Chapter Text
Part X
The Final Girls
Eddie and Buck sat on the couch while the loft was swarmed with people.
The police that were posted at the front of the building arrived before Buck even hung up with 911, and the paramedics arrived shortly after. They checked them both out, and they’d both managed to escape without any severe injury. Eddie wasn’t hurt from the fall aside from a few bruises, and Buck only busted one of his stitches. The paramedic had applied a liquid stitch over it for the time being until Buck could make it back to the doctor to get it taken care of.
The only thing left for them was to talk to the police.
Billy’s body was still in the middle of the floor, and the crime scene was already being set up. Forensic teams were scattered throughout the loft, each of them dropping down little placards to mark evidence while taking photos.
The apartment across from Buck’s was filled too, and Buck had already seen them take Mr. Jenkins’ body out in a body bag.
“I’ve got to stop running into you two like this,” Athena said.
“Please do.” Buck shook his head, “I never want to be in this situation again.”
“How are you?” Athena asked.
“Alive,” Eddie said.
“That’s good.” Athena smiled, “Are you up to tell me what happened?”
“Both of us.” Detective Langenkamp’s voice came from the front door.
Buck turned to see her walk into the crime scene. Her eyes scanned the room, taking in all the details, and she lingered on Billy’s body. She took a few steps forward and stopped in front of his body, shaking her head as she looked down at it.
“Walk us through what happened.” Detective Langenkamp said as she turned away from Billy’s body and made her way to the couch.
“We’d just gotten back from the hospital.” Eddie said, “Buck was settled upstairs, and I was down in the kitchen getting him some water. Someone rang the doorbell, but I couldn't make it to the door right away because I had so much stuff in my hands. That’s when he started firing through the door. He was using a silenced pistol so I couldn’t figure out what was happening at first, but when the door started to splinter, I realized he was trying to shoot the lock off. I dropped what I was holding and tried to get a jump on him, but he was too fast with the gun and forced me upstairs.”
“And then?” Athena asked.
“He went on a crazy rant about how I ruined his life because I was better than him at the fire academy.” Buck shook his head, “He said something about his original plan being just to kill the people he thought were responsible for the fire, but once he saw me outside of the 118, he wanted to get revenge. He attacked me, stole my phone, and started hunting down people I had issues with.”
“Like your ex-boyfriend?” Detective Langenkamp asked.
Buck nodded, “And then Lena Bosko. After that, I guess he decided to go after people I care about.”
“And after he failed to kill me, and Buck for a second time, he killed Buck’s neighbor and then hid in his apartment until Buck came home,” Eddie said.
“How did everything go from Buck’s bedroom to the living room floor?” Athena asked.
“I distracted him.” Buck said, “I kept poking at him, and then Eddie tackled him.”
“We fell over the railing up there.” Eddie pointed up, “And then when we landed, we were fighting over the gun.”
“I heard the gun go off, and when I finally got to the stairs Eddie was alive,” Buck said, leaning into Eddie’s side.
“So, you didn’t see who pulled the trigger?” Detective Langenkamp asked.
“What do you mean?” Buck stared at her.
“You said the gun went off, but you didn’t say who fired it.” Detective Langenkamp said, “I’m asking you if you know who pulled the trigger.”
“Why does it matter?” Buck asked, “They were fighting over the gun, and the gun went off. It didn’t kill Eddie, so that’s all I care about.”
“I’m trying to establish what happened, Buck.” Detective Langenkamp said, “That’s all.”
“It sounds like you’re trying to do a lot more than that.” Buck glared at her, “You’ve been bumbling your way around this entire investigation, not doing a single goddamn thing to help other than showing up and asking stupid fucking questions and then leaving.”
The words left Buck’s mouth before he could even think about what he was saying. Detective Langenkamp took a step backward, and Athena’s eyes were wide with surprise. Eddie looked at him but didn’t say anything. He reached down and threaded his fingers through Buck’s and squeezed them softly.
“I honestly don’t know what happened with the gun.” Eddie said, breaking the silence, “I just know I was trying to get it away from him, and that both of our hands were on it when it went off. I can’t tell you any more than that, other than the fact that I was trying to defend myself and the person I love from someone who has killed twelve people that we know about.”
“No one is accusing you of anything, Mr. Diaz.” Detective Langenkamp said, avoiding eye contact with Buck, “I’m simply trying to obtain all the facts for the dozens of reports that will have to be done for this case.”
“Do whatever you have to do.” Eddie held his hand out, palm up, “Swab me for GSR, take my fingerprints. I don’t care. We all know what happened here and the only thing that matters is that Billy Rothwell is dead, and he can’t hurt anyone anymore.”
“Yeah.” Buck agreed, “He got what he deserved.”
“The California Penal Code might disagree with that.” Detective Langenkamp said, “But it’s obvious that you two have been through an intense trauma, so I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”
“You do that.” Buck said, then he turned to Athena, “Do we need to do anything else, or can we go?”
“I think you two have done all that you can do for today.” Athena said, gently placing her hand on Buck’s knee, “Do you have somewhere to stay?”
“I guess Eddie is going to get his wish of checking into a hotel,” Buck said, laughing softly.
“Not the way I would have preferred to win that argument.” Eddie said, “Anywhere is fine at this point.”
“OK.” Athena said, “I’ll let either of you know if we need anything else.”
“Actually, if it’s not too much trouble.” Detective Langenkamp said, “I think I do need your shirt for evidence, Mr. Diaz.”
“My shirt?” Eddie asked.
Detective Langenkamp nodded, “There’s blood on it, since you were in close proximity of the suspect when he died, it’s evidence. I’m sure Sergeant Grant would agree.”
“Technically, she is right.” Athena said, “I’m sorry, Eddie.”
“It’s fine.” Eddie said, “I’ll change and bring it back down.”
“Thank you.” Detective Langenkamp said.
Athena and Detective Langenkamp both separated and walked to various parts of the crime scene, leaving Buck and Eddie alone on the couch.
“I was worried I went a little too hard on her, but now I’m not too sure.” Buck shook his head.
Eddie nodded, “You definitely could have gone harder.”
Buck laughed, “I should let it go. The whole point is keeping me out of jail.”
“You’d look sexy in the jumpsuit though.” Eddie tipped his head to the side, “Do I have a thing for bad boys?”
Buck rolled his eyes and smacked Eddie in the center of his chest, “I look terrible in orange, trust me.”
“You’d look good in anything, Buck.” Eddie smiled, then leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead, “Did you want me to pack a bag for you really quick? Mine’s still more or less packed.”
“That would be great.” Buck sighed, “I don’t think I can manage those stairs again just yet.”
“Leave it to me,” Eddie said.
Eddie stood, then reached down and offered Buck a hand to help him up. Buck took it, wrapping his hand around Eddie’s forearm and letting Eddie do all the heavy lifting. He winced a bit as he stood, but the pain wasn’t anything he couldn’t manage. Eddie lingered for a moment, but Buck pointed him to the stairs so he could pack his bag.
The faster Buck was able to get out of his loft, the better.
He looked across the room and saw Detective Langenkamp standing over Billy’s body again. The body had been covered by a white sheet at some point during their conversation, but Detective Langenkamp was still looking down at it.
Buck took a deep breath, then walked over to her.
“Sorry,” Buck said as he approached.
Detective Langenkamp turned, surprise evident on her face, “What?”
“I’m sorry for biting your head off and calling you useless.” Buck said, “That wasn’t fair.”
“It’s fine. I’ve been called worse.” Detective Langenkamp shrugged, “You’ve been through a lot, you’re allowed to be emotional.”
