Brotherhood lasts a lifetime

Chapter 4

Buck couldn't answer. He just couldn't. He wanted to so badly, but he wasn't sure if he could handle it. So he just shrugged.

Hondo sight. He would have preferred a positive answer. Would have preferred to stay in the kid's life. But he knew it wasn't his decision to make. Hell, he could be happy that he had even seen the kid again.

So the older man released Buck from their hug and gave him a clap on the shoulder.

"You know, whenever you are ready, we will be there!", he stated.

Buck didn't know what to answer but nodded. He grabbed his boyfriend's hand and with one last goodbye to his brother in anything but blood the two younger men left.

Hondo watched them leave. He chuckled to himself. Who would have thought their cookout would end like this?

After Buck and Street drove away Hondo went inside and all but fell onto the couch. As fast as he could he got his phone out and dialed a number he knew by heart. He just had to talk to someone.

"Hondo? What's up man?", asked the man on the other line as soon as the call was connected.

"Hey, Sam. You busy?", he asked. He could hear some shuffling and mumbling in the background before Sam spoke again.

"As long as there is no new case coming in, I am all yours." Hondo could hear the smile in the man's voice. "So, what's up? Didn't you plan on a cookout with your team?"

Hondo nodded before he realized that Sam couldn't see him.

"Yeah. It was nice. I even had a pleasant surprise guest.", he stated.

"Okay..." Sam had no clue where his friend was heading with his explanation. But somehow, he was curious.

"So the youngest, Jim, brought his boyfriend with him. Apparently, the two are dating since before the man even started at SWAT." Hondo had squeezed it out of Street, while they were talking privately and was happy that their kid was in a stable relationship with a man, Hondo had learned to trust over the last few years...

"And he never said anything?" Sam couldn't believe Hondo. From all he knew about Hondo's team, they were just as thick as he was with his team. But even if they weren't. After years of working together, he would have thought, that information like that would be common knowledge among the colleagues.

"He didn't. But wait until you hear who he is in a relationship with." Hondo couldn't hold back a small chuckle.

"Oh come on man. Is he dating a celebrity or what? It's way too late for you to torture me like this! Some of us have to be at work tomorrow morning!"

"Okay, okay man. If you want to sleep, I'll just have to call you tomorrow again." He knew Sam would kill him if he would hold the information back any longer, but he himself was shocked so he at least could have a little fun himself.

"I swear to god Hondo. Just tell me. Who the hell is that Jim of yours dating?"

"Evan Jonathan Buckley!" The line went silent for a minute.

"Come again?!", Sam stuttered.

"It's true Sam. I have seen him with my own eyes. Street is dating our kid."

It took Sam a minute to wrap his head around the newfound information. But then? Nothing was holding him anymore. He ended the call, without saying his goodbyes or telling Hondo that he was on the way. Hondo knew anyway.

So, an hour later Hondo and Sam were sitting on Hondo's couch and waiting for an explanation.

"So kid was here today?", Sam asked slowly. "And you didn't call me to come over, so I can see him with my own eyes?"