call your therapist. // eddie diaz

v. silent undercurrents

by the time eddie had his fifth or sixth session with me, things had shifted again. the therapy sessions were starting to pay off, but something else was brewing beneath the surface - something eddie wasn’t quite ready to confront yet.

but buck saw it. he always did.

“so,” buck said one evening, leaning against the firetruck as eddie checked the equipment. “how’s it going with veronica?”

eddie didn’t look up, his voice casual. “it’s fine. why?”

buck grinned, nudging him playfully. “just wondering if you’ve, you know, caught any feelings yet.”

eddie’s head snapped up, his eyes narrowing. “what?”

“come on, man. i see the way you look at her,” buck teased, crossing his arms. “it’s more than just therapy at this point, isn’t it?”

eddie glared at him, his jaw tightening. “it’s not like that, buck.”

buck shrugged, still smiling. “okay, sure. but if it ever is, just know i called it first.”

eddie rolled his eyes, muttering something under his breath as he continued his work. but buck didn’t miss the way his friend’s ears turned just a little red - a telltale sign that maybe, just maybe, there was more to eddie’s feelings than he was willing to admit.

and buck, ever the confidant, would be there for him when eddie was finally ready to face it.

eddie wasn’t sure when it started to bother him - the easy way buck and i laughed together, how our conversations seemed to flow so effortlessly. it wasn’t like eddie didn’t appreciate buck’s ability to make friends wherever he went, but watching me and buck form such a quick bond? it set something off inside him that he couldn’t quite put a finger on.

later, eddie stood by the truck, pretending to check the equipment while glancing toward where buck and i were sitting at one of the firehouse tables, our laughter drifting over to him. from the outside, it looked like just another lighthearted conversation. buck was leaning back in his chair, one arm slung casually over the backrest, his signature grin firmly in place as i shook my head, clearly amused by whatever joke he’d just cracked.

we weren’t doing anything inappropriate, eddie reminded himself. he knew buck well enough to know this was just how he was. buck flirted with everyone, practically without thinking. but something about the way buck’s eyes lingered on ms a second too long, the way his smile softened when i teased him back, was getting under eddie’s skin in ways he hadn’t expected.

the easy camaraderie between us, though innocent, made eddie feel like an outsider in a space where he usually felt comfortable. he’d caught himself comparing the way him and i interacted to the way buck and i did, and every time, it left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"hey, diaz, you gonna stand there brooding all day or are you actually going to come over here and join us?" buck’s voice interrupted eddie’s thoughts, pulling him from his internal debate. buck waved him over with a grin, his energy as infectious as ever. "we were just talking about that time i ended up half-dressed after a call. veronica hasn’t heard that one yet."

eddie cleared his throat, pushing aside the irrational sense of annoyance. he couldn’t let himself spiral into thinking there was more between us than a simple friendship. buck was like that with everyone, and well, i was smart. i wouldn’t get caught up in whatever charm buck thought he had.

“yeah, i remember. pretty sure you traumatized half the neighborhood.” eddie forced a smirk as he walked over, taking a seat across from me and buck. he tried to settle into the conversation, but there was an awkward tension in his chest, the kind that made it hard to relax.