“I think being over-emotional was what got us all in this situation in the first place.” Buck looked down at the covered body, “I still can’t believe all of this is because of petty revenge for something I didn’t even have any idea happened.”
“Revenge is a complicated thing.” Detective Langenkamp said, “It might start out seeming noble, but who knows where it ends up. My mom used to always tell us that revenge was never the answer. She said that if you go on a journey of revenge, you better start by digging two graves.”
“Two?” Buck asked.
“One for the person you want revenge on, and the other for yourself.” Detective Langenkamp shook her head, “It never made sense until now.”
Buck opened his mouth to say something, but he was cut off by Eddie approaching from behind.
“All packed.” Eddie said, pressing his hand into the small of Buck’s back, “You ready?”
“Yeah,” Buck said, turning to look at Eddie.
He was wearing a different shirt, and it was one that Buck recognized as his own. It was a little big for Eddie, and it hung too loose on his shoulders, but Buck loved the way it looked on him.
“This is for you.” Eddie thrust his folded-up shirt at Detective Langenkamp.
“I appreciate it.” Detective Langenkamp pulled out an evidence bag and slid the shirt inside of it, “I’m sorry for the inconvenience.”
“If that’s all, we’ll be going,” Eddie said.
Detective Langenkamp nodded, “I’ll be in touch if I need anything else.”
They made their way out of the loft and into the hallway. Eddie rolled both of their suitcases for them, and Buck focused on staying upright as he walked. They made it to the elevator, and Buck reached out and pressed the button to call it. The doors opened immediately, and they both stepped inside.
Buck leaned against the wall of the elevator and sighed, “I need a shower.”
“Same,” Eddie said.
“Are we allowed to shower together?” Buck asked, blushing.
“I mean, I don’t see why not?” Eddie said, “It seems like something that we could do.”
“Yeah?” Buck asked, then paused, “What if it’s weird?”
“Oh, it’s going to be awkward for sure.” Eddie laughed.
“Oh god, you’re right.” Buck sighed, “Maybe we shouldn’t. Not yet.”
“I’m fine with whatever you want.” Eddie smiled, “You’ve got more experience with the whole two-sausage thing than I do.”
“Not by much.” Buck said, then wrinkled his nose, “Please never call it the two-sausage thing ever again.”
Eddie laughed, “OK.”
“But, um,” Buck stared at his feet, “I’m fine to wait on the whole…you know…for now. If you are.”
“Yeah.” Eddie said, awkwardly running a hand through his hair, “It’s probably better.”
“Yeah.” Buck agreed, “I think we should wait until all of this is over before we…”
“Bone?” Eddie asked.
“Eddie!” Buck glared at him.
“Bang? Fornicate? Do the deed?” Eddie took a step forward and leaned into Buck’s space, whispering, “Make sweet, sweet love?”
“You’re the worst.” Buck laughed, shaking his head.
Eddie smiled, then kissed Buck, “See, now it’s less awkward.”
“Yes, you’re embarrassing euphemisms have eliminated all traces of awkwardness.” Buck rolled his eyes, then kissed Eddie again.
Eddie smiled and took a step back just as the elevator came to a stop. The doors opened and Eddie stepped out first. He stopped just outside of the elevator and turned around with a devious grin on his face.
“Hey, Buck?” Eddie winked, “Wanna choke each other’s chicken later?”
Buck’s eyes went wide, “I hate you.”
X
Eddie stood in the bathroom doorway and watched Buck.
It was later in the evening by the time they’d found a hotel, gotten checked in, and settled down. They were both starving, so Buck talked Eddie into calling for room service and was currently eating a heinously overpriced cheeseburger that Eddie was almost positive came from a freezer.
It made Buck happy though, so Eddie didn’t say anything about it.
There was a lot of stuff that Eddie wasn’t saying, and he could barely find the words for half of it.
The last two weeks had been a lot. Almost getting murdered was one thing but having a revelation that you’ve been gay since you were a kid, and it was repressed out of you by your parents was another. Add in the realization that he’d been in love with his best friend for almost a decade and the fact that all three happened on the same night.
Eddie was lucky he hadn’t had a full-on breakdown at that point.
Still, there were so many other things that Eddie still hadn’t said.
“Your food is getting cold,” Buck said between bites of his burger.
“I’m coming, I’m coming.” Eddie shook his head, smiling fondly.
He made his way to the small table in the room and sat down across from Buck. He removed the lid from his plate and steam wafted out from it. Eddie reached for the plate and grabbed a chicken tender.
“Seriously?” Buck laughed, “You’re judging my burger, but you ordered chicken fingers?”
“First of all, they’re tenders and not fingers. Chickens don’t even have fingers.” Eddie pointed a tender at him, “Second, they’re always reliable and they didn’t cost twenty dollars.”
“Remind me never to come between you and chicken tenders again.” Buck smirked, “Can I try one?”
“First you judge them, and now you want them.” Eddie narrowed his eyes but held the tender out to Buck anyway.
Buck leaned forward and took an exaggerated bite, ripping the tender in half. Eddie reached over and stole a handful of curly fries off Buck’s plate as payment.
“That’s a good tender.” Buck nodded, then asked, “How do you feel?”
Eddie rubbed his shoulder and winced, “I believe I’m starting to feel the effects of jumping off a twenty-foot-high balcony now. They’re not pleasant.”
“Gonna be worse in the morning,” Buck said.
“Thanks for reminding me.” Eddie sighed, “At least I don’t have a shift tomorrow.”
“And we have the room for another two nights.” Buck waggled his eyebrows.
“Don’t make me start again.” Eddie rolled his eyes.
“Sorry, sorry.” Buck laughed.
They didn’t talk much as they finished their meal, but Eddie spent the entire time trying to build up the courage to ask Buck something that he’d been thinking about for the last few days. He’d gone back and forth on if he’d even wanted to ask, but once he decided on asking it was just a matter of making himself do it.
“I’ve been thinking,” Eddie said.
Buck looked up, “About?”
“My house,” Eddie said.
“What about it?” Buck asked, “Is something wrong with the repair?”
Eddie shook his head, “No. The new door was already installed, and Pepa had mostly figured out the floor. The insurance company already sent someone out to replace the parts that were too bad.”
“That’s good.” Buck said, “So you and Chris should be back in there soon.”
“Yeah.” Eddie nodded, then ripped off the Band-Aid, “You should move in with us.”
Buck’s eyes went wide, “What?”
“It’s just a thought.” Eddie said quickly, “I’ve just been thinking about it. You were already there all the time, and that was before we were together. Now that we’re uh, boyfriends, it stands to reason that you’ll be there even more than you already were before. Now that I’m saying it out loud it sounds insane to think that you could possibly be at the house any more than you already are. That is, except if you move in with me. And Chris. If you move in with Chris and me. In our house.”
“You want me to move in with you?” Buck spoke slowly as if he didn’t understand what Eddie was saying.
“Yes. If you want to.” Eddie said, “It also makes economic sense, you know? You’re going to be at the house all the time and, no offense, the loft is not as cozy as the house also Chris doesn’t even have a room there and are we really supposed to just like make out with each other while he’s right underneath us without a door to close? I don’t think I can do that, Buck!”
Buck didn’t say anything for a moment, and then he slowly nodded, “You want me to move in with you?”
Eddie stared at him, “Did I... not make that clear?”
“No, you did.” Buck shook his head, “I just...you really want me to move in with you?”
“Yes, Buck.” Eddie laughed.
“Why?” Buck frowned.
“Because I love you?” Eddie said, confused, “Why wouldn’t I want you to move in with me? After having you there with me during all of this, I don’t even know how I would function if you weren’t there now. It would feel like there was something missing.”
