Archive of Our Own ^beta

"Do you wanna hang out tonight?" Eddie glanced at Buck as they opened their lockers almost in sync. "Chris is at a sleepover tonight, so I’m free of dad duties. I’m thinking beer, video games, maybe a movie when it’s time to wind down."

"As much fun as that sounds, I can't.” Buck flashed him an apologetic smile. “I actually have a date tonight."

Eddie had gotten really good at keeping a straight face while his heart twisted with jealousy. There was no logical reason he should feel betrayed. They weren’t together, and Eddie needed to accept that. He never even had a chance. He continued to stuff his things into his bag, swallowing down his emotions like always. "That's great! What's her name? What’s she like?"

Buck seemed to hesitate for a moment, staring into his locker instead of looking back at Eddie. His shoulders tensed and he shifted from one foot to another. When he finally spoke, his voice was trembling. "It’s um… it's actually a guy. His name's Jimmy, and he seems pretty nice."

It was like the floor was suddenly ripped out from under Eddie's feet. His brows shot up and his heart skipped as he stared at Buck. Of course. Of fucking course he would find this out when it was too late.

"Is that a problem?" Buck asked, somewhere between scared and defensive, like he didn't know which he needed to be. But Eddie knew him, and he could clearly read that Buck was more scared than anything.

Eddie forced himself to go back to packing his bag, an excuse to not look Buck in the eye. The last thing he needed was for Buck to see his disappointment. "No, of course not. I just… I had no idea you were into guys.”

"Yeah. It’s not really something I feel the need to announce, you know? But I also don't hide it. I just… do my own thing and let people figure it out for themselves."

Eddie huffed a breathy, nervous laugh. He may as well tell him. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I do the same thing."

He immediately felt Buck's eyes on him, but he kept his focus on what he was putting in his bag.

"It’s kind of funny, actually," Eddie continued when Buck remained silent. "All this time we were both queer and never even knew. I'm surprised we've never talked about it."

Buck was quiet for a moment longer as he shut his locker and snapped the lock closed. When he finally did speak, Eddie tried not to read too much into his tone. It was just wishful thinking. "Yeah, that's… that's crazy."

"Well, I hope your date is good." Eddie closed his locker, giving Buck a bright, forced smile. "Have fun, but remember that I don't have bail money."

Buck snorted, deflating as the tension left his body. "I’ll keep that in mind."

He started to give Buck a pat on the shoulder on his way to the door, but stopped before he passed him. His fingers were on fire, barely touching the warm skin just above the collar of Buck’s t-shirt. Buck was still his best friend, whether or not he was aware that he was breaking Eddie’s heart. "If you need an out, or a ride, or anything, you call me. I don’t care if it’s 3AM, or if you’re in Arizona. I'll come get you."

The shimmer in Buck's eyes made Eddie's heart stutter. "Thanks, Eddie."

Reluctantly, he let Buck go, and Eddie left with his heart feeling like a lead weight in his chest. All this time there had been a chance, but once again he had been screwed over by his inability to ask for what he wanted.

And what he wanted was Buck.

But Eddie knew deep down that he wasn’t good enough for Buck. He wondered if he would ever consider anyone good enough for his best friend. Buck had a good heart that was full to the brim with love, and he was ready and willing to let anyone into it. Although that was one of the things he loved most about Buck, he also hated it. Giving people such easy access to his heart made it that much easier for them to break it, and too many people had done just that.

As much as he wished Buck was his, all he really wanted was for Buck to be happy, even if it wasn’t with him. If this “Jimmy” guy made Buck happy, then Eddie was happy. He just hoped this guy treated Buck with the kindness and respect he deserved.

…

Buck was anxious. Whether it was because of his date or his conversation with Eddie, he wasn’t sure, but it was probably a little of both. Or a lot of both.

Okay, so it was split down the middle 50/50.

Why hadn’t Eddie ever told him he was into guys? Though, to be fair, Buck hadn’t told Eddie either. How was it that they’d known each other for three years and neither of them had ever brought it up? And what did this mean for him? For them? Buck had stomped his feelings for Eddie down into a box because he didn’t think he would ever have a chance with him. Hell, he was going on a date with a random guy he matched with on a dating app in an attempt to get over his feelings. But now that he knew they were both into men… the latch on that box was about to break. Did Buck have a chance after all? It was presumptuous to think that, just because Eddie was into guys, he would ever entertain the idea of going out with Buck. They were best friends, sure, but that didn’t necessarily mean they were a good romantic match.

But damn, they would make a hot couple.

Buck was not a cheater, or a ghoster, and he didn’t like canceling plans with such short notice. He followed through on promises, and his plans with Jimmy had been made before Buck had gained this new information. He needed to go, whether or not he had a chance with Eddie. Given the choice, Buck would always choose Eddie, without hesitation. But Jimmy seemed like a nice guy, and he didn’t deserve to be made to feel like he wasn’t worth Buck’s time. So Buck headed home and went right to getting ready for his date.

…

The night was going rather smoothly. Dinner had been pleasant and full of good conversation, and Buck managed to get through it without requiring any emergency medical procedures, so that was a win. He was a little put off by how rare Jimmy took his steak, but Buck didn’t have room to talk considering the toppings he liked on pizza were “questionable” as Eddie put it.

And there he went again, thinking about Eddie. He shook the thoughts from his mind and glanced at Jimmy. They were wandering around downtown and had lapsed into a somewhat comfortable silence, which was when Buck’s mind had once again shifted back to his best friend. Jimmy was cute, a couple inches shorter than Buck and built like a swimmer. Conversation was easy, if a little superficial, and they were able to make each other laugh. Overall he seemed really great.

But he wasn’t Eddie.

“Jimmy, I need to be honest with you,” Buck sighed, staring at the sidewalk ahead of them as they walked.

“Let me guess.” He glanced at Buck with an amused grin. “You just want to be friends?”

Buck winced. At least he didn’t seem upset. “Yeah, I’m sorry. You’re really great, it’s just that I… I think I’m in love with my best friend. And holy shit that’s the first time I’ve said that out loud.”

Jimmy chuckled. “Then why did you agree to go out with me?”

“I didn’t think he was an option. I wanted to get back out there and try to get over him. But tonight I found out there’s a chance. And however small that chance is, I need to take it.”

“Hey, I get it. When you know, you know,” Jimmy smiled easily, bumping his shoulder into Buck’s. “I did have a good time with you, though, so I wouldn’t mind being friends.”

“Really? That’s… that’s really cool of you.”

“And hey, if it doesn’t work out with him… maybe we can give this another shot?”

Buck nodded, smiling shyly. “Yeah, maybe.”

Jimmy suddenly stopped walking, halting Buck with a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, you know what we should do? One of my friends is throwing this epic party up in the hills tonight. We should go!”

Buck hadn’t been much of a partier in the last few years, but the night was young and he could use a dance or two to calm his nerves. Especially if he was planning to talk to Eddie the next day. “Yeah, sure! Sounds fun!”

“Cool, then let’s head back and get our cars,” he suggested, pointing a thumb over his shoulder.

They did a quick 180 and started back toward the restaurant, a new, lighter energy between them now that the pressure was off. Jimmy started describing the house his friend was throwing the party in, promising a breathtaking view of the city lights, but Buck was barely listening enough to know when to smile and nod.

Just the idea of telling Eddie how he felt was terrifying. Whether Eddie reciprocated or not, they were never going to be the same after that conversation. Was it worth risking it all?

“So what’s his name?”

Buck started when Jimmy nudged him with his elbow, his hands in his pockets. He was grinning, his eyes dancing with amusement, and Buck quickly realized Jimmy knew he hadn’t been listening.

“Eddie,” Buck breathed, unable to fight the smile that tugged at his lip or the blush he felt spreading across his cheeks. “His name is Eddie.”

