Turning Point (A 9-1-1 Buddie fanfic)

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own 9-1-1 or anything associated with the show.

Author Notes: This is my first 9-1-1 fanfic, and the first fanfic I have written in years. I recently became obsessed with the show, and thanks to Tiktok, I'm also now obsessed with Buddie. Damn you Tiktok!

Part of 'Once Upon a Buddie' series:

Story 1: Turning Point
Story 2: Every Breath You Take
Story 3: Crash

Chapter 1

Eddie wasn't sure when it happened. After all, sometimes you don't realise you're falling until your body hits the ground, hard. All he knew was that one day, as he stared at his best friend from across the way and felt his heart skitter in his chest at the sight of that idiotic smile, he found himself realising he was in love with Evan Buckley.

Of course, he tried to deny it, tried to push the feelings down. But the more he fought against it, the more it was tearing his mind apart. He felt lost, even as he sat there on the couch in his own home, surrounded by everything that should have felt familiar and safe.

The bottle of beer, cold against his palm, reminded him of earlier that day and to the small family barbeque his tía had set up. A celebration, she said, for nothing more than being there and being present, and considering the nature of his job, that was more than enough reason to celebrate. He had tried to ignore her ulterior motive of encouraging his most recent relationship. Since finding out about Marisol, his tía had done her upmost best to ensure that they had plenty of reasons to get together.

Eddie had taken Buck with him for back up, but looking back, he was beginning to realise his mistake.

"You okay?" Marisol asked, taking a seat next to him on the couch and sliding in close. She lifted his arm up a little and placed it around her, laying her head on his chest.

"Hmmm…?" he questioned, having only half heard her, his mind still in that late July sun, hearing the laughter from Christopher and Buck as they played with the overly bright and colourful water guns Buck had brought with him.

"You've been distant all day," Marisol continued, looking up to him.

"I'm fine," he answered, taking a swig of beer and only glancing towards her momentarily before looking out across the room once more. But it wasn't the room he saw, it was the memory again.

The memory of the wide smile on Christopher's face as he and Buck fought, Buck acting as if he didn't have the upper hand, cautious with Christopher but not overbearing. The chuckles from Buck as he dodged the burst of water from another child's water gun, only to find himself struck firmly in the centre of his chest by a blast of water from Christopher. The overdramatic death performance had Chris laughing all the more, and while it had brought a smile to Eddie's face earlier, now it left him with a hollow feeling in his chest that he couldn't explain.

"Is it Chris?" Marisol pushed, placing her hand in Eddie's and weaving her fingers between his.

Eddie shook his head, attempting to shake himself back to the present and from the fog of memory trying to drag him down. "No, Chris is fine. He's with Buck."

They were having a sleepover, Buck's idea so that Eddie could 'hook up' without worrying about Chris. He had fallen asleep even before it was time to go, Buck carrying him to his car, insisting all the while to Eddie that he had it.