Buck didn’t say anything, but Eddie could see the tears forming in his eyes.
Eddie panicked, ‘Oh god, I didn’t say that to pressure you or anything. You can totally say no.”
“No.” Buck said, and Eddie’s stomach dropped, “Wait, not no. I mean no, you’re not pressuring me. Not no, I don’t want to move in with you. I do. Want to move in with you.”
“Oh. That’s good.” Eddie let out a delirious giggle, “Why are you crying?”
Buck reached up and wiped his face with the back of his hand, “No one has ever asked me to move in with them before.”
“Oh.” Eddie frowned.
“I’m always the one who asks, and then it freaks them out because they think I’m moving too fast, or I ask them because I think it’s the only way to save the sinking ship that we’re stuck in.” Buck took a deep breath, “But it never works, and it ends up being a waste of time and energy and just makes me feel worse when I have to watch them leave. But you’re the one asking me to move in with you. And not just with you, but with Chris too. Your son. You want me around both of you all the time.”
“Of course I do, Buck.” Eddie said softly, “I’ve always wanted you around, even before I knew why I really wanted it.”
“It seems too good to be true.” Buck laughed, then cried a little bit more.
“I mean, we do tend to be attacked by serial killers in places we’re cohabitating in, so keep that in mind,” Eddie smirked.
“We’ve fared well so far.” Buck shrugged, “So, what exactly are the logistics of this whole thing?”
“What do you mean?” Eddie asked.
“Money, bills, stuff.” Buck said, “It’s a lot to figure out.”
“Well, we’re not taking any of your furniture.” Eddie said, “Except for the TV.”
“My furniture is perfectly fine.” Buck huffed.
“If by fine you mean harsh and unwelcoming,” Eddie said.
“Wow. Rude.” Buck laughed.
“I’ll apologize to your violently uncomfortable dining room chairs next time I see them. Which will be the last time I see them.” Eddie said, “As far as bills...I guess that’s something we’ll have to sit down and figure out. I’ve been making it work on my own. Mostly.”
“Mostly?” Buck asked cautiously.
Eddie ducked his head, trying to ignore the shameful feeling in his stomach, “I was behind on the mortgage for a minute, but it’s all caught up now.”
“How behind?” Buck asked.
“Two months.” Eddie sighed, “Chris had some stuff that the insurance didn’t cover, so I had to come out of pocket for it, and I had to make a choice of what to not pay for a minute and the mortgage seemed like the safest bet because it’s not like they just come and take your house when you miss a single payment. Or two.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Buck frowned, “I could have helped.”
“You’re my friend, Buck.” Eddie said, “It’s not your job to help bail me out of something like that.”
“Your best friend.” Buck corrected him, “That’s precisely my job, idiot.”
“I was embarrassed, OK?” Eddie sighed, “I’m supposed to be an adult.”
“You don’t have to be embarrassed anymore. Now I’m not just your best friend, I’m also your boyfriend.” Buck leaned forward and kissed him quickly, “How much is it a month?”
“Three Thousand Seven Hundred and Twenty-Five Dollars.” Eddie felt the weight of the number on top of him constantly, “And fifteen cents.”
Buck stared at him, “You pay that much on a house every month. By yourself. On top of paying for everything else that just existing requires. For you and Chris.”
Eddie sighed, “Yep.”
“Jesus, Eddie.” Buck looked like he was about to cry again, “I know what I make, and doing all of that alone would leave me with nothing left.”
“Why do you think I never want to go anywhere.” Eddie laughed, “Chris gets social security and survivor benefits from Shannon, so it helps but yeah. There’s usually not much left at the end of the month, and whatever is there goes to making Chris happy.”
Buck frowned, “I’m sorry that you’ve been doing this all alone for all these years.”
“And the look that you’re giving me right now is exactly why I’ve never said anything.” Eddie rubbed his eyes, but he definitely wasn’t crying, “I’ve gotten by mostly fine on my own so far.”
“Well, you’re not alone now.” Buck smiled, “Give me an hour and a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and we’ll have it all figured out!”
Eddie looked at him for a moment, and then huffed out a laugh, “I really do love you; you know that?”
“So, you’ve been telling me.” Buck said, fire behind his eyes, “I might need you to do something to prove it though.”
“Oh really?” Eddie asked, arching an eyebrow.
Buck shrugged and stood up from the table. Eddie stood and took a few steps until he was crowded in Buck’s space. Buck didn’t stop him when he gently placed his hand in the center of Buck’s chest and pushed his back into the wall. Buck inhaled sharply as Eddie leaned down and kissed the hollow of his neck and then gasped when Eddie lightly bit him.
Eddie pulled back and looked at Buck. Buck’s eyes were wide, and his face had gone completely red. Eddie leaned back in and kissed him, slipping his tongue into Buck’s mouth and swallowing the moan that Buck let out as it happened. Eddie’s fingers found the hem of Buck’s shirt, and one of his hands slipped under it and traveled up Buck’s back. Eddie could feel the goosebumps he left in his wake, and Buck moaned again as Eddie dug his blunt nails into Buck’s skin.
“Fuck.” Buck whispered between kisses, “Oh my god.”
“How’s that for proof?” Eddie asked, “You believe me now?”
“I... I don’t know.” Buck gasped as Eddie bit his ear, “I might need you to really prove it to me now.”
Eddie laughed, then leaned in to whisper in Buck’s ear, “Be careful what you wish for, Buck.”
Eddie wasn’t sure what came over him, but the only thing he wanted to do was show Buck how much he cared about him. He wanted Buck to know that this was real. He needed Buck to know that he understood himself, and what he wanted.
And what he wanted was Buck.
“Can I touch you?” Eddie asked.
“You can do anything you want. Holy shit.” Buck gasped, “This is me giving you enthusiastic consent.”
He didn’t want to move Buck too much; he was still injured after all. And this was still Eddie’s first time ever doing something with another guy, so he didn’t want to bite off more than he could chew so to speak.
He slotted his knee between Buck’s legs. He could feel how hard Buck was, and the sweatpants he was wearing weren’t doing much to hide it either. Eddie was hard too, so hard that it almost hurt, but the only thing he could focus on was Buck. He drew his hand out from under Buck’s shirt and moved around to the front of his body. He ran his finger along the length of Buck’s bulge, and Buck’s entire body shook.
“Oh, my fucking god.” Buck said, “I had a dream like this once.”
“Really?” Eddie asked, shocked.
Buck nodded, “I was embarrassed when I woke up.”
Eddie looked down at Buck and bit his lip, “It doesn’t look like you have anything to be embarrassed about, Buck.”
Buck’s breath hitched as Eddie touched him again, “Who are you and what did you do with Eddie?”
Eddie didn’t know the answer to that question.
He reached down and hooked his finger in the waistband of Buck’s sweatpants and then pulled them down. Buck gasped, and Eddie’s eyes went wide when he saw Buck’s cock spring free from them.
“Shit,” Eddie whispered.
“Eddie,” Buck panted.
Eddie dove back in and kissed Buck, sliding his tongue into Buck’s mouth again. He ran his fingers over the head of Buck’s cock, and Buck’s entire body shuddered.
“I can’t believe you just did that.” Buck rasped.
“What? This?” Eddie smirked, repeating the same motion.
Buck didn’t say anything, he just moaned.
Eddie was painfully hard in his own jeans, but the only thing he wanted to to touch was Buck. He slowly wrapped his hand around Buck’s cock and started to stroke it. It was a weird feeling having another man’s dick in his hand, but like everything else when it came to himself and Buck it just felt right.