“Hmm, good name. Youthful, yet not childish. Edward?”

“Edmundo.”

Jimmy’s brows shot up. “Oooh, “wealthy protector.” I like it. So is he?”

“Is he what?”

“A wealthy protector.”

“Oh hell yeah. One time, this guy we were treating at a crash was getting angry with me. I don’t even remember what it was about, but the second he raised his voice, Eddie just… appeared in front of me, staring this guy down with this fire in his eyes. It was so hot.” Buck knew his smile was starting to turn goofy, like a 12 year old girl talking about her pop star crush. “And yeah, depending on what you put value into, I’d say he’s pretty damn wealthy. He has this amazing kid, Christopher. Cutest, bravest, most considerate kid on earth. He doesn’t let anything stop him. That kid is my hero.”

“Damn, you really are in love,” Jimmy laughed, playfully shoving Buck. “And you really think there’s a chance?”

Buck took a deep breath and released it slowly. “God, I hope so.”

Jimmy threw an arm over Buck’s shoulders as they finally made it to the restaurant parking lot. “Don’t worry. Just that one story about the angry dude is enough for me to know he definitely loves you.”

Buck’s stomach flipped with excitement. “You think?”

“Whether that’s romantic or not, I don’t know,” Jimmy shrugged one shoulder. “But he definitely loves you in some way. Which means that, if he doesn’t return your feelings, you two will be okay. You’ll get past it.”

Buck really hoped Jimmy was right.

As they reached Jimmy’s SUV he released Buck with a good-natured pat on the back. “You have to take a leap of faith, dude. Your friendship will be the safety net that catches you if things don’t go the way you want them to.”

“I guess you’re right. Our friendship has survived some… rough patches,” Buck winced, hurtful words and angry glares still too fresh in his memory despite the year that had passed since then. They had talked it all out eventually, and their friendship was better and stronger because of it. Maybe they would be okay.

“Hey, why don’t you just ride with me?” Jimmy suggested. “I know where it is, but I can’t remember the address, so you wouldn’t be able to use GPS.”

Maybe it was a dumb idea to get into a car with a guy he barely knew, headed for a location he didn’t know, but Buck didn’t always think things through before acting. He’d gotten better at it, especially when on the job, but when it was only his own safety in question, he usually jumped first and asked questions later.

“Yeah, I guess that’s fine,” Buck shrugged.

It was how he’d always lived, and most of the time it turned out pretty great. It was how he had experienced most of his favorite memories. Road trips, skydiving, bungee jumping. Even joining the LAFD had been somewhat impulsive, and being a part of the 118 was the best thing that had ever happened to him. Besides, if Jimmy were to try something, Buck was taller than him by a couple inches and a lot broader. He was confident he could take him in a fight.

But the longer they drove, the more Buck’s stomach twisted and churned, and Buck’s gut feelings were hardly ever wrong. He didn’t recognize the area, but it was obvious that they were headed out of the city. It was becoming clear that when Jimmy had said "the hills," he didn't mean Beverly.

“Where exactly is this party?” he asked, trying to sound casual as he pulled out his phone, careful to keep it between his leg and the car door as he unlocked it.

“I told you, it’s up in the hills,” Jimmy shrugged. “It’s a bit off the beaten path, but it’s worth the drive for that view.”

“Okay, sounds good,” Buck agreed, pulling up his texts with Eddie. He typed out a quick message and had just barely hit send before the phone was ripped out of his hand. “Hey! Give it back!”

Jimmy said nothing as he lowered his window and threw the phone out onto the street.

“Dude! What the hell?!” Buck exclaimed, glaring daggers. “That’s it. You need to pull over and let me out. Right now.”

“Why would I do that?” Jimmy asked innocently, as if nothing had happened.

“Fine, I’ll just tuck and roll.” When Buck immediately discovered that the door handle didn’t work, his heart dropped into his stomach. He was trapped.

“You’re not going anywhere,” Jimmy chuckled darkly, flashing him a vicious smile.

Buck’s blood ran cold at the sight of Jimmy’s mouth full of needle like teeth. Before he could so much as scream Jimmy’s fist slammed into his temple hard, and Buck’s world went black.

…

Eddie was bored. Like a pathetic, lovesick loser, he was staring at his phone on the coffee table in front of him, waiting to hear from Buck. He knew there was a chance that Buck wouldn’t even be able to call him until the morning, but Eddie didn’t want to think about the reason for that. Heaving a sigh, he forced himself to get up and go to the kitchen to grab another coke from the fridge. On nights he didn’t have Christopher, Eddie usually liked to splurge with a bit of the nice bourbon that Buck had given him for his birthday. But being on call to rescue Buck should he need a ride, Eddie wasn’t even going to allow himself a beer.

He would never tell another living soul how fast he moved when he heard his phone chime in the living room. Eddie barely stumbled to stop before his shins crashed into the coffee table. Snatching up his phone, he opened the new message from Buck.

Buck: sos fmf

Eddie’s stomach dropped. He wasted no time snagging his keys and running out the door, pulling up Find My Friends on his way to the truck.

When Buck’s location indicated he was on the median in the middle of a highway, white hot fear coursed through Eddie’s veins. But when he made it to the location indicated and found no sign of Buck, he wondered if the app had glitched. He pulled off the road and turned on his hazards, grabbing his flashlight from the glove box before he got out. As cars whizzed by, Eddie followed the map on his phone with the little picture of Buck showing where he should be. When the beam of his flashlight fell on Buck’s phone, the bright orange protective case unmistakable, that was when true panic set in. Standing in the middle of the highway with his heart in his throat, he quickly dialed the one person he knew could help.

Athena picked up on the second ring, concern already lacing her words. She and Eddie didn’t talk much outside of team gatherings and lighthearted conversation on the job. She knew immediately that he wasn’t calling to chat. “Hey, Eddie. Is everything alright?”

“No, not really,” he huffed with a humorless laugh. “I think Buck’s in trouble.”

He could hear the eye roll in her voice. “Of course he is.”

“No, Athena, I’m serious. He was on a date and he texted that he needed me to come get him. I followed Find My Friends to his location and all I found was his phone lying in the middle of I-5.”

Athena’s tone changed immediately. “Send me your location. I’ll be there soon.”

As soon as she hung up, Eddie hurried to follow her order and shared his location. Slipping his own phone into his pocket, he picked up Buck’s and looked around helplessly. There were no cars stopped on the side of the road, no broken glass or evidence of any kind of accident. The cars continued to fly by, completely unaware of him and the growing knot of worry in his gut.

…

When Buck woke up, he immediately wished he hadn’t, squeezing his eyes shut almost immediately after opening. His head was pounding in time with his heartbeat, he felt like the room was tilting back and forth around him, and his arms were tingling and almost numb. Cold metal shackles dug into his wrists, securing his arms above his head. His legs felt like jelly as he tried to get himself up on his feet, but he managed to ease some of the strain on his wrists. When he finally pried his eyes open again, he found himself in the middle of a large warehouse. The only source of light was the moon shining through a handful of gaping holes in the ceiling. He could hear voices, laughter, echoing through the open space. Slowly craning his neck to look around, his heart stuttered at the sight of another man strung up like he was. He seemed to be unconscious, chin resting against his chest. In the blue glow of the moonlight, Buck could just make out the dark stains around the collar of the man’s shirt and on his neck.

He knew blood when he saw it, no matter the lighting.

What the hell had he gotten himself into this time?

“You’re awake!” Jimmy’s cheerful voice shouted from behind him, echoing through the massive room and startling Buck. The other man chuckled as he strode into Buck’s line of sight, grinning wickedly, but his teeth looked normal again. “Just in time to get a preview of what’s to come for you!”

“Jimmy, please,” Buck gasped, trying his best to hold in a sob that was threatening to burst out of him. “Just let me go. I won’t tell a soul.”

