Solitude || Evan Buckley [1]

chapter fifteen

whoa

Footsteps traveled down the hallway of the apartment following the voices occurring in the nursery. Sasha leaned in the open doorway of the nursery, squinting at the two men bickering on the floor with scattered parts of a baby's crib and tools. She and Buck decided to work on the nursery with the baby shower coming up this weekend.

"I told you that was the wrong piece. It's this one!" Buck exclaimed to Eddie, watching him struggle screwing in. His face scrunched at the instructions in his hands while surveying the parts they sorted out.

Eddie sighed roughly, growing a bit agitated at Buck instigating. "You know I've built a crib before." He retorted, flickering at the blond across from him.

Buck dropped the manual on his lap. "That was what? Seven almost eight years ago?"

"Well, it would've been easier if the instructions you got weren't in a foreign language." He deadpanned.

Before Buck could reply, Sasha snorted at the scene unfolding in front of her. "Two of 118's strong firefighters can work with swiftness to save the civilians of Los Angeles. Yet are struggling to assemble one crib for a nursery." She narrowed at the duo, eliciting a smirk before furthering into the room. "Would you like any assistance?"

"No, we got this." Buck protested. "We'll get it done within an hour top!"

"With you taking the lead. I doubt it." Eddie murmured, scratching the back of his neck which caused Sasha to suppress a laugh and Buck shoot him a glare.

The doorbell rang, signaling Sasha that Athena and Bobby must've arrived. "Fine. If I, were you two, I'd go to YouTube. It might have a tutorial considering YouTube has every tutorial video known to man." She suggested and then exited the room to answer the front door.

"Hi, baby. Look at you, you're glowing." Athena greeted brightly to her niece, bringing her into her embrace with one arm. "Bobby and I brought pizza and drinks."

"Thanks. Where's May?" She moved over to Bobby with a brief hug before closing the door behind him.

Athena strutted to the kitchen with the latter trailing after her. "May is running the last of the errands for the baby shower with your aunt Alisha. She'll be here later." She placed the bag onto the counter while her fiancé rested the two pizza boxes.

"Where's Buck at?" Bobby pondered.

"He's working on the crib with Eddie in the nursery. Those two might need their fire Captain to guide them before they rip each other's heads off." Sasha humored, causing the couple to laugh. He shortly nodded, saluting to the women before taking strides down the hall to help the latter.

With the two left in the room, Athena narrowed at her niece. "I presumed the crib they're building was the baby shower gift delivered from your grandparents?"