“I’ve been thinking about touching you for days,” Eddie whispered in Buck’s ear as he continued to stroke his cock.
“Same.” Buck panted, “Except longer.”
“What else have you thought about?” Eddie asked, “Tell me.”
“I can’t.” Buck’s voice cracked as Eddie’s thumb swiped over the head of his cock.
“You can.” Eddie said, kissing him again, “I want to know what you want, Buck.”
Buck’s head thumped against the wall behind him, “I want to fuck you.”
Oh.
Well.
Eddie hadn’t exactly thought of that.
“I didn’t get that far in things I’ve thought of.” Eddie laughed.
“Sorry,” Buck said.
“Don’t be.” Eddie’s hand started to move faster, “I’d let you.”
“Really?” Buck’s legs were shaking.
“I told you, Buck.” Eddie kissed Buck’s neck, “I love you. I’d do anything for you.”
“Fuck, Eddie.” Buck’s voice was shaking, “I’m gonna cum.”
“Do it.” Eddie said, “Cum for me.”
“Fuck!” Buck gasped.
Eddie felt Buck’s cock twitch once, and then his hand was covered in something hot. Buck fell forward, wrapping his arms around Eddie and holding on as his body continued to shake. Eddie kept stoking Buck as he came, and then Eddie gasped in surprise as he felt himself cum.
“Oh my god.” Eddie rasped, biting Buck’s shoulder as he came without ever touching himself.
“Did you just…” Buck trailed off, breathless.
“Yeah.” Eddie panted, “Holy fuck.”
Buck took a step back and collided with the wall. His skin was still flushed, and his sweatpants were still around his thighs. He looked sinfully attractive.
Buck’s eyes darted down to the rapidly growing stain on Eddie’s jeans, “I’m very sad I didn’t get to make you do that myself.”
“You did.” Eddie laughed, “That was all you, Buck.”
“That was the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me.” Buck said, “Holy shit.”
“Yeah.” Eddie said, “That was…unexpected.”
“I would have talked to you about finances forever ago if I knew it would end like that.” Buck laughed, “You’re so fucking hot, Eddie.”
“Look who’s talking. You’re still half naked.” Eddie looked down, “And I still have your cum on my hand. Wow.”
“I can’t believe you just said those words.” Buck shook his head, “Go wash your hands.”
Eddie looked at his hand, then slowly raised it. He cocked his head to the side, then cautiously brought the hand to his mouth and tasted it. It didn’t taste much different from the time or two that Eddie had tasted his own out of curiosity, but the fact that it was Buck was something entirely different.
When Eddie looked back at Buck, he looked like he was about to fall over on the spot.
“What?” Eddie frowned.
“OhmyfuckinggodEddieDiazIcannotbelieveyoujustdidthatIamgoingtopassout.”
X
Buck winced as Chimney tripped and dropped a box on the floor next to the couch.
“Careful!” Buck winced, “That has my Pyrex in it!”
“If Pyrex breaks from being dropped two feet onto a rug, then you’ve got a bigger problem, Buck.” Chimney laughed.
“Give him a break, Howie.” Maddie patted Chimney’s cheek, “He’s a control freak who isn’t even allowed to lift his own moving boxes.”
“I am not a control freak.” Buck huffed.
“Buck, you’ve got the entire day mapped out in a cloud document that you shared with all of us.” Hen said, “You scheduled in breaks and everything.”
“For snacks!” Buck said, “Everyone loves snacks!”
An arm looped itself around his waist, and Eddie pulled him to his side.
“It’s OK, Buck.” Eddie smiled, kissing him on the side of the head, “I love snacks and your moving schedule.”
“You two are disgusting.” Hen laughed.
“I think it’s cute!” Karen said, “Remember when we used to be like that?”
“Yeah, then we lived with each other.” Hen smirked, “That was the real test.”
“They’ll find out soon enough.” Maddie hummed.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Buck frowned.
“Nothing.” Maddie shrugged, “Just that one day you’re going to wake up and suddenly that thing that you used to think was really cute is going to suddenly drive you insane. Like when Howie used to sing a song to tie his shoes every day. I thought it was the sweetest thing, and then I heard it three hundred times in a row and wanted to scream.”
“Hey!” Chimney yelled, “You told me to stop doing it because it got stuck in your head!”
“And sometimes we lie to the people we love so we don’t hurt their feelings over something stupid,” Karen said.
“It’s the circle of life.” Hen agreed.
Buck was fairly sure there was nothing Eddie could do to annoy him. He could eat saltine crackers in bed every day while trying to whistle and Buck would love it.
“We’ll be fine,” Eddie said.
“Of course you will.” Maddie grinned, “But you’ll still want to strangle each other sometimes.”
“I’ll keep them in line,” Chris said, laughing.
“Hmm.” Karen nodded, “They do come with their own built-in babysitter.”
Bobby walked through the door carrying the headboard from Buck’s bed, “Bedroom?”
Eddie nodded, pointing to the back of the house, “Yep.”
“I am honestly surprised something from Buck’s bachelor pad made it into this house,” Chimney said.
“I drew a line at any of the furniture, but I can’t deny that Buck’s bed was way more comfortable than mine was.” Eddie said, “We’re burning his couch though.”
“As you should.” Maddie nodded.
“I’ll take the dining room table if you’re getting rid of it,” Athena said, following Bobby with an armful of pillows.
“Really?” Eddie frowned.
“Yeah, we need something new and uncomfortable for the interrogation rooms at the station.” Athena smirked.
Buck glared at all of them as they burst out into laughter, “You’re all evil. I’m canceling snack time.”
“No! Not snack time!” Hen yelled, shaking her fists in the air.
Buck glared at all of them as they burst into laughter again.
It was dark by the time they’d finished unloading all the boxes into Eddie’s house. Well, it was his house now too. Which was an insane thing to think about. Buck didn’t have the energy to think about trying to unpack anything, so he settled for falling back onto the couch and ordering pizza for everyone instead.
When the pizza came, Bobby fought them all to pay for it.
Bobby raised his slice once everyone was settled into the living room, “To all of us, for making it through this madness of the so-called Reaper.”
“Amen.” Athena said.
Bobby continued, “And to Buck and Eddie, for showing us all that it’s never too late to find true happiness with someone else.”
“Amen!” Athena said again, louder this time.
Buck’s breath hitched, and he felt his eyes welling with tears. Hearing Bobby say something like that meant more to him than Bobby would ever know.
Eddie grabbed Buck’s hand and squeezed it, raising his pizza with his free hand, “To all of us!”
“This is so cheesy, but I love it.” Maddie smiled.
“Speaking of Reaper madness.” Hen said, “Are there any new updates, Athena?”
“We’re still trying to dig into more about Billy, but the foster system records are making things hard.” Athena said, “They lost track of his sisters once they all went into the system, so there’s really not much more we know about him other than what we already do. We haven’t been able to find anywhere he was working out of either. No secret lair, so to speak.”
“Nothing?” Karen asked, “You can’t track his movements or anything?”
“He was off the grid.” Athena said, “Any phone he used was prepaid and untraceable.”
“Even the phone he used to clone mine?” Buck frowned, “How is that possible?”
“I don’t know.” Athena shook her head, “It’s a lot more sophisticated than I would have expected for a criminal like him. He didn’t seem levelheaded enough to put this whole thing together, at least from what you told me.”
“Maybe he just unraveled at the end.” Maddie offered, “Isn’t that what usually happens with guys like him? They keep escalating until they can’t think clearly anymore, and they make mistakes.”