Jimmy mocked considering this, stroking his chin. “Hmmm… nah. You smell too tasty.”

His blood ran cold. “...I what?”

“Well, you see, our pantry was getting a little empty.” Jimmy gestured toward the other man, who really did not look okay. “So I went grocery shopping. Dating apps make it so fucking easy these days.”

“The fuck does that even mean?!” Buck cried, hating that he couldn’t stop himself from whimpering.

With a chuckle, Jimmy waved his hand to beckon someone over. Three other people, a man and two women, sauntered over to join them. Each one of them had evil smiles on their faces, exposing sharp, needle like teeth like Jimmy had had in the car. So he hadn’t dreamt that. Great.

“Kelly, why don’t you go ahead and finish off Steve over there?”

“My pleasure,” purred one of the women, flipping her long curls over her shoulder. “I was getting a little peckish.”

Buck watched in confused horror as Kelly approached the other captive. She grabbed him by a fistful of hair and yanked his head back, startling the man awake. He seemed out of it, but he suddenly sobered when he realized she was in front of him.

“No… no, please!” he begged, weakly struggling against his chains to try and get away from her.

She buried her face in his neck, and the man started screaming, his struggles to get free growing weaker by the second. Finally, his cries of agony died out to whimpers, and then silence. Buck watched in horror as the man’s eyes rolled back into his head and he fell completely limp. When the woman let him go and stepped back, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, the smear of blood left on the man’s neck shone in the moonlight. The sob finally broke free as tears rolled down Buck’s face as he stared, unable to fully wrap his head around what was happening. This couldn’t be real. He was having a nightmare.

He started when Jimmy appeared right in front of his face in the blink of an eye. “Jimmy…” Buck whimpered, trying to move away from him despite the chains holding him in place. “Jimmy, please! Stop! You don’t have to do this! Just let me go! Please!”

The smile Buck had thought was gorgeous earlier that evening morphed into a horrifying cluster of fangs. “Oh, but I do have to. It’s nothing personal, Buck. A man’s gotta eat.”

“Please… Please! No!” Buck cried brokenly as Jimmy grabbed him by the hair and pulled painfully, forcing his head to the side.

An agonizing scream erupted from Buck’s throat as the needle like fangs sank into his flesh.

…

“You said he was on a date? Do you know her name?”

Athena had gotten there in record time, lights and sirens going, and Eddie was grateful. They still stood on the median where Eddie had found the phone, her cruiser parked behind his truck.

“Jimmy Rutker, according to his texts.”

Athena raised her brow in a moment of surprise, but let it go when she realized what he’d said. “And you know that how?”

“I know his passcode, so it’s legal,” Eddie grinned. “After what happened with Chim and Maddie, he gave it to me for emergencies just like this, so you’d be able to use it.”

She considered this for a moment and shrugged. “That’s a bit of a gray area. I’ll put out an APB for him and Buck. Is there a picture of this guy on Buck’s phone?”

“Yeah, I’m sending it to you now,” Eddie nodded, tapping away on Buck’s phone. “So can we report Buck as missing? I checked with everyone while I waited for you. No one’s heard from him since he left the station tonight.”

“It is suspicious, I’ll give you that. But until we have more reason to believe he’s in trouble, all we can do is try to find this Jimmy guy. Do you know where they went for their date?”

“His texts said that steakhouse on Hope Street.”

She nodded toward her cruiser. “Then we start on Hope Street.”

…

When Eddie saw Buck’s jeep still in the parking lot of the restaurant, he knew something was definitely wrong, and he voiced this opinion as soon as he and Athena were out of their cars. “If his car is here, then he was probably with his date when he lost his phone.”

“I’ll admit it doesn’t exactly put me at ease, but let’s not jump to conclusions,” Athena said, leading the way to the valet booth at the front entrance.

One of the two teenage boys running the booth looked half stoned off his ass, eyes half closed and a blissful smile on his lips. The other seemed anxious, fumbling with keys and tripping over his own feet when he saw them coming. The anxious one gave them an innocent smile, nudging his friend to get up from the chair he was tilting back in.

Before Athena could even open her mouth to talk to them, Eddie was stepping around her, holding up his phone to the boys. “Have either of you seen him around?”

She gave him a sidelong glare, but he just shrugged innocently.

“Yeah, he was here earlier,” the stoned valet nodded. Carl, according to his nametag. “Didn’t he have the Jeep, Ky? Kyle loves Jeeps.”

“Yeah. Is he a criminal or something?” Kyle asked, looking way too excited about the idea.

“Or something,” Athena huffed, pulling up the picture of Jimmy on her own phone. “What about this guy?”

They both studied the picture for a moment before Carl nodded. “Yeah, they left together.”

Athena shared a concerned look with Eddie. “Do you know where they went and how long ago?”

“Um, yeah. They left on foot down the road,” Carl nodded, pointing down the street. “But I saw them come back about an hour or two ago and get into the one guy’s car. Not the Jeep, the other one.”

“Did either of them seem upset or odd in any way? Drunk, or maybe out of it?” Eddie asked.

Kyle shook his head. “Nah, they were just talking. Seemed like they were pretty happy.”

“Can you describe the vehicle they left in?” Athena asked, pulling out her notepad.

“It was a dark SUV,” said Carl. “It was blue or black, but I’m not sure which.”

Athena barely resisted rolling her eyes. “Is there a security camera anywhere nearby?”

Kyle scratched his head, looking nervous again. “Let me get my boss.”

While the kid ran inside, Athena pulled Eddie aside. “Look, Eddie. I know you’re worried about him, but maybe the phone was an accident.”

“Then why did he text me “sos”? I told him if the date went south to text me. Clearly something is wrong.” He ran his hands through his hair, heaving a guilty sigh. “This is my fault.”

She crossed her arms, giving him a confused look. “How on earth is this your fault?”

He looked at her for a moment, considering his answer. It was Athena, she could keep a secret if he asked her to. “I had a chance earlier today to… to tell him how I feel about him.”

Her brows shot up in surprise once again. “I’m learning all kinds of things about the two of you tonight."

“If I hadn’t been such a coward and just told him, maybe he would have canceled the date. He’d be safe at my house right now.”

“Eddie, this is not your fault,” Athena asserted. “It’s the fault of this Jimmy guy, if anything.”

Just then Athena’s phone buzzed and she stepped away to answer it. Eddie watched the door for the valet to return with his boss, getting more anxious the longer he went without knowing where Buck was. This wasn’t just a misunderstanding. He could feel it in his gut that Buck was in trouble, and he wasn’t going to rest until he knew his best friend was safe.

“Shit,” Athena muttered, pulling Eddie’s attention to her. She pinched the bridge of her nose and breathed, still talking into her phone. “Alright, go ahead with the APB on this guy with the pictures I sent you, as well as Evan Buckley. Hopefully I’ll have a plate number for you soon. Okay, thanks, Marcy.”

“He is in trouble, isn’t he?” Eddie asked, clenching his fists to stop his hands from shaking.

Athena slipped her phone back into her pocket and met his gaze. Now she looked as worried as Eddie felt. “Jimmy Rutker is dead.”

Eddie’s stomach dropped. “What? Is Buck…?”

She shook her head. “Jimmy Rutker was a 58 year old plumber who died of a heart attack last week.”

“Then who the hell is Buck with?”

…

When Buck started awake again, the sun was shining into the warehouse through the holes in the roof. Buck had no way of knowing what time of day it was, but frankly he didn’t care. He was in more pain than he had been the night before, his neck burning and itching, his head throbbing where they’d each grabbed him by the hair. On top of all of that, he felt like he was wearing a lead suit, hanging so heavily from his wrists that his fingers were tingling. He’d been injured enough times to know what the aftermath of blood loss felt like, and that was most definitely what he was feeling. Unfortunately, this confirmed that Jimmy and his friends were exactly what Buck thought they were. He struggled to get his feet under him this time, but he needed to relieve the strain on his wrists before his hands went completely numb. He could already feel the skin there tearing and bleeding. He was going to have a few new scars to add to his collection.

