Quarter Life Crisis: a 9-1-1 buddie fic

Cellophane and duct tape

I nod my head in response and lay back down on the pillow.

"Do you need anything? Athena is trying to sneak Amelia in. Gosh, the nurses here are too strict." Eddie lets go of my hand and takes out his phone.

"How's the boy that was stuck in that building? Please tell me he's alive. How's Mils? Be honest, please?"

"Of course, you are more concerned about other children rather than yourself after you got shot." Eddie looks up from his phone and stares at me.

"The boy is fine. It turns out that he was lost in the crowd of people who ran across the street. He's probably having nightmares from seeing the building explosion. And Amelia knows that you got hurt and are in the hospital. She's been sleeping over with Chris. Don't worry, they sleep apart from each other under different bedsheets. I didn't have the mental energy to tell her everything yesterday. You might have to ask Maddie what she told her." Eddie says in a monotone voice as if he will break down any moment.

"Eds, it's not your responsibility to tell her. If anything, it's Maddie's. Don't beat yourself up over this. You already have Chris to take care of." I try to be optimistic but Eddie's not smiling.

 "Can we talk about the stairwell moment now that we're alone?" Eddie hesitates as he puts his phone back in his pocket.

OH.

Wow.

I thought the kiss was a spur-in-the-moment thing that wasn't going to happen again because of our kids.

"I guess so. Let's hope Athena doesn't walk in with Amelia. I don't want her knowing yet." I bite my lip and move my hand with the IV on top of his.

"Chris doesn't know that I'm bisexual yet, I want to keep it that way too. Gosh, Buck, I am so sorry that kiss was my mistake. I know you don't feel the same. I am so bad at relationships that I rushed things when you are my co-worker." I watch Eddie scoot his chair closer to my bed.

"Eds, it was my mistake too. I love you but we don't have to rush things. We can figure things out after I get out of the hospital." I say and I am pretty sure I am giving mixed signals.

"You love me?" Eddie squeezes my hand again.

"Since the day we met in the station, I've been obsessed with you and Chris. I know that this doesn't sound like me but I'm still trying to figure out this whole bisexual crisis thing. I meant it when I said it in the stairwell." I say shyly and wait for him to respond.

"I'm still trying to figure this bisexual crisis thing out too. Why don't we talk about it more in private when you get out of the hospital? The whole team is waiting to see you and Athena is trying to sneak Amelia in." Eddie reaches out to my non-IV hand and kisses it.

"That sounds good.  I kind of miss our stairwell moment," I whisper and hope to god that no one comes in.

Gosh, why am I like this??

Amelia is going to kill me, she needs a mother figure in her life.

"I do too. Let's keep this a secret for now, okay? You are going to need lots of rest Buck. God, I am so glad there weren't any brain injuries or fatal bone breakage.

"Okay, I agree." I attempt to kiss him on the cheek but it hurts to sit up on the bed.

I feel bruised.

At least my spine isn't broken.

"You drive me crazy Evan Buckley. I need to wrap you in bubble wrap and a mattress foam so that you don't ever get hurt again." Eddie reaches down and kisses my hand.

"I'm not made of glass, Eds." I say before we hear a knock at the door and I have to let go of Eddie's hand quickly.

"Come in," Eddie sits back and moves his chair away from my bed.

Awww.

"Daddy! You're awake. Auntie M said you got hurt badly and were sleeping so I couldn't come in." Amelia walks over with Hen and Athena then backs away when she sees the cast on my leg and IV in my arm.

I sometimes forget that she's never seen me in the hospital before.

She's usually the one in the hospital while I take care of my injuries.

"I'm okay Mils, I just need a lot of rest and recovery like when you were in the hospital. Where's Auntie M?" I try my best to motion for her to come over to the side of the bed without my cast.

"She's getting food with Uncle Chim. The food in adult hospitals is yuck." Amelia sits on the edge of the bed attempting to be careful of the wires and bandages on me.

I watch Eddie move his chair back even more giving us distance and time to talk.

Athena is talking to Hen about something by the door and I can't tell what it is but I'm just glad Amelia is okay.

At least physically, I don't know about mentally.

"I heard that you've had a few sleepovers with Chris, did you do anything fun?" I watch Amelia rest her head on my good abdomen as I stroke her hair.

"Not really we watched all the Descendants and Shrek movies. I wasn't interested. I thought that it was weird the first night that you didn't come home until Maddie told me that you were in the hospital and Eddie came to pick me up from Auntie M's." Amelia rants to me while I watch her close her eyes to rest on the side of the bed.

"Has she been sleeping all night, Eds?" I whisper once Amelia has fallen asleep on my good side.

"I don't think so. She's been asking for snacks past midnight too and I thought it was just one-time hunger." Eddie whispers as Athena and Hen walk out to get a nurse so that Amelia can sleep on an extra bed instead of curling up next to me.

As much as I love her, there's no space on the bed and I don't want her falling off.

"Eds, can you please bring the railing up on this side so that she doesn't fall off the bed?" I whisper so that I don't wake her.

She ran in excited to see me and now she's all tuckered out.

I feel so bad for her and hope to find her a psychologist soon.

Eddie does as told while I use my good hand to make sure her back doesn't roll off the bed.

I wonder what it would be like if we ever parented together?

Then again, Amelia and Chris need mother figures in their lives, not men.

"I'll have to talk to Maddie about arrangements once I get discharged. I don't want you or Carla to worry about Amelia when you have work and a child to take care of." I whisper to Eddie before a female nurse comes in rolling in an extra bed for Amelia.

I'm glad it wasn't that stupid nurse that Eddie was arguing with outside.

Amelia may be 10 but she acts like she's 15 sometimes.

"Thank you," I whisper as Eddie and Hen carry Amelia off my bed and place her on the other bed.

"As much as I love having company, I'm still fighting the pain medication and the stitches. Hen and Athena, can you please tell the rest of the team to come back later?" I yawn as Hen looks at me when I call Eddie, Eds.

Oh yeah, I forgot that Hen is keeping my secret.

"Of course, get some rest Buck. I'll tell Cap an update. I hope Amelia feels better soon she's a warrior." Hen smiles and pats me on the shoulder lightly.

"Get some rest you two, and don't you dare ever scare my husband like that again." Athena glares at me as if I did something wrong.

I have to talk to Hen later and

Eddie.