Athena nodded, “They call it devolving.”
“Right.” Maddie said, “So it’s possible he just devolved and became erratic.”
“Anything is possible.” Athena said, “All the higher-ups are eager to get this over with and wrap up the investigation though, so I don’t think we’ll ever know. They’re simply happy they have someone to blame and that no one else has died in the last week.”
“I’ll drink to that.” Eddie said.
They all eventually said their goodbyes, filing out of the house and leaving Buck, Eddie, and Chris alone in the house.
Maddie stopped before she left, turning around and smiling at Buck as he walked her to he door.
"You look happy." Maddie said, "Really, truly happy in a way that I don't think I've ever seen before."
"I feel happy." Buck said, "I finally feel like I'm where I belong."
Maddie pulled him into a hug, squeezing him softly.
"You don't know how happy it makes me to hear you say that." Maddie whispered.
Buck smiled and kissed her on the top of her head, "Love you."
"Love you too, kiddo." Maddie said, "I'll talk to you later?"
Buck nodded, then closed the door behind her as she left.
When Buck turned around, Eddie was clearing the coffee table of pizza boxes while Chris supervised.
Chris yawned, “I’m exhausted.”
“Same.” Eddie said, throwing the last box into a big black trash bag “Bedtime?”
Chris nodded, “Yeah. Goodnight.”
“Night, kiddo.” Eddie said, kissing him on the head.
“Night, Dad.” Chris said, then hugged Buck, “Goodnight, Buck.”
Buck smiled, “Goodnight, Chris. See you in the morning.”
“Pancakes?” Chris asked, his eyes sparkling.
“You know it.” Buck laughed.
Chris headed to his room, and Buck and Eddie went to theirs. Buck stopped just inside the room, staring at it with amazement. It looked different now that they’d moved things around and an extra dresser and set of drawers for all of Buck’s things. They still had to work out how exactly they were going to split the closet, but that would come in time.
“Excited to spend your first night in your new place?” Eddie asked, smiling.
“More excited to wake up next to you if I’m being honest.” Buck grinned.
“Excited to wake up, or excited for the thing that happens after we wake up?” Eddie waggled his eyebrows.
“A little of column a and a little of column b.” Buck bit his lip.
“Well, the faster we go to sleep, the faster we can wake up.” Eddie winked, pulling off his shirt and pants.
Buck watched him without looking away and then slapped Eddie’s ass for good measure before stripping himself. They each changed into a pair of loose gym shorts and Eddie turned off the lights before they crawled into bed.
Eddie curled onto his side, slotting himself in under Buck’s arm while Buck was on his back. Buck’s free hand absentmindedly played with Eddie’s hair while they laid there in the dark.
“Hey, Buck?” Eddie asked.
“Yeah?” Buck hummed.
“I’m really happy you’re here.” Eddie said.
Buck smiled, looking down at Eddie through the darkness, “I’m happy I’m here too.”
X
Eddie watched Chris and Buck from the dining room.
“Are you ready, Buck?” Chris asked, prodding Buck with one of his crutches.
Buck laughed, “Give me a second, kid. Let me tie my shoes!”
“We’re losing daylight!” Chris said, “We’ve got to do four laps today!”
“Four?” Buck shook his head, “I thought it was three!”
“Nope!” Chris said, “The doctor said you’ve got to do one more every single day for the rest of the week. We did three yesterday, so today it’s four.”
Buck groaned, “Fine, fine. I’m ready.”
“Hitting the gym?” Eddie asked, grinning.
“Hitting the sidewalk.” Buck huffed, “It’s time for me and my physical therapist to get our steps in.”
Eddie walked forward, gently pressing Buck’s stomach, “How does it feel?”
“A little better every day. The stitches come out on Monday.” Buck said, “The laps with Chris every day really do help me loosen up and not feel so stiff.”
“Do you want to come with us, Dad?” Chris asked.
“Maybe tomorrow, bud.” Eddie said, “There is a pile of laundry in our room that is begging me to wash it. If I don’t do it now, I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to get it back to normal.”
“Ugh, fine.” Chris rolled his eyes, “Let’s go, Buck!”
“Lead the way!” Buck leaned in and kissed Eddie quickly, “We’ll be back in a bit.”
“Have fun.” Eddie said, then yelled after Chris, “Don’t work him too hard!”
“No promises!” Chris said as Buck shut the door.
Eddie smiled fondly as he stared at the door shaking his head.
The last two weeks of living with Buck had been nothing short of amazing. They’d fallen into a rhythm, and Eddie found it hard to believe that the house ever functioned properly before Buck moved in. It felt so much more alive having him there. It felt like an actual home.
They figured out the money issues quickly. They were splitting the mortgage in half, much to Eddie’s chagrin, and taking turns paying various bills and utilities every month. They’d worked out a schedule for chores, and Buck’s digital planner worked so well that even Chris was happy to use it. Buck cooked for them more often than not, and Eddie was afraid of Chris’ eventual rebellion on a morning when Buck didn’t make pancakes or bacon.
It was all working so well that Eddie wasn’t sure if he should be waiting for another shoe to drop.
Not that he wanted another shoe to drop. But Eddie wasn’t used to having something so perfect. He wasn’t used to having all he wanted within arm’s reach, and he was worried about losing it all. He knew it was irrational, but irrational thoughts were called that for a reason.
Eddie closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to block out all the negativity like his therapist taught him to.
It worked, at least for the moment.
He made his way back to the bedroom and started to gather the laundry. He’d gone from having one hamper in his room to two because Eddie and Buck were both big men with lots of clothes. It took three times longer to do laundry, which had always been Eddie’s least favorite chore, and it was Eddie’s least favorite day of the week.
Eddie hummed softly, considering. Maybe the laundry was the other shoe, and it had already dropped. If extra laundry was the worst thing that was going to happen to him and Buck, then he could deal with that.
The doorbell rang, drawing Eddie out of his laundry-induced psychosis. Eddie dropped the laundry hamper and walked back to the front door.
“Forget your key?” Eddie laughed, opening the viewing latch.
He’d expected to see Buck or Christopher, not Detective Langenkamp.
Eddie undid the locks and opened the door. Detective Langenkamp took a small step backward and smiled.
“Sorry to bother you at home unannounced.” Detective Langenkamp said, “Do you mind if I come inside?”
“It’s fine.” Eddie opened the door wider and stepped to the side, “Come inside.”
Detective Langenkamp walked inside, and Eddie closed the door behind her. He watched as she slowly walked through the living room and then stopped at almost the exact spot where Buck had been stabbed.
“New flooring?” Detective Langenkamp asked.
Eddie nodded, “Yeah, we replaced what we couldn’t get out.”
“Blood is a tricky thing to remove, especially from older hardwood flooring.” Detective Langenkamp said softly, “Once it seeps in through the pores there’s no hope in getting it out.”
“Right.” Eddie eyed her, slightly confused, “Did you need something? Is it about the case?”
“It is.” Detective Langenkamp nodded, “Is Buck here as well?”
“No, he’s out with Christopher right now.” Eddie said, “He should be back any second though.”
“I’ll be quick.” Detective Langenkamp smiled, “I just wanted to let you know that the GSR test came back on the shirt you provided us.”
“OK?” Eddie stared at her, confused.
“The forensic team concluded that, based on the way the gunshot residue dispersed itself on your shirt, you were the one who fired the shot that killed Billy Rothwell.” Detective Langenkamp said, “And that given the trajectory of the bullet that killed him based on the entrance wound, he was shot while you were straddled on top of him.”
“Like I said, it was a struggle.” Eddie took a step backward, putting the couch between himself and Detective Langenkamp, “I don’t know for sure who fired the gun.”