If he made it out of this alive.

His eyelids were heavy and the air made his eyes burn, but he forced them to stay open so he could scan the room. The sunlight, however little it was, made it easier to see what the place looked like. Clearly it had been a factory at some point, but it seemed like it had been a long time since anything was made there. A few strange looking machines were rusted and seemed to be missing pieces, probably having been scavenged for sellable parts. The wound on his neck stretched painfully as he turned his head, a trickle of blood sliding down his collar bone as the wound reopened. Where the other man had once been, there was nothing but a set of bloody shackles hanging from a chain.

Buck couldn’t hold in his broken whimper.

…

“Eddie, go home.”

Eddie looked up from where he’d had his face buried in his hands, elbows on his knees. Athena stood in front of him, hands on her hips and sympathy in her eyes.

“Not until he’s safe,” he croaked.

Athena sighed and sat down on the bench next to him. The precinct was bustling, people coming and going for the morning shift change. “You’ve been here all night. You’ve done all you can do.”

“Yet he’s still missing.”

“And we will find him,” Athena insisted, laying a hand on his shoulder.

“How?” he demanded, his voice breaking on the word. He couldn’t fight the tears from welling up, even if he’d cared enough to try.

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “They found the SUV, which turned out to be stolen.”

Eddie’s eyes widened, but she continued before he could ask.

“No, he wasn’t in it. It was abandoned on the side of a small road just off of I-5, about twenty miles north from where you found the phone. They’re taking it apart completely to look for evidence, but it seems like it was cleaned pretty thoroughly.”

Eddie deflated immediately. “So we still don’t have a lead?”

“It’s all we’ve got right now, unfortunately. And until we get something more useful, there’s really nothing else we can do except pray that this guy missed something when he was cleaning.” She rubbed his shoulder lovingly, like a mother comforting a child. “Don’t give up hope just yet, Eddie. This is Buck we’re talking about. That boy is a survivor.”

“Sergeant Grant?” The young uniformed officer stood awkwardly in front of them, a nervous grimace on his face. “There’s someone here asking about the body that was found this morning.”

Eddie curiously glanced in the direction the officer pointed. Three suited men were standing near the reception desk, one of them wearing a tan trench coat. How he wasn’t burning hot in the California heat, Eddie didn’t know. With one last pat to Eddie’s shoulder, Athena went to greet them. Eddie stayed seated, watching and listening to the exchange with mild curiosity.

The one with short, spiky hair nodded his greeting and pulled out a badge from his coat, the other two following suit. “Sergeant Grant, I’m Agent Bonham, and this is Agents Page and Swift.”

“And what can I do for you, Agents?” Athena asked, crossing her arms over her chest. Her stance made her look more powerful and intimidating than the three men who towered over her in height, and Eddie was impressed as always with her confidence and presence.

The one with longer hair, Page, spoke up. “We’re here about the man that was found this morning. The one that had been drained of blood. Can you tell us what you know?”

“Why is the FBI interested in this case?” she challenged.

“We think it might be related to one of ours,” the first agent, Bonham, explained. “There’s been reports of several men being found in the area with the same wounds, all drained as well.”

Disinterested in any case that didn’t involve Buck, Eddie stopped listening as he got up and stretched. His back ached from sitting in the same position for most of the evening, but he was ready to get a cup of coffee and keep searching for his best friend.

…

In a dark corner of the warehouse, Buck could see Jimmy and the other three… people? Creatures? They were huddled together in the shadows, asleep on a couple of old mattresses on the floor. It seemed like they’d chosen a spot that was specifically out of the sun. Only he would have the luck to match with a fucking vampire on tinder.

The wound in his neck pulled again as he looked up, investigating the shackles that kept him standing. The chain linking the cuffs was draped over a hook that hung from the ceiling on a chain. The skin of his wrists looked awful, rubbed raw and bloody. He felt like shit, the taste of copper in his mouth making his stomach churn, but the desperation to get the hell out of there before the monsters woke up gave him the boost of adrenaline he needed. He crouched as low as he could and jumped, grabbing hold of the chain just above the hook. It was a struggle to say the least, but with a bit of patience, a lot of determination, and a will to live, he was able to pull himself up the chain little by little. As soon as there was enough slack, he lifted the chain of the cuffs off the hook. He held in his shout of excitement, watching the four creatures carefully as he let himself drop to the ground.

Of course he would land wrong. Of fucking course.

Pain shot up his leg from his ankle and he immediately collapsed to the floor, gritting his teeth against the cry of pain that threatened to burst out of him. He sat there just long enough to catch his breath and inspect his ankle, keeping an eye on the pile of creatures in the corner. It didn’t seem broken, but even if it was, he would rather cause permanent damage to his ankle than continue to be a human Capri Sun. His legs still felt like wet noodles as he pushed himself up onto his feet, wincing when he put weight on his right ankle, but he pushed on. With one more glance to make sure they were still sleeping, Buck started toward the door as fast as he could move. The blood loss made the entire room spin as he moved, and his limp was slowing him down significantly, but he refused to give in and accept his fate. He just had to get outside in the sun where they couldn’t follow. He was so close, only a few more limping steps and he was free.

In the blink of an eye Jimmy appeared in front of him, startling Buck enough that he lost his balance and fell back on his ass. He didn’t need to look back to know the other three were right behind him, their hissing breaths sending chills down his spine.

Jimmy cackled at him, leaning down close to his face just to intimidate him. “Where are you going, Buck? I thought we were friends.”

Buck glared up at him defiantly despite the fear making his heart pound, shooting a glob of bloody spit directly into Jimmy’s eye. The vampire’s smile fell from his face as he reached up and wiped it away. Lightning fast, Jimmy grabbed him by the throat and hauled him up until his feet dangled inches above the floor. Buck gagged and choked as Jimmy dug his sharp nails into his neck, closing off his windpipe. He desperately grabbed and slapped at Jimmy’s wrist to no avail, his efforts quickly growing weaker as his vision started to darken around the edges.

“You’re going to regret that, Buck.”

…

Eddie had been up and down I-5 in the greater Los Angeles area. He knew the police had checked all of those areas and further north, and even farther past where the SUV had been found, but Eddie needed something to do to feel useful. It didn’t hurt to look again. So he checked every exit and off ramp, searched every side road nearby, and even inspected every ditch he came across until he was running low on gasoline and hope. When it was getting close to the time for Chris to get out of school, he’d decided it was a good time to refuel both and went to pick up his kid.

He couldn’t stop the awful thoughts from running through his mind as he drove. Images of Buck being found in the woods somewhere, his skin bluer than his unseeing eyes. He shook the nauseating thoughts from his mind as he pulled into Christopher’s school, and pretty soon the little boy was filling the truck with a light that Eddie had desperately needed.

“You’re sure you don’t mind staying with Abuela again tonight?” he asked, glancing at his son in the rear view mirror.

“I love spending time with Abuela!” Chris cheered. “But I’ll miss you.”

Something tugged in Eddie’s heart, as it did every time his son expressed his love for him. “I’ll miss you too, buddy. I’m sorry I have to work.”

“It’s okay. Will you say hi to Buck for me? And tell him I love him?”

Eddie had to try really hard not to let tears gather in his eyes at that. He hated lying to him, but there was no sense in letting Chris be miserable with worry if he didn’t need to. “Of course I will.”

When he got to Isobel’s house, she was waiting for them on the porch. She smiled when she saw them pull in, but Eddie could practically feel the worry coming off her in waves. He hadn’t yet told her what was going on, but she always could read him like a book. She had known something was wrong the second she answered his call.

