and sort of wrinkled his nose in confusion. “I’m asking you, isn’t that basically the same thing?”
Oh.
So when Chris said he was going to ask his dad, he meant… Buck?
No. He probably said it because it’s way easier than saying he needs to ask the guy who lives in him and his dad’s house and doesn’t seem to have a life outside of following the Diaz boys like a lost puppy. And Buck was Christopher’s ride, so it would be easy enough to just get dropped off by his ‘dad’ and nobody at Michael’s would know differently.
Did normal people who lived with their best friend who they were in love with and their best friend’s son who would be legally his in the event of his best friend’s death think so hard about it when their best friend’s son privately referred to them as his dad?
Buck briefly wonders if this question has been answered yet on Reddit. Everything else has been.
“Um, Buck?”
Blinking back into the moment, Buck realized he’d been frozen holding a sopping mop over the floor while staring at Chris.
Buck clears his throat. “Yeah, I don’t see why not. I’ll finish this up and get ready, then I’ll take you?”
Christopher smiled widely and nodded. “Awesome, thank you!” And with that, he spun around to tell his friends that he’d be joining them today.
And, even though Buck already told Chris yes, he kept in mind his promise to avoid any potential overstepping with Chris. Pulling out his phone, he shot off a text to Eddie.
Buck: cool if i take chris to michael’s place for a gaming party today?
Buck hadn’t even finished slipping his phone back into his pocket before it vibrated with a response, and then vibrated a few more times.
Eddie: Yes?? I’m at work until 4, anything until then is completely up to you man
Eddie: We can pick him up after we get groceries later. Maybe we can stop for Thai after that, too?
Eddie: I’m batting my eyelashes but you can’t see.
Buck: virtual eyelash batting doesn’t work on me, diaz
Eddie: I don’t believe you, but one minute.
Thirty seconds later, Christopher’s steps were making their way back down the hallway. He stepped back into the kitchen, the same Diaz eyes as his father’s; eyes Buck had never been able to say no to.
“Buck, could we stop for Thai later after you and dad pick me up?” Chris blinked a few times, widening his eyes for the full effect.
“You and your dad are menaces to society.” Buck said, slightly laughing, slightly grumbling. He liked cooking for his boys. He liked feeling useful, integral to the evening routine. But it was two against one, and Thai did sound good. “Yes, we can get Thai.”
“Yes!” Chris drug out the ‘s’ with a happy dance. “Thanks dad!”
And he turned around and walked back to his room, leaving Buck sputtering with a mop that had now left a significant puddle on the floor.
Buck: using chris against me like that was pure evil, but he seemed to thank you through me, so i guess you’re taking the good cop role right out from under me
Eddie: Thanked me through you? He just texted me and said “we did it.” What did he say to you?
Buck: he said thanks dad after i said yes to thai
Buck: but i think he meant it like vaguely because otherwise he would be calling me dad
Eddie: Wait, I’ve been meaning to use this one that you taught me
Buck: ???
Eddie: Chris thinking of you as a dad?
Eddie: Fork found in kitchen