Firehouse Oasis 118

23. Eddie

Eddie was glad he'd made up with Buck, especially since it meant that he could fully enjoy the excitement that morning brought with Buck at his side. It was an incredible thing that Buck had done for Chris, risking himself to go out and get the little boy crutches. He hadn't expected anyone to really do so and he certainly wasn't used to someone who would do it as easily as Buck had. Like it was just second nature to help out.

Buck and he had been the last to go to bed, only about an hour before sunrise, and before he knew it, Chris was crawling into his bed to wake him up.

"It's morning!" The little boy giggled as he poked Eddie.

Eddie just groaned, rolling over and prying his eyes open to see the kid grinning at him, fully awake. Eddie however, was not ready to join the land of the living yet, especially after the sleep he'd lost last night.

"Five more minutes." He grumbled, reaching an arm out from under the blanket to pull Chris into him.

The little boy was having none of that though, instead just squirming around and giggling until Eddie finally gave up.

"Alright alright. Time to get up." He said, sitting up slowly and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Yay!" Chris cheered, "Bobby's making pancakes, can't you smell them? let's go!"

Now that he focused, he could actually smell them as well as hear the sounds of movement and low talking from the kitchen. How anyone else had managed to get up this early after last night was beyond him. Though, as he looked around the bunk room, he realised that he was the only one still sleeping. Apparently everyone had managed to get up before he did.

Eddie let Chris tug him off the bed and he offered the kid his hand for stability as they made their way out into the kitchen.

"Hey guys!" Buck greeted with a big grin and a wave from where he was powering the electric griddle that Bobby was currently flipping pancakes on.

Jesus Christ, Eddie felt dead to the world right now, so it was a mystery how Buck was this peppy. Especially when Eddie knew for a fact that they'd gone to bed at the same time.

"How are you this awake right now, you got even less sleep than I did." Eddie groaned, helping Chris up onto one of the barstools where a plate with pancakes was placed in front of him.

Chris ignored them all, instead electing to cheer for the pancakes that he was now pouring syrup on. More accurately, drowning them in, Eddie realized a second too late.

"I think that's enough, Superman." Eddie murmured, grabbing the bottle back from him, ignoring the pout that Chris had the audacity to level him with.

"Can we tell him?" Buck whispered across the island unnecessarily, Chris was far too engrossed with his pancakes to pay them any attention.

"Tell who what?" Chim asked, peering up at them from where he was slumped over his own plate of pancakes.

Thank god Eddie was not the only one exhausted at least.

"Dude, come on now. What had us all up in the middle of the night last night?" Hen pointed out, flicking his ear from where she and Denny sat next to him.

"Don't start without me!" Athena called and Eddie turned to see her heading up the stairs, freshly showered. "I lost too much sleep not to see the results."