Timeless

Chapter 4: Eddie

Evan had never thought he could have the life he had now. If you told ten-year-old Evan that he not only got away from his parents but had a boyfriend as well, he would have never believed you.

He had been living with Eddie and Chris for about a month now and it was the best thing that had ever happened to him. His parents were not thrilled about the idea of Evan moving in. They weren't mad that he was moving out. No, they were mad because he was moving in with his boyfriend. Evan paid them no mind as they berated him while he and Eddie packed his things into Eddie's truck. He was finally in a place in his life where he was happy and he realized how long it had actually been since he'd felt like that.

Maddie on the other hand was thrilled that Evan had finally found someone who made him happy. She and Eddie had met when Evan invited her out to lunch with them. He thought it would be good to introduce his sister to the man that made him so happy. Maddie and Eddie hit it off immediately. They got to talking about what Evan was like as a kid and how his daredevil stunts have been a part of him for a long time. Maddie also fell in love with Chris just as fast as Evan did. She couldn't stop talking about how adorable he was and how happy all three of them looked together.

Evan was also having a great time at the fire academy. He felt that he had finally found his calling. He had always wanted to help people. There weren't many people that helped him in his life, so he wanted to be someone that could help others. He had made a lot of new friends in the academy as well. Friends that called him Buck. His friend Carter had given it to him. There were three Evans in his class which was very confusing so Carter came up with the idea to shorten Evan's last name and have him go Buck. It really stuck and now everyone calls him that.

Everyone except Eddie. After his first day at the academy, he told his boyfriend about the new nickname. Eddie was happy that he was having a good time and making friends but he was not a fan.

"You're new firefighter buddies can call you Buck all they want. You'll always be my Evan."

Evan had swooned at that, pulling Eddie into a heated kiss. He had never felt like his name felt right. He never understood why. But he did love it when it came from Eddie. It felt right for only Eddie to call him Evan.

He pulled up to the academy on his last week super excited. After this week, he was going to graduate and be able to start his probationary period. One step closer to being a full-fledged firefighter. He hopped out of the Jeep and saw Carter and Jackson coming up to him.

"Morning, Buck," Carter yawned. It was early in the morning and Carter liked to stay up late playing videogames with the rest of the guys. He tried to get Buck to join them but Chris goes to bed at seven and he and Eddie aren't far behind him normally.

"Hey guys," he smiled, grabbing his bag from the backseat.

"I'm so ready for this week to be over. I already have captains from four different stations wanting me. I just have to decide where I want to go," Jackson said as they walked into the locker room. Evan just rolled his eyes. Jackson was a great student and has done a great job in the academy, but he was definitely one to brag.

"I've got a couple of stations wanting me as well, but I think I'm going to go with the 155. I talked to their captain the other day and I think they'd be a good fit," Carter said. The 155 was one of the local stations in El Paso. Carter was adamant about staying close to his family so Evan wasn't surprised he was staying close.

"What about you, Buck? Any offers?"

"A few. But I think there's one that I've decided on."

"Which station?"

"Station 118. In Los Angeles," he said, trying not to laugh at the shocked expressions of his friends.

"LA? What do you mean?" Carter asked.