Chapter Text
So maybe this was a bad idea, Buck thought as he left the convenience store where he had paid way too much for a bag of beef jerky. But he needed to do something.
He opened his car door, heading back to the open road. He tossed the bag into his passenger seat. He opened his phone to check his map.
Go back onto the I-10, 200 miles to El Paso.
---
== Meanwhile ==
“Buck, where are you?” Eddie asked Buck’s voicemail, instead of apologizing like he knew he should. “I know I shouldn’t have said-”
Eddie sighed and started over. “Listen, I’m really sorry, Buck. Please pick up the phone? And let me know where you are? It’s - I, uh, We’d all really like to see you for Christmas, and Bobby’s getting worried.”
Eddie hung up the phone. “And so am I. God, how could I be so stupid?!”
---
This was definitely a bad idea. But he had gone this far, no turning back now. Buck shuffled the huge basket to one arm and reached out. He rang the doorbell.
“I’ll get it!” Christopher yelled, just like he always did.
---
“I’m sure Buck is fine,” Bobby said, reassuringly. “He’s probably just blowing off some steam, and then he’ll get back to you. And when he does, you can apologize to him then.”
“It’s just- What I said to him, Cap.” Eddie blew out a deep breath and sunk down into his chair, like gravity had gotten stronger. “That only Christopher could help me. He didn’t deserve that. And right after Tommy broke up with him. I just…”
“You panicked,” Bobby filled in, with a much nicer attitude than Eddie had about it. “You’re worried Christopher would never come back, and Buck rushed right into those fears. Believe me, I get it. But Buck’s not the kind of person to run away. He’ll come back. It might just take a second, that’s all.”
“Yeah. Yeah, I guess.” Eddie said. And didn’t say to Bobby, even if I don’t deserve it. Even if he never wants to see me again. It’s unfair that I trapped him. Maybe I should just move to El Paso. Even if he kind of wanted to.
---
“Buck?” Christopher said. He was taller than Buck remembered. And he looked confused, which, to be fair, made sense. It’s not like he told anyone he was coming, or anything.
“Hey, Christopher!” Buck said, feeling more and more out of place here. “Merry Christmas! I, uh, I brought you something.”
“Okay,” Christopher said, with that voice that meant he was trying to be mad, but was also too curious not to be invested. “What are you doing here, Buck? Is dad with you?”
“Uh, no, no, he really misses you, but- Here.” Buck gave him the giant basket. “I know Christmas hasn’t been the same without your mom, so I wanted to make sure this one was special. It’s gotta be hard, moving so far away. I used to move a lot, and I didn’t have many friends, so-”
Buck stopped when Christopher hugged him. Hard. Like, really hard. He might have bruised a rib.
Totally worth it.
“Thanks, Buck,” Christopher said, very quietly.
“Of course, buddy. I said I’d always be there for you, didn’t I?”
---
“I just wish he’d tell me where he was, you know?” Eddie said, across the static of their headphones.
The truck was loud. Louder still with the wreath on the back jingling every time they went over a bump. Still, it was kind of nice. The bustle of good work, with good people.
Hen looked at him. With that look that pierces through your soul and goes straight to your heart. The one that shakes you down to your very core. “Is that all?”
“What?”
Hen frowned sympathetically at him. “You’ve been mentioning Buck nonstop since he left your place last night.”
“Yeah, you’ve got mention-itis,” Chimney teased. When Eddie glared at him, he added, “Look, it’s Buck. He’ll leave for a while, maybe go on a funny date with someone, and then come back safe and sound.”
“You know something, don’t you?” Eddie pointed a finger at Chimney, accusingly. “What did Maddie say?”
“Nothing!” Chimney said, too quickly, then sighed. “Okay, fine, I don’t know where he is, just that he’s okay. He said he’s taking a short road trip, and he’ll be back by next shift.”
“See,” Bobby said, looking back from the front of the truck. “There’s nothing to worry about.”
---
“Christopher?” Eddie’s mom’s voice came from inside the house. “Who was it at the door?”
Christopher stood straighter. “Quick, you should hide. She doesn’t trust any of dad’s friends.”
Oh no.
“Okay,” Buck whispered, because he trusted Christopher with his life. And he dove into the bushes by the side of the house.
This was definitely a bad idea.