Buddie: Partners in Fire

Chapter 83

Scene: Buck and Eddie's bedroom, In the middle of the night

Eddie’s dream was vivid and horrifying. He found himself standing in the middle of a cemetery, the sky dark and stormy, rain pelting down around him like tiny fists. The air was thick with a sense of dread, and in the distance, he saw a gathering—a group of people huddled around a grave. As he got closer, his heart sank; he recognized the faces. Maddie, Chimney, Hen, Bobby... all their friends stood there, dressed in black, their expressions somber and grief-stricken.

Eddie’s body felt frozen, as if the ground had swallowed his feet. He wanted to turn back, to escape the suffocating heaviness of the scene, but an unseen force compelled him forward. With every step, his feet felt heavier, like they were sinking into the mud. The cold rain drenched him, mixing with the tears he hadn’t realized were streaming down his cheeks.

When he finally reached the headstone, his breath caught in his throat, a deep, aching sorrow filling his chest. There it was, the name etched into the stone, clear and final:

Evan 'Buck' Buckley
1991-2024
Beloved brother, friend, boyfriend and father.

Eddie (his voice hoarse and trembling): "No... no, this can’t be happening..."

He turned to the crowd, desperation clawing at him, but no one would meet his eyes. They all stared at the ground, avoiding him as if they couldn’t bear to look at the pain that reflected in his own. Eddie’s chest tightened, the reality of the moment crashing down on him as he fell to his knees in front of the grave.

Eddie (crying out, desperate): "Buck! Please, no... Don't leave me... I love you... You can't die Buck... Evan..."

He reached out, his fingers trembling as they brushed against the cold stone. But the moment his hand made contact, the world around him seemed to shatter. Darkness enveloped him, and he was left alone, sobbing in the rain, his heart breaking as he realized Buck was truly gone.

---

Eddie woke up with a violent start, tears streaming down his face, gasping for air. His chest heaved as he struggled to make sense of where he was. It took him a moment to realize he was in bed, in their room, and that Buck was beside him, sitting up, wide-eyed and concerned.

Buck (softly, reaching out): "Eddie... hey, hey, it’s okay. It was just a dream."

Eddie’s breath hitched, and he wiped at his eyes, his body trembling. He could still feel the heaviness of the dream clinging to him, suffocating and real.

Eddie (his voice shaky): "I... I saw your grave. I was at your funeral, Buck. It felt so real. I thought... I thought I’d lost you."

Without hesitation, Buck pulled Eddie into his arms, holding him tightly as if he could somehow shield him from the pain.

Buck (soothingly): "I’m right here, Eddie. I’m not going anywhere, I promise. It was just a nightmare. Your brain’s been through a lot with everything that’s happened recently."

Eddie clung to Buck, his face buried in Buck’s chest as he tried to calm down. He could feel his heart still racing, his mind replaying the awful images from the dream—the look of despair on their friends' faces, the weight of Buck's name carved into stone.

Eddie (muffled against Buck’s chest): "I’m scared, Buck. I don’t want to lose you. I love you."

Buck kissed the top of Eddie’s head, his own heart aching at the fear in Eddie’s voice.

Buck: "You’re not going to lose me. I’m right here, and I’m not leaving. We’re in this together, okay? No matter what happens. I love you too Eddie."

Eddie nodded, though his body was still shaking. He felt so fragile, like a piece of glass that could shatter at any moment. Buck held him close, rubbing slow, comforting circles on his back, whispering reassurances until Eddie’s sobs began to subside.

Eddie (voice trembling): "I don’t know how to deal with this. It’s like everything is crashing down around me, and I can’t find a way out."

Buck (softly): "You don’t have to deal with it alone. I’m right here, every step of the way. We’ll face it together. You don’t have to pretend to be strong all the time."

Eddie pulled back slightly, looking into Buck’s eyes, searching for reassurance. The warmth in Buck’s gaze steadied him, reminding him that he wasn’t alone in this fight.

Eddie: "I just... I keep seeing those faces. The pain in their eyes. It makes me feel so helpless."

Buck brushed his thumb across Eddie's cheek, wiping away the remnants of his tears.

Buck: "It’s okay to feel helpless sometimes. You’ve been through so much, and it’s natural to feel overwhelmed. But you’re not helpless. You’re strong, and you’re surrounded by people who love you. You can lean on us."

Eddie took a deep breath, feeling the weight of Buck’s words. He had always been the protector, the one who held everything together, but now he realized it was okay to let someone else take the reins for a while. It was okay to be vulnerable.

Eddie (voice barely above a whisper): "I don’t want to burden you. You’ve done so much already."

Buck: "You’re not a burden, Eddie. You’re my partner. The love of my life. We share everything—good and bad. That’s what makes us strong."

Feeling a little steadier, Eddie nodded, though his grip on Buck remained tight. He stayed curled up in Buck’s arms, the warmth and safety grounding him as he tried to let go of the remnants of the nightmare. Buck continued to hold him, rubbing soothing circles on his back, whispering words of comfort until Eddie’s breathing evened out again.

Eventually, Eddie’s eyelids began to droop, the exhaustion pulling him back toward sleep, but the nightmare lingered just at the edges of his mind. He wanted to shake it off, to forget the chilling images that had haunted him, but the fear of losing Buck loomed large.

Buck (gently): "I’m right here, Eddie. Whenever you need me, I’ll be right here."

With those words wrapping around him like a protective blanket, Eddie finally drifted back to sleep, though his grip on Buck remained tight, as if afraid to let go. Buck stayed awake, his heart heavy with worry. He hated seeing Eddie like this—so vulnerable, so afraid.

As he lay there, holding Eddie close, Buck found himself staring up at the ceiling, unable to shake the weight of the nightmare from his mind. He knew that this was far from over—that the grief and fear would linger for a while—but he also knew he wasn’t going to leave Eddie to face it alone.