He helped Chis out of the truck and watched him fondly as he hurried up the walk. Grabbing the Spider-Man backpack, Eddie followed him up the steps. Abuela greeted them with a warm smile, bending down to pepper Christopher’s rosy cheeks with kisses.

“Christopher, why don’t you go ahead inside?” Abuela suggested, leaning close to whisper to him loud enough for Eddie to hear. “Meet me in the kitchen and we’ll make cookies before you do your homework.”

Chris squealed with excitement and hugged Eddie quickly, throwing a quick “bye! love you!” over his shoulder on his way inside. No matter the situation, Christopher always managed to make Eddie smile.

“Love you too, buddy,” Eddie called after him, dropping Chris’ bag inside the door before closing it most of the way.

“Eddie, what is going on?” she asked, keeping her voice low.

In the safe presence of his Abuela, tears welled in Eddie’s eyes. “Buck is missing, and we have reason to believe he was kidnapped.”

Abuela gasped, pressing a hand to her heart. “Oh, the poor boy.”

“I’m sorry to make you keep Chris again, but I need to be ready to go as soon as they find him.”

“Eddie,” she shook her head. “You know having Chris here is a blessing, not a burden. I’ll gladly keep him as long as you need.”

“Still, thank you,” he said, wrapping her in a tight hug. There was nothing more comforting than a hug from his Abuela.

When he started to pull away she reached up and took his face in her small hands, making him look her in the eye. “He’s going to be okay, Eddie. Buck is strong, and he will fight to come home to you.”

He smiled, tears in his eyes. “I know.”

…

When Buck opened his eyes again, the light coming through the roof was a warm orange. The sun was setting, so clearly he’d been out a while. Based on the increased intensity of the pain in his neck, he knew why. He was sitting on the dirty floor against a support beam, his hands chained behind him around the beam. He felt worse than he had the last time he woke up, which was really saying something. His mind was slow to process his surroundings, his eyelids threatened to slip closed again at any second, and the room was spinning at warp speed. He could barely focus when Jimmy stepped into his line of sight, crouching down to his level. He grabbed Buck by the jaw, nails digging into his cheeks as he forced Buck to look him in the eye.

“You know, usually we can keep a supply for days or weeks at a time,” he said, smiling cheerfully.

He pushed Buck’s head back and leaned in, slowly dragging his tongue over the blood that was drying on his neck. Buck shuddered in disgust, trying and failing to pull his face out of Jimmy’s clutches.

“But you’re just so tasty,” Jimmy purred. “I can’t control myself.”

“Fuck you,” Buck whispered.

Jimmy shoved Buck’s face away roughly. “I like your spirit, Buck. Maybe I’ll turn you, just so I can keep you around for my amusement.”

A shiver ran down Buck’s spine, tears pooling in his eyes. He would rather be dead. “Please, Jimmy. Just let me go. I won’t tell anyone.”

“As if anyone would believe you,” Jimmy laughed, patting Buck’s cheek a little harder than necessary. “You know what might be fun? If I go find Eddie. I’m sure he’d love to see you.”

Buck’s chest tightened. “No…”

“Yes!” Jimmy cheered, clapping his hands like he just had the greatest idea. “Oh, and his kid, too! Children have the sweetest blood. Delicious.”

He felt sick. “No… please… leave them alone.”

Jimmy poked Buck’s nose with his index finger. “We’ll see. Maybe you’ll have some company next time you wake up.”

With that, Jimmy stood and sauntered back over to their little campsite in the corner. Buck watched the four of them settle in around a laptop, chattering about the movie they were about to watch as if they were normal twenty-somethings hanging out.

If Jimmy’s goal was to scare him, he had succeeded. Tears flooded Buck’s vision, rolling down his face to drip from his chin. He knew Eddie had gotten his text, and he had faith that he would know what it meant. He was sure that his family would be searching for him by now. They would find him. They would save him. He just had to hold on until then.

…

Eddie was going insane. All evening he had been pacing the length of his living room, keeping an eye on his phone. He’d stopped by the precinct again after dropping Christopher off, but Athena had been quick to shoo him out, telling him she didn’t need another firefighter playing detective, and promised to give him an update when she had anything. But that was five hours ago, and Eddie was getting anxious. He knew the statistics. After the first 48 hours, the chance of the victim being found alive dropped drastically, and it had already been 24. Buck was running out of time.

The entire team was worried sick. Karen had been trying to hold Maddie together all day, while Hen, Chimney, and Bobby led a few volunteers in a search party through the woods around where the SUV had been found. Eddie had tried to go with them, but once Bobby found out from Athena that Eddie hadn’t slept since the night before, the Captain ordered him to stay home and get some rest. So Eddie was waiting, his stomach in knots and eyes burning from lack of sleep, but he refused to sleep until he knew Buck was safe.

If he’d just told him how he felt, none of this would have happened.

When the pacing started to make him dizzy, he dropped onto the couch and glanced at his phone on the end table, plugged in and on the loudest setting. It had been silent all night, and every passing minute made his anxiety and fear more intense. He leaned his head back, tears sliding down his temples as he closed his eyes. If they didn’t find him…

In a moment of desperation, Eddie said his first prayer in a very long time.

…

Buck could feel himself slipping away a little more every time his captors sank their teeth into his flesh. His heart was pounding rapidly to try and replenish the blood he’d lost, but it was a losing battle. One or two more feedings and it was over.

The nausea was painful, and every now and then he had to dry heave. He was covered in sweat from head to toe, the muggy heat making it that much harder to breathe. His clothes were ruined, torn in places and stained with blood and dirt from the floor. His head was throbbing from all the times they’d yanked on his hair to get better access to his neck. Even though he could feel the blood from his wrists dripping from his fingertips, he still continued to struggle against the cuffs keeping his arms secured around the post.

It was daybreak once again. What little of the sky he could see was gradually turning a lighter shade of blue, a few fluffy clouds peacefully passing by. If he just stared at the sky, he could almost pretend he was somewhere else. Anywhere else.

It had been a day and a half and no one had come for him yet. Were they even looking? Of course they were looking, they were his family. And he was sure that Eddie had understood his text. If nothing else, Eddie was looking for him, and that thought alone was a comfort.

But at the same time, the idea of Eddie being the one to find him was terrifying. What if they captured him too, like Jimmy had suggested? Tears spilled down his flushed face as a sob shook his core. He couldn’t bear to even imagine Eddie going through this hell. He would rather die than have Eddie anywhere near these monsters.

He hoped that they wouldn’t make Maddie identify his body. The stress and trauma of seeing the torture these monsters were putting him through would surely be dangerous for the baby.

Another sob broke free as he realized he would never get to meet his niece.

“Quit whimpering,” one of the women groaned from their sleeping corner. “I hate when he whimpers. Can we please just finish him off already so he’ll shut the fuck up?”

“Not yet,” Jimmy scolded. “I haven’t secured another yet. We’re going to have to make this one last. Let him replenish a bit and we’ll feast as soon as I set up another date.”

Buck bit his lip, trying not to make a sound as he continued to weep.

…

The look on Athena’s face when she saw Eddie walking back into the precinct screamed annoyance, but he just pasted on a smile and held out the coffee cup he’d brought for her.

“I texted Bobby to see how you like it,” he said in lieu of greeting.

She cocked an eyebrow at him. “Thank you, but I have nothing new to share with you, Eddie.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?” he pleaded, trying to copy the puppy eyes Christopher was so good at. “I’m going crazy just sitting around waiting, and Bobby won’t let me join the search party.”

“Because you’ve been awake for two days straight. Have you slept at all?”

“...no.”

She gave him a disapproving mom glare. “Honestly, Eddie, there isn’t anything to do. We’ve exhausted every lead we had and we have nothing to show for it. This guy knows how to disappear. It’s as if they vanished into thin air.”