“That’s why we have forensics.” Detective Langenkamp said, “Billy was shot from a downward angle, if it had truly been a struggle the wound most likely would have come from the side or it would be a less uniform entrance wound. Instead, it appears that someone shot him while pointing the gun directly down at him.”
Eddie tried to control his face, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Of course, everyone wants this situation to be over.” Detective Langenkamp said, “Billy is dead, there’s not going to be any trial where evidence comes out. The mayor wants it wrapped up nicely with a little bow on top, and in a few years, this will just be a story that families talk about at Thanksgiving. Remember that time when there was a serial killer running around LA?”
Detective Langenkamp flexed one of her hands and then curled it into a fist. Eddie shifted slightly, and her eyes followed him like a wild animal that was hunting its prey. Something wasn't right, and every instinct that Eddie has inside himself was screaming at him to realize what it was.
“Detective...” Eddie trailed off, “I’m sorry, I’m just now realizing that I never got your first name.”
“Brenda.” Detective Langenkamp said, “Langenkamp is my married name, my maiden name was Loomis.”
“Brenda?” Eddie repeated.
Detective Langenkamp smiled, nodding, “Funny fact, Loomis isn’t actually my maiden name either. You see, I was adopted when I was younger. My adoptive family was wonderful, and they gave me everything I ever could have asked. They were almost perfect, except for the fact that they moved me out of LA and to the other side of the country and away from my actual family.”
Eddie’s eyes went wide, “You’re Billy’s twin sister. You’re Brenda Rothwell.”
Eddie could see it now. The upturned nose. The eyes that unsettled him to his core. The blonde roots at the base of her dark hair. Fraternal twins
Detective Langenkamp didn’t say anything. She took off her jacket and neatly folded it, placing it on the side table that she was closest to. She was wearing a sleeveless top underneath her jacket, and Eddie could see the burn scars across her shoulders. Her sidearm was also clipped to her belt.
Detective Langenkamp looked up at Eddie and smiled, “Do you know how terrible it is to lose your mother, and then have your father turn into a shell of himself that is so useless he can’t even take care of you? Or how it feels to be ripped away from your twin? I can’t even fault Billy for what he became because it’s an honest-to-God miracle that he’s even alive. Our other sister couldn’t take it, and she died before I could even find her. It took me a few years to even find Billy once he aged out of the system, but the day I found him again was the happiest one I can remember.”
“What are you doing here?” Eddie asked, “What do you want?”
“I wanted to look the man who killed my brother in the eyes.” Detective Langenkamp said.
Eddie kept himself behind the couch, and he hoped that it was blocking her view of his hands. He pressed the button on the side of his phone until he felt it buzz in his pocket, and he hoped that the emergency call feature worked how it was supposed to.
“It was self-defense. He tried to kill me. He killed twelve people, Brenda.” Eddie shook his head, “You can’t possibly hold me responsible for how this all ended. Whatever else you may think, you’re still a cop. Hell, you’re a detective which means you worked even harder to get where you are. You know how things like this work.”
“I became a cop to find Billy. It was the only way I was able to track him down.” Detective Langenkamp shook her head, “When he realized that I was a cop, it made him want to be a firefighter. He thought together we could help people like we should have been helped. He always had anger problems, but they didn’t get bad until he got kicked out of the academy. That’s when things really started to go downhill.”
“And you didn’t do a thing to stop him.” Eddie stared at her.
“Of course, I tried!” Detective Langenkamp yelled, “I tried to help him! I tried to make him realize that there were other things he could do to help people, but in the end, all he wanted was blood! No matter what I did, I knew what Billy was going to do, and I couldn’t lose him again.”
The memory of Billy in Buck’s loft flashed in his mind. He hadn’t picked up on it at the time, but now the pieces were starting to click into place. Billy ranting and raving about the plan he’d made to kill everyone he thought wronged him. Except he didn’t say it was his plan, instead he’d called it our plan.
“You helped him.” Eddie shook his head in disbelief, “You helped Billy kill all those people.”
“Billy wanted to walk up to them in broad daylight and start shooting. It was a stupid plan, and it wouldn’t have gotten him anywhere. If he had just stuck to the initial plan, everything would have been fine. The people he blamed would have been dead, and the police would have been chasing their tails to try and find some mythical masked killer who disappeared into the darkness.” Detective Langenkamp rolled her eyes.
Eddie had to keep her talking. If the emergency feature worked correctly on his phone, then there would be a 911 operator listening to this entire conversation right now.
“But Billy didn’t stick to the plan.” Eddie said, “He attacked Buck.”
“So stupid!” Detective Langenkamp growled, “I have never been as mad in my entire life as I was the night I got that call and realized it was him.”
“You still tried to salvage it though. You wanted to frame me and Buck.” Eddie said.
“It wasn’t an elegant solution, but I tried.” Detective Langenkamp sighed, “I tried so fucking hard to get him out of this mess. I even got my own hands dirty, as much as I hated it.”
“So, what do you want now?” Eddie asked, “Why even come here? If they were wrapping up Billy’s case with a pretty shiny bow, then why are you here? You could have gotten away with it.”
“I don’t care about getting away with it anymore!” Detective Langenkamp screamed, pulling the gun from its holster, and pointing it at Eddie, “My entire family is dead, do you think I give a fuck about getting away with it?”
“Put the gun down.” Eddie said, “You don’t have to do this. You don’t have to be like your brother.”
“Fuck you! Don’t talk about my brother!” Detective Langenkamp said, taking a step forward, “You killed him!”
Movement behind Detective Langenkamp caught Eddie’s eye. A flash of black moving by the kitchen window. Eddie took a step back so he could see the door. It slowly opened, and Athena entered the kitchen with her gun drawn. She noticed Eddie watching her and held a finger up to her lips.
“I told you; it was self-defense.” Eddie said, “I’m sorry that it happened. I didn’t mean to.”
Except...
“It doesn’t matter what you meant anymore. My brother is gone, and I don’t have anyone left.” Detective Langenkamp shook her head, then her lips curled up into a devious smile, “Maybe I won’t kill you. Maybe I’ll wait until Buck and your son come home, and then I’ll kill them in front of you instead. I’ll make you feel what I feel.”
Eddie’s blood boiled. It took every ounce of self-control he had not to launch himself over the couch and directly at her. If it wasn’t for Athena, he probably would have. Athena was moving slowly and quietly through the house; she’d taken the side exit from the dining room to try and flank Detective Langenkamp.
“You said they’d be home soon, right?” Detective Langenkamp grinned, and she looked almost feral as she moved the gun away from Eddie and pointed it at the front door, “Maybe I’ll shoot them as soon as they walk through the door.”
As soon as the gun was off Eddie, Athena made her move.
“Brenda Langenkamp, drop the gun!” Athena said.
Detective Langenkamp’s eyes went wide, she looked over her shoulder at Athena and inhaled sharply.
“Sergeant Grant, this isn’t what it looks like.” Detective Langenkamp said.
“It looks like you’re holding a civilian hostage in their own home.” Athena said, “Put. The. Gun. Down.”
“You don’t know what’s happening!” Detective Langenkamp yelled.
“I do, actually.” Athena said, “I’ve been listening to your entire confession.”
“My confession?” Detective Langenkamp gasped, “What are you talking about?”
Eddie pulled his phone out of his pocket. The call to 911 was still connected. He flipped the phone around to show Detective Langenkamp the phone.
“I’m sure you know that 911 dispatch records all of their calls,” Eddie said.
“Drop the gun, Brenda.” Athena said, “It’s over.”
