training wheels. // evan 'buck' buckley

xxxiv. radio silence

buck hadn’t been expecting visitors. he was sprawled on his couch, the TV on in the background, though he wasn’t really paying attention. he hadn’t been paying attention to much lately. his days were blending together - sleepless nights, a bit of physical therapy, and too many hours spent overthinking.

a knock at the door broke his reverie. he frowned, not expecting anyone. slowly, he got up, moving cautiously as he made his way to the door.

when he opened it, he was met with eddie and christopher, both smiling up at him.

“surprise!” eddie grinned, patting buck on the shoulder. “thought we’d drop by and say hi.”

buck raised an eyebrow. “you brought christopher?”

“i thought you could use some company,” eddie replied casually, though his eyes betrayed the deeper concern he felt. “and chris missed you.”

christopher beamed, hobbling forward with his crutches. “hey, buck!”

buck’s defenses melted a little as he looked at christopher. he’d always had a soft spot for the kid. “hey, buddy,” he said, stepping aside to let them in. “how’s it going?”

“good,” christopher said, settling onto the couch with a bit of help from buck. “i wanted to see you.”

buck looked at eddie, suspicious. “what’s going on here?”

“nothing. just thought you two could hang out,” eddie said innocently. “you know, spend some time together.”

buck shook his head, but he wasn’t angry. in fact, he appreciated eddie’s subtle approach. he hadn’t wanted to admit it, but he was lonely. spending time with christopher didn’t sound so bad.

eddie’s phone buzzed, and he glanced at the time. “well, i’ve got to head to the station. i’ll leave you two to it.”

buck frowned. “wait, you’re leaving?”

“yup. you’ve got it from here,” eddie said. he turned to christopher. “you behave, alright?”

“always,” christopher said with a wide grin.

and just like that, eddie was out the door.

buck sat down on the couch next to christopher, feeling a bit awkward. he hadn’t expected to spend his day with anyone, let alone eddie’s kid. but as christopher chattered on about school and the latest video game he was into, buck found himself relaxing.

after a while, christopher looked up at him with wide eyes. “can we go somewhere?”

buck blinked, caught off guard. “go somewhere?”

“yeah! can we go to the pier? i haven’t been in forever.”

buck hesitated. he hadn’t been outside much lately, and the idea of going out into the world felt overwhelming. but then he looked at christopher, his hopeful face, and something inside him softened.

“alright,” buck said after a long pause. “let’s go to the pier.”

christopher’s face lit up. “really? yes!”

the sunlight reflected off the water, casting a shimmering glow along the pier. buck hadn’t planned for this - none of it. not the sudden drop-in from eddie, not spending the day with christopher, and certainly not being out in the world after weeks of isolating himself. but here he was, holding christopher’s hand as they strolled along the boardwalk.

buck found himself relaxing, even enjoying the moment. the sights and sounds of the pier - the laughter of children, the smell of saltwater mixed with fried food, and the occasional call of seagulls - were a welcome distraction from the chaos that had been swirling in his mind since his injury. more than that, though, it was christopher’s presence that grounded him.