“So that’s it? We’re just supposed to wait and hope that Buck can save himself? That’s bullshit!”

“Eddie--”

“I’m not just going to sit here and wait for my best friend to turn up dead in a ditch!”

“Eddie, I’m not giving up,” she stated, firm but calm. “Remember that I love him too.”

Eddie deflated immediately. “I know, I’m sorry. I’m just…”

“Scared?”

“Yeah,” he breathed. “What if we don’t find him in time? I can’t…" His voice broke. "I can't lose him, Athena."

“You can’t think like that, Eddie. We will find him. I’m going to go over everything again, maybe I missed something. But in the meantime, you need to go home and get some rest.”

He hesitated, eyeing the stack of evidence folders on her desk. “I could help you go over everything.”

“Go,” she urged, giving him a gentle, encouraging shove. “You look terrible.”

He snorted a humorless laugh. “Gee, thanks.”

“Keep your phone on max volume and I’ll call you the second I get anything new, okay?”

“Okay,” he nodded.

As he headed for the door, the lack of sleep finally started to catch up to him. His body ached, his head was pounding, and fear and exhaustion laid heavy on his chest. But even as tired as he was, Eddie knew he wouldn’t be getting any sleep until Buck was safe.

…

The sun was setting by the time Buck woke up again. He was shivering despite the stifling humidity and heat in the air. His heart was still racing, his fingers and toes were going numb. He couldn’t even feel the pain in his neck anymore. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew that all of this was bad. Tears burned his tired eyes as he finally accepted that he wasn’t getting out of there alive.

He didn’t notice Jimmy approach him until he was crouching down in front of him again, a toothy grin on his face. Buck barely had enough energy to glare at him.

“Good news! Your suffering will be over soon.” He patted Buck on the knee, making him flinch at the sudden contact. “I’ve got another date in an hour, so I think I’m gonna let my friends here finish you off.” Twisting his fingers into Buck’s hair, Jimmy harshly tugged his head to the side to expose the shredded skin of his neck. “But I just want one last taste.”

Closing his eyes, he braced himself for more excruciating pain. Jimmy’s breath was hot against the wounds, sending shivers of disgust down his spine. He didn’t have it in him to fight back, so Buck just let it happen, a soft sob escaping his battered throat. He was never going to see his friends again, his family. He'd never meet his niece, or see Maddie again. He'd never get to hug Christopher again. He'd never get the chance to kiss Eddie, to tell him how loved he is. One last tear slid down his cheek.

The bang of metal hitting the floor startled all of them. Jimmy let go of Buck’s hair as he shot up from the floor, wide eyes staring at something behind Buck.

“Bring it on, fangbangers!” a deep voice shouted from where the crash had come from, and the four creatures sprang into action.

Buck was barely able to lift his head, watching his captors lunge after the three men Buck had never seen before. The one with longer hair easily ducked under Jimmy’s swipe at his face, then took a perfectly aimed swing with his machete. Buck had seen some awful things on the job, but watching Jimmy’s head roll across the floor as his body collapsed was perhaps the most horrifying thing he’d ever witnessed.

Even if it was a little satisfying.

The one wearing a green jacket took the head clean off one of the girls with one swipe of his own machete, laughing trumphantly as her body dropped to the floor. The third man, clad in a tan trench coat, went after the other girl. She lunged at him, but he easily side-stepped and dodged it. As she turned around to try again, he grabbed by the top of her head, and suddenly a bright light blasted out of her mouth and eye sockets. Her scream of agony echoed through the warehouse before she dropped to the floor, smoldering holes where her eyes once were. The last creature took off toward the exit, but the one who had killed Jimmy chased after him. He couldn’t see where they went, but with the dull thud of a body hitting the floor, Buck knew that all of his captors were dead.

The man in the trench coat noticed him first, and despite the kind smile on his face, Buck’s stomach flipped with fear as the man crouched down in front of him. He’d just blasted that creature’s eyes out, what was he going to do to him? The man started to reach for his head and Buck couldn’t stop himself from whimpering, trying to back away from him despite the beam behind his back and the shackles keeping him in place.

“I won’t hurt you,” the man smiled. His voice was deep and rough, yet somehow also kind and gentle. Something in his striking blue eyes made Buck almost believe him.

Buck hated that he couldn’t stop himself from whimpering, screwing his eyes shut as the man laid a hand on top of his head. As quick as a finger snap, every ache, pain, and twinge of discomfort in his body was gone. The lightheadedness was gone. The shivers were gone. Within a fraction of a second Buck went from feeling himself starting to die, to feeling better than he had in his entire life. With a soft gasp, he looked up at the man in wonder. He just smiled as he stood and moved around the post, out of sight. With a slight tug on his wrists Buck’s arms fell free, tingling as the blood started to flow through them properly again. Flexing his fingers, Buck was baffled as he inspected his wrists. There were still smears of blood on his arms under the cuffs, but no open wounds or raw skin. The steel chain that once held the cuffs together was hanging off them, snapped apart as if it were made of plastic. Had the man just torn a steel chain apart?

“Who the hell are you people?” Buck asked, glancing between each of them.

The man in the green jacket smirked. “You could say we’re specialists.”

“I’m Sam. This is my brother Dean, and his partner Castiel,” the man with the longer hair introduced, pointing to the one in the green jacket, and then the man in the trench coat.

Sam held out his hand with a smile and Buck stared at it for a moment. A hand that had wielded a machete and killed Buck’s date from hell. With his own fingers trembling, he took it, letting the man haul him up onto his feet.

“I’m Buck,” he mumbled, looking at the carnage all around him.

Dean eyed him cautiously. “You okay?”

“No,” Buck breathed, shaking his head.

“Come on, we’ll take you home,” Sam offered, guiding him toward the door with a gentle hand on his shoulder.

Buck let the taller man lead him out of the warehouse, his mind a flurry of emotions and images he didn’t know how to even begin processing. He stared down at his wrists again, touching the skin beneath the shackles. He wasn’t even bruised.

“I think he’s in shock,” Sam whispered to the other two.

“Just a little,” Buck agreed, nodding slowly. Suddenly he turned to Castiel, brow furrowed. “How did you do that? How did you heal me and do… whatever you did to that… that thing? And the chain…”

Castiel opened his mouth to answer, but before he could, Dean threw an arm around his shoulders and answered for him.

“Because Cas here is an “angel of the lord,”” he said, poorly mocking the roughness of Castiel’s voice with a grin.

Castiel shot him a mild glare but didn’t pull away. Dean tugged him close enough to press a kiss to his cheek, and it instantly made the glare melt into a smile.

Buck touched his neck gingerly, but it didn’t hurt at all. It was sticky with blood, but the skin was completely intact. “And those were…”

“Vampires,” Castiel supplied bluntly.

Buck nodded slowly. So he had guessed correctly. He hadn’t even noticed the shiny black car until he was suddenly standing before it, Castiel opening the back door and motioning for him to get in. After his last car ride with a stranger, he hesitated. Should he just use one of their phones and call someone? But he figured they wouldn’t have saved him if they were going to murder him, so he got in. The other three followed suit, Castiel in the back next to him, Sam and Dean in the front. The engine revved to life and Dean turned around to look at him.

“So where’s home?”

…

When they pulled up to the curb, everything that had happened was just starting to sink in. Just an hour ago he had been trapped in an old warehouse, with vampires, literally dying. And now he was where he felt most at home, physically feeling better than he ever had. Not even his bad leg was aching, as it had been from standing for so long.

“There ya go,” Dean said, slinging his arm over the back of the bench seat to grin at him. “Home sweet home.”

Buck smiled tiredly and nodded, looking around at the three of them. They were strange, and the one sitting next to him was somehow both friendly and intimidating, but they’d come to his rescue when he was out of hope and almost out of time. “Thank you.”

