𝐒𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐒 𝐅𝐋𝐘 ᵇᵘᵈᵈⁱᵉ

twenty three

it wasn't until Julia asked a specific question that made his smile fade slowly.

"is papa okay? i've heard him crying a lot recently," she asked, a worried tone filling the 5 years voice.

Buck smiled and nodded, "you know how i got hurt a few months ago?" he asked Julia, who nodded.

"well, papa got hurt in the same way and these things can stay with people for the rest of their lives. so we gotta make sure to protect him and be there for him," Buck told their daughter, who nodded once more.

"but he's going to be okay? you were okay after a couple months it seemed," She said softly. she was a smart kid, very advanced for her age. she was always aware of what was going on around her.

Buck nodded as his head.

"well it's because your papa helped me, you you and Chris helped me. y'all were patient and just loved me. so yes, papa is going to be okay, he's strong. the strongest man i know, i'm so proud of him," he smiled as he finished the second braid.

Eddie's vision was blurry by the time Buck was done speaking. Buck looked up from Julia's head and saw Eddie staring at him through the mirror.

Eddie quickly wiped his eyes, "are we ready," he smiled. the two nodded. Eddie picked Julia up, setting her on the ground, "go wait with Christopher on the couch, we'll be out in a minute," he said, kissing her head and giving her a tight hug. she nodded and skipped out of the bathroom.

Eddie looked up at Buck, "you didn't have to say all those things," he whispered. Buck scoffed.

"the truth?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

Eddie shook his head, "you and i both know it wasn't the truth. it was just what Julia needed to hear," Eddie talked down on himself as he looked at his feet.

Buck shook his head no before Eddie even finished the sentence, "no. you are so strong, mi mundo, i love you and i'm so beyond proud of you. i don't even have the words to explain it," Buck smiled, lifting Eddie's head up with his pointer finger and thumb, placing a soft kiss to his lips.

-

Eddie and Buck sat on a park bench, freely talking about anything they felt like talking about as their two kids played on the jungle-gym.

"i'm glad we can do this, just have a simple day out," Eddie smiled, squinting his eyes as the sun was shining in them.

Buck smiled, interlacing his fingers with Eddie's. "me too," he said, kissing Eddie's hand.

"we've just been through so much, it just didn't feel right to go out. right after i was doing better, you got hurt," Buck sighed, pulling Eddie closer to him.

"i'm okay, Ev," Eddie smiled, but then remembered they had the court hearing coming up in just a couple of weeks and he let out a breath.

"what?" Buck asked.

"the court hearing... what if i'm not ready to face him," Eddie asked softly, not even looking at Buck. Buck slid his hand up and down Eddie's bicep.

"you'll be okay, mi mundo, i'll be right there," Buck whispered, kissing Eddie's head again.

they continued their conversations, watching the kids play until both of them came up to Buck and Eddie.

"can we get ice cream now," Christopher smiled along with Julianna.

Buck and Eddie laughed and stood up, "let's go, mis amores," Eddie smiled as they led them across the street to a Baskin-Robbins.

"what do y'all want," Buck asked, pulling out his credit card and looking at the three toddlers he was babysitting.

"very-berry strawberry," Chris let out a toothy smile at Buck and the cashier out it in the system. one of the worked did a double scoop for Chris and handed it to him in a small cup.

"rainbow sherbet," Julianna exclaimed with the same toothy smile as Chris. it was hard to believe they weren't related. same guy who gave Chris his ice cream, gave her hers.

"Mint chocolate chip," Eddie smiled at Buck.

"make that two, mint chocolate chips," Buck smiled at the cashier. the same worker scooped 4 scoops of mint chocolate chip, putting it in two different cups handing them to Buck and Eddie.

"you're total is 35.67," she smiled at Buck and he tapped his card on the card reader. once they were done ringing it up, his eyes lit up.

"you're him..." she said pointing at Buck.

"i-i-i'm sorry?" he said, furrowing his eyebrows at her and tilting his head.

"during the tsunami at the pier! my food was caught on something under the water and you saved me! while he," she pointed to Christopher, "was sitting on a half-submerged fire truck. you pulled me on top of the fire truck with y'all," she smiled.

"Emma," Buck breathed out and she nodded. she looked at Eddie who was standing there admiring the warm look on Emma and Bucks face.

"and you! y-you saved my little brother. he was in the ferris wheel with his girlfriend," She smiled, "because of y'all, we got to go home another night to our family," she said as her eyes filled with tears.

"this is on the house," she said and canceled the order. Buck couldn't help but hug her over the counter as all three of them thanked each other.

"well, y'all are hero's. the least i could do is pay for y'all's ice cream," she smiled, "between you and me, there's an employee discount," she whispered and winked. they all laughed.

"who's that little one," she pointed at Julianna who was taking the smaller bites of her ice cream to savor it.

"that's our daughter, Julia," He smiled at Eddie and Julia.

A warm smile spread across Emma's face.

"Well! don't let me keep y'all, go- go sit and enjoy the day out with your family," she smiled shooing them off. Buck and Eddie thanked her once more and did what she said.

they sat down with each other, admiring their two children. Buck took a picture of the kids laughing and playing with each other as they ate their ice cream. they all fed each other bites of each others.

Julia went to go give Eddie a bite and got it all over the side of his face on accident. she let out the biggest laugh ever as Eddie smiled and dropped his head. he grabbed a napkin, wiping the sherbet off his face.

he gave her a bite of the mint chocolate chip ice cream and missed her mouth purposefully, getting it all over her nose. her face scrunched up at the feeling of the coldness on her face.

"oh, Chris, you have a little something right there," Buck smiled, purposefully hitting Chris' hand, making the ice cream smoosh into his face.

"hey!! i was innocent!" he playfully whined, wiping his face.

"well we couldn't have you feeling left out!" Buck teased. they all laughed.

Buck and Eddie both took a spoon full of their ice cream, linking arms, and feeding it to each other. Chris quickly took a picture on Bucks phone, "got it!" he exclaimed with a smile on his face.

Buck and Eddie's laugh faded but their smiled never went away as they looked at Chris.

"got what, mijo," Eddie smiled. Christopher showed them the picture.

"aw, Ed's," Buck smiled, nudging Eddie. Eddie couldn't stop smiling and he felt the blush creep up his neck.

Buck and Eddie's smiles big as they slid the spoons in each others mouths. they had never looked happier.