“Fuck me.” Detective Langenkamp laughed to herself.
She dropped the gun on the ground and then kicked it away. She raised her hands and held them above her head as Athena moved in to handcuff her.
“You can hang up now.” Athena said just before she started to read Detective Langenkamp her rights.
“How did you get here so fast?” Eddie asked as he hung up the phone.
“I was on my way to bring Buck that new blender he’s been talking about.” Athena said, “Housewarming present.”
“That’s really nice.” Eddie said.
“Josh put out the call to available units once they realized what they were listening to at dispatch, and I was already on my way so I told Josh I would be the first on the scene.” Athena pushed Detective Langenkamp forward toward the door, “I didn’t expect to find her holding you at gunpoint though.”
“Aren’t you LA’s very own Batman?” Detective Langenkamp rolled her eyes.
“Watch it, little girl.” Athena huffed, “You’ve got a very long day ahead of you now.”
Eddie could hear more sirens approaching from the distance, and it wasn’t long before red and blue flashing lights lit up his living room. Eddie couldn’t believe his house was about to be a crime scene for the second time in a month.
At least there was no blood this time.
Athena led Detective Langenkamp out of the front door and down to her car. Eddie collapsed back onto the couch and swiped his phone open to call Buck.
Buck answered on the first ring, “Hello, boyfriend. What’s up?”
“Hey...” Eddie said awkwardly, “Um, you and Chris might want to go for an extra lap. Or three.”
“What’s wrong?” Buck asked, “Why do I hear sirens?”
Eddie laughed, “You know Detective Langenkamp, right?”
“I’m familiar with her.” Buck said.
“Well, as it turns out, her first name is Brenda.” Eddie said, “And if that sounds familiar to you it’s because she’s actually Brenda Rothwell, Billy’s twin sister who was his accomplice and is similarly as psychotic as her brother and she just tried to kill me in the living room.”
“What?” Buck yelled.
“It’s fine!” Eddie said immediately, “Athena’s here and she arrested her. There wasn’t even any blood involved this time.”
“You’re insane. We’re on our way back right now.” Buck said.
“Buck, it’s fine. You and Christopher should have fun.” Eddie said.
There was a rustling sound, and the next thing that Eddie heard was Chris’ voice.
“Yeah, no.” Chris said, “We’re already walking back right now. We’ll see you soon.”
“Try not to get attacked by anyone else until we get home!” Buck yelled in the background.
The call disconnected.
Eddie laughed, smiling softly, and waited for them to come home.
X
Buck opened the front door to find Taylor Kelly standing on his front porch.
“Hi.” Taylor said, raising a bottle of wine that Buck knew was ridiculously expensive.
“Um, hi.” Buck said, confused, “Are you lost?”
Taylor laughed, “Oh, did I wander up to the wrong house with a bottle of wine?”
“No, sorry.” Buck shook his head, “I just didn’t know that you knew I lived here.”
“I didn’t, actually.” Taylor said, “I went to your loft and scared a genuinely nice old woman who moved into your unit. When you weren’t there, I figured the next best place to look would be Eddie’s.”
“Well, you found me.” Buck said awkwardly, “I, uh, live here now.”
“I assumed as much.” Taylor said.
“With Eddie.” Buck added.
“You mean you didn’t kick Eddie out of his own house?” Taylor smirked.
“We’re together.” Buck said, “Like, romantically.”
“Took you long enough.” Taylor rolled her eyes, “I thought you were in love with him when we were dating and that was before I even knew you were bi. Can I come in?”
“Sure.” Buck said, awkwardly taking a step back so Taylor could come inside, “Eddie, we have company.”
Eddie walked out of the kitchen with flour all over his shirt and a hand towel draped over his shoulder. His face dropped when he saw Taylor.
“Sorry to stop by unannounced.” Taylor said.
Eddie narrowed his eyes, “The last person who said that to me tried to kill me.”
“Well, the night is still young.” Taylor winked.
“Buck, remember to aim for the nose.” Eddie said.
Buck looked at him, confused, “What?”
“The sharks!” Eddie huffed, throwing his arms up in the air, “Oh god, I’m doomed.”
“Buck, your boyfriend is weird.” Taylor said.
“Buck, your ex-girlfriend is mean.” Eddie said, sticking his tongue out at Taylor.
“You’re both insane.” Buck sighed, “To what do we owe the pleasure, Taylor?”
“I just thought I would check on you to see how you were doing after the summer of murder.” Taylor said, “It’s not every day that someone kills twelve people and blames you for it, so I just wanted to make sure you were good.”
“Eloquent as always, Taylor.” Eddie rolled his eyes.
Buck rubbed the back of his head, “I’m, uh, doing fine. I guess. The doctors gave me the all-clear to go back to work on Monday, so I’m happy about that. I don’t recommend getting stabbed in the gut.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Taylor laughed, “How are you both doing with all this stuff about the crazy twin sister? It’s like something out of a bad horror movie.”
“Last we heard was that she’s going to plead guilty and waive her right to a trial.” Eddie said, “I think she just decided to give up.”
“I can’t believe she was the one who killed Gerrard and not Billy.” Buck shook his head.
Athena had been keeping them in the loop as much as she could. Brenda Langenkamp nee Loomis nee Rothwell had led the police to the cabin where she and Billy had planned all the murders and admitted to killing Vincent Gerrard herself to try and further the narrative of Buck being a copycat murderer given his long and public history of disliking Gerrard.
So far, she’d admitted to everything without any hesitation. Buck wasn’t sure if she was hoping for leniency during sentencing, or if she had just fully given up like Eddie thought.
Regardless of which it was, she would be out of his and Eddie’s life forever.
“Well, I’m glad you’re both OK.” Taylor said, “And I’m glad that you two finally realized that you were destined to kiss each other.”
“Me too.” Buck laughed, “Thank you.”
“Did you, uh, want to stay for dinner or something?” Eddie asked, “Chris is out with his friends so it’s just me and Buck tonight, and I’m making fresh pasta.”
“As amazingly awkward as joining my ex-boyfriend and his current boyfriend for dinner sounds, I actually have a dinner to get to myself.” Taylor said, “I’m meeting with my publisher downtown in about an hour.”
“Your book publisher?” Buck asked.
“Yes.” Taylor said, “That’s actually another part of the reason that I came over here, and the entire reason that I brought a very expensive, and very delicious, bottle of wine with me.”
Eddie laughed, “You’re writing a book about this, aren’t you?”
“Guilty as charged.” Taylor said, “I wanted to tell you guys first since I didn’t really do that last time.”
“I guess that’s…growth,” Buck said.
“I’m trying.” Taylor shrugged, “Anyway, I’ll try to be as respectful as I can, and you’re both welcome to sit down with me for an interview if you want. I’m thinking of calling it Don’t Fear the Reaper: LA’s Summer of Terror.”
“I’ll, uh, think about it?” Buck said awkwardly.
“Well, you know how to find me if you need me.” Taylor said, “You’d make Doris’ day if you walked back in that building again, I’m pretty sure she’s got a framed photo of you hidden at her desk somewhere now.”
“Doris is amazing.” Buck said, “You better treat her well.”
“She got a raise and her own office.” Taylor said.
“Good.” Buck grinned.
“Well, it was nice to see you.” Eddie said, clapping his hands together.
Taylor rolled her eyes, but she smiled as she turned and walked to the door. She paused before opening it and looked over her shoulder at Eddie.
“Oh, and Eddie?” Taylor said, her voice soft and sweet.
“Yeah?” Eddie hummed.