“We were just doing our job,” Dean chuckled. “But you’re welcome.”

“Are you gonna be okay?” Sam asked, turning to look at him. “You probably shouldn’t be alone after all of that. What you just went through was probably pretty traumatizing.”

“I won’t be alone,” he smiled, looking up at the house and the black truck sitting in the driveway.

With that Buck got out of the car and made his way up to the door, his entire body still trembling with the remnants of adrenaline and terror coursing through his veins. He heard the car drive off as he knocked on the door. The pressure building behind his eyes and in his chest was quickly becoming impossible to hold back.

As soon as the door opened and Buck saw him, he started to crumble. He choked out a sob as a tear rolled down his cheek, and Eddie immediately pulled him into his chest, cradling Buck’s head against his shoulder. Buck curled his fingers around the fabric of Eddie’s shirt, clinging to him desperately. In the protective embrace of his best friend, he finally felt safe enough to fall apart.

…

Buck’s entire body shook with the intensity of his gasping sobs, and Eddie’s own tears of relief burned his tired eyes as he held him. He shushed and soothed him softly, slowly guiding Buck further into the house so he could shut the door. Buck was trembling, grasping at Eddie’s shirt like he was afraid they’d be pulled apart. Eddie wasn’t faring much better, struggling to keep himself calm. Buck needed him, Eddie couldn’t break down too.

Eddie wasn’t expecting it when Buck’s legs gave out, the taller man becoming a dead weight in Eddie’s arms. “Whoa, okay. You’re okay. I’ve got you,” he breathed, carefully lowering them both to the floor of his foyer. “I’ve got you, Buck.”

Buck practically went limp against Eddie’s chest, face pressed to his shoulder as he wept. The only indication that he had any strength left was that he was still clinging to Eddie’s shirt like a lifeline. From what Eddie had been able to see before he pulled Buck into his arms, his clothes were dirty and torn, covered in splotches and spatters of blood. His neck was smeared with sweat, dirt, and dried blood. Clearly the broken man in his arms had been through hell and back, but what all that entailed was a question Eddie wasn’t sure he could handle the answer to.

“Buck?” Eddie spoke softly, one hand still cradling Buck’s head to his shoulder, the other running up and down his back at a calming pace. “Buck, this is a lot of blood. Are you hurt anywhere?”

Buck didn’t lift his head when he shook it, but he tightened his arms around Eddie. Relieved that Buck wasn’t going to bleed out in his foyer, Eddie settled in to hold him as long as Buck needed him to. He pressed his lips to the top of Buck’s head, unable to hold back his tears any longer.

…

By the time Buck finally started to calm down, his chest was aching and his eyes and throat were burning. The comfort of Eddie’s solid embrace made it all a little less horrible, so he stayed a bit longer as he got his breathing under control. When he finally lifted his head, Buck winced at the rather large wet spot he left behind on Eddie’s shoulder.

Eddie followed his gaze to his shoulder and huffed a little wet laugh, wiping the dampness from his face. “It’s okay, Buck. I’m a dad and a first responder, remember? I’ve been covered in worse things than tears and snot.”

That managed to make Buck smile, the softness in Eddie’s tone filling his chest with warmth. He started to wipe his eyes, but froze when he saw his hands were still covered in smears of dirt and trails of dried blood.

“Here,” Eddie smiled, gently wiping away the wetness for him.

Buck smiled softly, looking down at his hands. He pushed his sleeves up, showing Eddie the metal cuffs that still hung from his wrists like morbid bangles. “Can you get these off?”

Eddie’s face blanched but he recovered quickly, trying not to show just how horrified he was. "Yeah. Yeah, of course. I’ll just need to get my bolt cutters. Can you stand?”

Buck honestly wasn’t sure, but he nodded anyway.

“Okay, let’s get you to the couch.”

Eddie got up first then helped him stand, eyeing him cautiously as he led Buck to the living room with a comforting hand on his back. Once Buck was sitting on the couch, Eddie crouched down in front of him, giving him a soft encouraging smile.

“I’m going to go get the bolt cutters and some water for you, okay? I’ll be right back.”

Buck nodded his understanding, even though he desperately did not want to be away from Eddie’s comforting presence for even a minute. Eddie patted his knee and stood, disappearing down the hall. The moment he was out of sight, Buck’s stomach flipped and his heart sped up. Taking a deep, calming breath, Buck looked around the room to try and ground himself, and he cursed his watering eyes. Just that evening, there had been a moment when he thought he would never see this house again. He thought he would never see Eddie or Chris or Maddie again. He choked on a small sob when he realized he would get to meet his niece after all.

Eddie appeared in the doorway, tool in one hand and a bottle of water in the other. “Alright, let’s get those things off you.”

He sat down beside Buck on the couch and opened the water, handing it to him. Buck smiled his thanks and took a drink, the coolness soothing his dry mouth and throat. His mouth still tasted a bit like copper, but thankfully it faded the more he drank. As he continued to take small sips, he held out his free hand to Eddie. The delicate touch of Eddie’s fingertips sent a rush of comfort and peace through Buck. He was so gentle holding Buck’s hand as he inspected the cuff, it almost made Buck start crying again. With a loud snap, the first cuff fell off, and Eddie gave him a triumphant smile. He sat his water down and gave Eddie his other hand.

“Where’s Christopher?” Buck questioned, his voice barely more than a scratchy whisper.

“He’s with Abuela,” he smiled fondly at the mention of his son, but it fell away just as quickly. “He doesn’t know you were missing. I didn’t want to scare him.”

“But why isn’t he here?”

He glanced up at Buck again for only a second, but it was long enough for Buck to see the emotion in his eyes. “I wanted to be ready to go to you the second you were found.”

It felt so nice to have his heart race because of love instead of fear. He smiled ever so slightly. “But I found you.”

Eddie gave an amused huff as he positioned the bolt cutters in the right spot. “That you did. And whenever you’re ready to tell me, I’d love to know how.” With another snap, the second cuff fell off. “There we go.”

Buck breathed a sigh of relief, rubbing his wrists. “Thank you.”

“I can get you some clothes if you want a shower,” Eddie offered.

“Yes, please,” he all but whined, grimacing. “I feel disgusting.”

Eddie considered Buck for a moment with so much joy and gratitude in his glassy eyes it took Buck’s breath away. “Can I touch you?”

He nodded, watching him curiously as Eddie reached up to cup Buck’s face in his hands. Eddie’s touch was feather light along his jaw and Buck smiled, covering one of Eddie’s hands with his own and leaning into the touch. Slowly, giving Buck time to back away if he wanted to, Eddie softly pressed his lips to Buck’s forehead. His touch was so tender and careful, a stark contrast to what Buck had experienced in the last two days. Fresh tears welled up, spilling over when Buck closed his eyes to savor the moment.

Touching their foreheads together, Eddie wiped away Buck’s tears once again. “I’m so glad you’re alive.”

…

“I don’t know what happened, he’s barely said anything.” Eddie spoke quietly, pacing up and down the hall with his phone to his ear. He could still hear the shower running, as it had been for at least half an hour. “He just showed up on my doorstep, covered in blood and dirt, with fucking shackles on his wrists. Shackles, Athena. I had to use bolt cutters to get them off.”

He listened for a moment, shaking his head. “That’s the weird thing. He doesn’t have a scratch on him.”

Eddie paused, pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes in irritation. “Yes, of course I kept the clothes. I put them in a bag and sealed it.”

He shook his head again even though she couldn’t see him. “No, he hasn’t told me anything. I think he’s still in shock. All he’s done is cry and use up my hot water.”

The water shut off and Eddie sighed in relief. “I gotta go, he’s coming out now. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

He ended the call and slipped the phone into his pocket, leaning against the wall across from the bathroom door. He’d stayed outside the door more for his own peace of mind than Buck’s. Despite the lack of injury, he still seemed so weak and exhausted. If he happened to collapse again or pass out, Eddie wanted to be there to help.

