Lost and Found || Buddie

Chapter 7

Over the next few days, Buck had gotten more comfortable in the Diaz household and for that Shannon was glad. The first day after he and Christopher woke up from their nap he had been standoffish, almost like he was afraid to be there, like he wasn't supposed to be there.

The woman knew that it was all because of everything the younger man had been through for the last four years. Buck still hadn't talked about it, staying silent when his sister asked him about it during one of their lunch dates.

The man definitely had a soft spot for Christopher though, the two becoming more and more inseparable as the days passed.

Today had been a week since he started staying with the Diaz family, so when Eddie pulled him off to the side, away from where he was playing blocks with Christopher, fear filled his entire body. Buck thought he was being kicked out.

"I need to talk to you about something." Eddie said as he leaned against the wall in the hallway, eyes on Chris. He was about to tell his best friend that he was going back to Afghanistan next week. He hadn't wanted to but Shannon said he deserved to know ahead of time.

Buck just nods, arms folded across his chest. "What? You're kicking me out, aren't you? I guess I can go stay with Maddie." He rambles and turns to walk away.

Reaching out, Eddie grabs his arm gently, Buck flinching ever so slightly and that hurts the older man, but he didn't say anything about it. "No ones kicking you out, Buck." He sighs heavily, feeling bad that his best friend would even think that. He thought that he'd been making Buck feel welcome this whole week, but maybe he was wrong. Eddie was good at misjudging things. "You can stay for as long as you need, we love having you around. Especially Shannon." He chuckles. He thinks he should feel some type of way because his wife and best friend were becoming close but he didn't. Buck wouldn't do anything like that and he knew it. "I think she likes having someone to watch her drama shows with her instead of falling asleep."

Letting out a sigh of relief, Buck laughs softly. It was nice hearing that. He enjoyed hanging out with Shannon actually, he just felt bad that he happened to have feelings for her husband. He wouldn't tell anyone that though. Buck would take that secret with him to the grave. "Okay, so what do you need to talk to me about?" He scrunches his eyebrows up in confusion.

"I'm leaving to go back to Afghanistan next week." Eddie rips off the bandaid. He wasn't entirely sure why he was so scared to tell his best friend.

"Oh." Was all Buck said as he turned his gaze over to Christopher who was most likely babbling to himself in the living room. He had just gotten his best friend back in his life and he was already leaving. It stung, but he wouldn't admit that.

"So while I'm gone, please make sure Shannon doesn't go insane worrying about me." The older man pleads. Buck just nods, wondering who's supposed to keep himself from going insane worrying about Eddie. "Thanks man." Is all that's said before Eddie pats Buck on the shoulder and walks off to the living room.

Later that night after everyone went to bed, Buck figs his notebook from the couch cushions and makes a journal entry.

———-

June 28th 2016

At least I know the dates now. It's been a week since I've been back in El Paso and it's different. I'm staying with Eddie, his wife Shannon and their son Christopher. I can't thank them enough for letting me stay, I don't think I'd survive with Maddie's constant hovering. Well maybe I could, I've survived worse. I can't help but think about the basement every time I'm alone with my thoughts. I have nightmares, I wake up sweating. The feel of another body on top of mine consumes me. It's horrible and I wish it would go away. My captors' faces are all I see when I close my eyes. Maybe I should talk to someone but I don't want to relive it. Hopefully I won't feel this way forever. Eddie told me today he was going back to Afghanistan next week and I'm terrified, there's a chance he doesn't come back and I don't think I could live without my best friend again. It's different when you know they're alive somewhere. If something happened to him I think I'd die and it's because my heart belongs to him. I love my best friend.

———-

Buck shoves the notebook into the couch cushions again and lays his head on his pillow, willing himself to think of anything but the last four years of his life. He wakes up a few hours later, gasping for air, trying to calm himself down when he realizes he's safe. He didn't know he had made noise until Eddie showed up in the living room, his hair all messed up from sleep. "Buck, are you okay? You were yelling." He yawns.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a nightmare." He mumbles, looking up at his best friend. God he was beautiful even with bed head. "Go back to bed, I'm fine. I'm sorry for waking you."

"It's fine, I couldn't really sleep anyways. Though I think you should talk to someone though. Maybe a professional would help." Eddie suggests and sits himself next to Buck on the sofa bed. "We can make some calls tomorrow."

"I don't need a shrink Eddie." Buck says in defense. "Okay maybe I do, but then I'll have to talk about everything and I don't think I can do that without breaking down."

Eddie yawns and leans back, closing his eyes. "Maybe it's what you need." He says and Buck doesn't answer. Instead he stays quiet and listens as eddies breathing even out and he starts snoring softly.

When Shannon wakes up the next morning she's confused when her husband isn't in bed. She crawls out of bed and walks into the living room, smiling to herself as she sees the two men sleeping on the sofa bed. She doesn't say anything about the fact that Buck was wrapped around her husband, she found it endearing.