“If you ever steal anything from me again, I will fucking end you.” Taylor blew him a kiss, then opened the door, “Have a good night, boys!”
Buck stared at the door, then turned back to Eddie and burst out into a fit of laughter.
Eddie’s face had gone completely red, and he looked like he was about to cry.
“Oh my god, you should see your face right now.” Buck said between fits of giggles.
“It’s not funny!” Eddie hissed.
“It’s totally funny.” Buck said.
“If I go missing, she’s the first one you guys need to look into.” Eddie said, “I only hope you have enough time to save me before the sharks get to me.”
Buck smiled, then pulled Eddie close and kissed him.
“Don’t worry, Eds.” Buck kissed him on the nose, “I won’t let the mean scary reporter take you away from me.”
X
Eddie rested his head on Buck’s chest, drawing a lazy circle with his finger above one of Buck’s tattoos.
It was the first night they’d had alone since Buck’s first shift back, and neither of them had the energy to do anything else except lay in bed with each other. Eddie leaned into Buck’s touch as his nails scraped against Eddie’s scalp.
Eddie took a deep breath, “I need to tell you something.”
Buck’s hand stopped moving, “OK?”
“I should have told you this a while ago, but I’ve been worried about how you’ll react.” Eddie said.
“What is it?” Buck asked, “What’s wrong?”
Eddie sighed and pushed himself up from the bed, leaning on his elbow so he could look at Buck, “It’s about Billy Rothwell.”
“What’s wrong?” Buck asked softly, “Are you having bad dreams?”
“No. Well, yes, but that’s not what I need to tell you.” Eddie took a deep breath, “I killed him.”
“I know you did.” Buck frowned, “You fought over the gun, and it went off.”
Eddie shook his head, “The gun didn’t accidentally go off. I pulled the trigger.”
Buck’s eyes went wide. He sat up in the bed and looked at Eddie.
“Wait…” Buck shook his head, “You mean you…”
“Yeah.” Eddie said, “I was on top of him, and I got the gun away from him. I could have, I don’t know, knocked him out or something. Tied him up until the police got there.”
“But you didn’t.” Buck said, “You shot him. In the heart.”
Eddie nodded once, a stiff jerk of his head, “He was underneath me, and all I could think of was how you looked after he stabbed you. About how I thought you were going to die, and how I’d have to live the rest of my life knowing I couldn’t save you. I didn’t hesitate, I just shot him.”
“Eddie…” Buck whispered.
“I needed to tell you. I can’t keep lying to you about it any longer.” Eddie said, letting out a strangled sound from his throat, “It’s been driving me crazy not telling you. Even if it makes you think differently about me…I can’t hold it any longer.”
Eddie felt his heart begin to hammer behind his chest. He felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead, and his hands began to shake.
He knew he had to tell Buck ever since Detective Langenkamp confronted him and told him she knew what he’d done, but he’d been terrified of how Buck would react. How do you tell the person you love that you’re capable of cold-blooded murder?
“Eddie, take a deep breath.” Buck said softly, placing his hand on Eddie’s chest, “Take a breath, OK. I love you. Nothing you could ever tell me would make me not love you. I don’t care that you killed him, I would have killed him too.”
Eddie looked at Buck, “Really?”
“I was going to. That night in your house.” Buck said, “I found him on top of you, and I thought you were dead, Eddie. I had my hands around his throat, and I could feel his breathing slowing down. I wasn’t going to stop until he wasn’t moving anymore. If he hadn’t stabbed me then I wouldn’t have stopped until he was dead. If he took you away from me…”
Eddie let out a slightly manic laugh, “Jesus Christ, we sound like him.”
“Nah, we’re not that crazy.” Buck smiled.
“We’re just in love.” Eddie said.
“So in love.” Buck nodded.
Eddie leaned in to kiss him and then pushed Buck back onto the mattress and crawled on top of him.
X
Buck followed his nightly routine of checking all the locks in the house.
It was amazing the kind of paranoia that almost being murdered on three separate occasions could breed in a person. He started with the front door, then went to the back door, and finally checked every single window to make sure they were locked and closed.
Eddie never said anything about Buck’s routine, and Buck assumed it was because it reassured Eddie too.
Buck also tried to avoid looking at the spot on the floor he’d almost bled to death at, but sometimes he couldn’t stop himself from staring at it. Sometimes he swore he could still see the stains from his blood, even though he knew it was all brand-new flooring.
Still, things could have been a lot worse for them. If all they walked away with was paranoia and a smidge of PTSD then Buck considered himself and Eddie lucky.
And if Buck ran an extra mile to work on his cardio conditioning, or if Eddie went a few more rounds with the punching bag they’d installed on the back porch than he usually did, neither of them said a thing. They both had nightmares at least once a week, but they were always there for each other afterward.
This house was their home, and Buck wouldn’t let a few bad memories spoil it for them.
“All done?” Eddie asked, sticking his head out of their bedroom door.
“Almost.” Buck said, “I’ll be there in a minute.”
Buck walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. He turned off the light as he left, and he went to join Eddie in the bedroom.
Tap, tap, tap.
The sound came from the front door.
Buck paused in the hallway. He turned and looked back at the front door with a frown. He waited for a moment, but nothing happened.
Was he hearing things?
A chill ran up Buck’s spine, and he spun on his heel to walk back to the front door. He turned on the porch light and opened the viewing latch on the door.
There was no one on the front porch.
Buck waited a moment, watching and scanning the small area he could see for any sign of movement.
Nothing happened.
He closed the latch, turned off the light, and walked over to the window in the living room. He pulled back the curtain and looked out into the darkness.
The streetlights were on, but there was an expanse of darkness between each of them. Buck strained his eyes as he looked out, and for a split second, he could have sworn he saw a shadow move in the darkness across the street.
Was that a glint of something sharp and metallic?
“What’re you doing?”
Eddie's voice startled him, and Buck jumped in place. His head knocked against the glass of the window, and he let out a muttered curse before he turned around.
“Nothing.” Buck said, rubbing his forehead, “I thought I saw something outside, but I’m just being dumb.”
“You sure?” Eddie asked, slipping his arms around Buck, and pulling him close, “We can always call someone to take a look.”
Buck smiled, shaking his head, “I’m just being paranoid and seeing things in the dark.”
“OK.” Eddie shrugged, but he hesitated, “If you’re sure.”
“I’m sure.” Buck said.
Eddie pushed himself up on his toes slightly to kiss Buck. Buck ran his hands up Eddie’s back and tangled his fingers in Eddie’s hair as he slipped his tongue into Eddie’s mouth. Eddie moaned softly, and Buck felt his dick twitch in response to the sound.
“I want to fuck you.” Buck whispered, “Right now.”
Eddie pressed in closer to him, “I’m not going to say no to that.”
“Good.” Buck bit Eddie’s lip, then crouched down and picked Eddie up off the ground.
Eddie wrapped his legs around Buck’s waist, and Buck’s fingers dug into the bottom of Eddie’s thighs as he carried them back to their bedroom. He threw Eddie back onto the bed, then closed the bedroom door and locked it before pulling off his shirt and tossing it to the side.
“God, you’re so hot.” Eddie laughed, “I love you.”
“I love you too.” Buck said, “Forever.”
“You’re not worried about the boogieman walking in on us, right?” Eddie asked, leaning up on his elbows to look at Buck.
Buck’s only answer was to dive forward and pin Eddie down onto the bed.
Buck wasn’t worried about anyone ever trying to come between them ever again. It didn’t work out too well for the last guy, and the next person who tried was the one that should be worried about them.
Seasons don’t fear the reaper, nor do Buck or Eddie.