When the door finally opened, a cloud of steam released into the hallway. Buck came out in Eddie’s favorite sweats and his softest t-shirt, looking drastically better than he had when he showed up at Eddie’s door. He had a far away look in his eyes as he was rubbing his towel over his hair, like he was somewhere else entirely. He didn’t even seem to notice Eddie standing right in front of him.

“Buck?”

He started, finally noticing Eddie watching him. “What?”

Eddie’s brow furrowed. “Are you okay?”

Buck looked at Eddie for a long moment, considering his answer, then shook his head. “I don’t know.”

Eddie tried not to let that discourage him. “Why don’t we go sit down? I’ve got some of Abuela’s chili in the fridge. I can heat some up if you’re hungry.”

Buck’s smile was small, but it lit up his tired eyes, easing some of Eddie’s worries. “Yes, please.”

Eddie kept an eye on Buck as the chili was heating up in the microwave. He was sitting on the couch with his feet tucked under him like he was meditating, back against the arm of the couch. He was silently staring off into space, fingers nervously picking at the corners of the throw pillow in his lap. Eddie knew that look from some of his Army buddies. Whatever had happened to Buck, it was bad. He just hoped that Buck would let him help.

The microwave beeped, startling Eddie out of his thoughts. With the bowl, a spoon, and another bottle of water, he made his way out to the living room.

“Careful, it’s hot,” he warned, handing Buck the bowl and setting the water on the coffee table.

“Thank you.” Buck’s smile was back, dim but genuine, and Eddie found a small shred of comfort in that.

"I called Maddie to let her know you're here. She wanted me to ask you to call her whenever you can, tonight or tomorrow."

Buck nodded. "Tomorrow."

They settled into a comfortable silence while Buck ate. Eddie tried not to stare, but he couldn’t help it. He had spent over 48 hours terrified he would never see his best friend again, and there he was on the other end of his couch. Now that he was showered and changed, the only evidence that anything had happened to him was the haunted look in his eyes. He didn’t understand how Buck had escaped without even a bruise, but he was deeply thankful.

He waited for Buck to finish before he broached the subject, afraid he wouldn’t want to eat once he started talking. “Buck… what happened to you?”

Taking a slow, deep breath, Buck sat his empty bowl on the coffee table and took another drink of his water. He was stalling, Eddie knew, but he didn't call him out on it. He just watched Buck stare at the bottle in his hands, patiently waiting for him to be ready to talk.

“You won’t believe me,” Buck all but whispered.

Eddie frowned. “What makes you say that?”

“Because I was there and even I don’t believe it.” Buck finally looked him in the eye as his tears spilled over once again. “It was awful, Eddie.”

Eddie laid his hand on the couch palm up, inviting but not taking. Buck took it immediately, and Eddie squeezed his fingers. “You don’t have to tell me right now if--”

“They were vampires.”

Whatever words of encouragement or comfort Eddie was about to give died on his tongue. He stared at Buck for a moment, taken aback, trying to wrap his head around that. “They were… what?”

“Vampires.”

“The sparkly kind?”

Buck only glared at him, unamused. “No.”

“Did you hit your head?” Eddie asked, reaching for his head to check for bumps.

Buck batted his hands away. “Eddie, I’m serious!”

The sharp tone of his voice gave Eddie pause. Clearly Buck believed what he was saying, and that concerned Eddie more than anything. Maybe the trauma of what happened to him was causing a psychotic break. “Look, Buck. You went through a traumatizing experience. Your mind is probably trying to protect you--”

“I’m not crazy!” Buck cried, tears rolling down his flushed cheeks. “Jimmy was a vampire. He kidnapped me, took me to a warehouse, and chained me up.”

Eddie’s stomach lurched at the mental image that sentence conjured. “Buck…”

“Then he and his friends…” his voice broke, but he pushed on even as his breaths hitched. “They… they used their teeth. They ripped my neck open with their teeth and they drank my blood.” His blue eyes begged Eddie to believe him. “I thought I was going to die, Eddie. I was dying. I thought I’d never see you again.”

Eddie sighed sadly. His best friend was losing his mind. “Then why don’t you have any wounds, Buck?”

“An angel healed me.”

The answer he gave was so sure and so quick that it rendered Eddie speechless. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, unsure of how to respond to that. “Maybe I should take you to the hospital…”

“Eddie, look at this.” Buck untucked his left leg and stretched it out on the couch between them, pulling his pant leg up. “I noticed it in the shower.”

Eddie stared at his leg in confusion, glancing up to meet his eyes. It looked perfectly fine. “Should I be seeing something?"

“Yeah. My little souvenir from one of the worst days of my life.”

That’s when it all hit him like a freight train, sending Eddie’s head into a tailspin. All of the scars that once covered Buck’s lower leg were gone. Not even the incision from the removal of his screws was there. “Oh my god.”

“Yeah.”

“Holy shit.”

“Right?”

“You’re telling the truth.”

Buck pushed the pant leg back down and curled his leg underneath himself. “They were going to finish me off tonight. Drain me until I was dead and dump my body like they did with the last guy.”

“So what happened? How did you escape?”

“I didn’t. These three guys came busting in and slaughtered them all. They cut their heads off with machetes. Except the angel, he used this weird light power on one of them that burned her eyes out. It was…” Buck shuddered. “It was one of the worst things I’ve ever seen. And then the one guy, the angel, he touched my head and I was just… better. I went from actually, literally dying to perfectly fine in an instant. And then they brought me here.”

Eddie took a deep breath and let it out slowly, staring off into space as he processed. “That’s a lot to take in.”

“You’re telling me.”

“This is all my fault,” Eddie whispered, more to himself than Buck.

Buck looked utterly confused. “How the hell is any of this your fault?”

Eddie shrugged. “Maybe you wouldn’t have gone on the date with Jimmy if… if I’d told you--”

“Eddie," Buck cut him off gently, squeezing his hand before Eddie could pull away. His eyes were pleading, shining with unshed tears. "I am not in the emotional or mental state to do that right now.”

“Right. Of course.” He shook his head, puffing out a humorless laugh. “Yeah, that was… I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have--”

“Tell me tomorrow.”

When Eddie’s eyes snapped back to Buck he looked happy, and hope surged through Eddie's chest. “Okay.”

“But for tonight…” Buck smiled sheepishly. “Can you hold me?”

“Yeah,” Eddie nodded, a bit surprised. “Yeah, I can do that.”

“Then can we go to bed now please?” Buck asked, smiling tiredly. “I haven’t had proper sleep in almost three days.”

“Me neither,” Eddie chuckled as he got up and stretched. “Honestly, I think I need to hold you as much as you need to be held.”

“That worked out nicely then, huh?” Buck quipped, following Eddie down the hall.

…

The moment Buck settled in with his head on Eddie’s shoulder, their arms wrapped around each other, he was doomed. He knew right then and there that he would never be able to get a full night’s sleep without Eddie ever again.

Buck looked up at Eddie, close enough to make out his features in the darkness. Eddie stroked his hand up and down Buck’s arm, nuzzling his nose into Buck’s still damp curls. It tickled, but it was so much better than the unforgiving hands that had grabbed him there so many times.

“Tomorrow,” Eddie whispered. “I’m going to tell you I love you.”

Buck’s heart skipped. He closed his eyes against the tears, unable and unwilling to stop the smile that spread across his face. “And tomorrow, I’m gonna tell you that I love you, too.”

He could feel Eddie’s smile when he pressed another gentle kiss to Buck’s forehead. Buck knew he was probably going to have nightmares, and he was definitely going to have some issues from the events of the last few days, but for the moment he could relax. For the moment, he was in Eddie’s arms, and there was no safer place to be.