Chapter Text
Med Tent, Afghanistan, 2015
Eddie swims up to consciousness, pain radiating through every muscle and bone in his body. Pain is good. Pain is life.
He vaguely remembers the helicopter arriving, spitting out cover fire above them, saving them.
Them.
His team.
Did everyone come home? Did he get everyone out?
Had there really been a Labrador helping him in the middle of the desert? It had been out of nowhere, helping Eddie to drag and support the injured from the wreck, get them under the cover of the nearby rocks. It had even pushed Eddie down, saving him from a bullet in his leg…
He forces his eyes open and…
There’s a sunshine yellow Labrador lying next to him on the medical cot. He stares at it blankly, unable to comprehend what he’s seeing but…
“Congratulations, Staff Sergeant Diaz,” Sergeant Barnett appears beside his bedside. “Your soulmate’s soul animal was beside you when you got rescued, hasn’t left your side since.”
One of Eddie’s shoulders is on fire – bullet, he remembers belatedly. He reaches out with his good hand and strokes a hand over the dog’s head. The soul animal whines and pushes into his touch.
Instantly he feels such a fast rush of love and affection that it steals what little breath he has.
Emotion chokes him.
“I need to find them,” Eddie murmurs. He needs to find his soulmate. Get home. Hold Christopher, hold his son.
“They’re probably already hunting for you,” Barnett assures him. “I’ve alerted our command to keep a lookout. In the meantime, we need to get you treated for your injuries, Diaz. You’ve got more metal in you than we’d like.”
Eddie nods. His hand remains buried in the ruff of his soulmate’s soul animal, taking comfort in its presence.
He drifts off.
o-O-o
Ramstein Air Base, Germany, 2015
Eddie snaps awake.
He registers the hospital ceiling, the feel of the clean sheets and scratchy blanket. Sunshine stirs beside him, wagging his tail. The soul animal looks to the side. Eddie turns his head to see what he’s looking at and…
There’s a man asleep in the chair beside him. He’s younger than Eddie, curly blond hair trimmed short but stylish, not military. There’s a blood birthmark like a kiss on his forehead and the top of one eyelid. He’s dressed in jeans, t-shirt and a denim jacket.
He’s Eddie’s.
He’d know it even without the German Shepherd that’s parked beside the man, guarding him.
Eddie drinks in his fill of his soulmate.
He has a vague memory of being told that his soulmate was inbound, but his head is still fuzzy from the journey and the surgeries…
His soulmate stirs, his eyes blinking open to reveal pools of bright blue. They widen at the sight of Eddie awake.
“Hey,” Eddie says, tries to say.
His soulmate hurries to grab the mug of water beside the bed, holding the straw so Eddie can drink until he pushes the straw away, careful not to disturb the IV line that’s attached to his hand.
“Hey,” his soulmate says, a shy smile curving his lips, “I’m Evan.”
“Eddie,” he says in reply. “I’m so very glad to meet you, Evan.”
“Me too,” Evan ducks his head, “I mean, I’m very glad to meet you too.”
They both don’t mention how Eddie almost hadn’t lived for them to meet.
Evan pulls the chair closer and offers his hand tentatively and Eddie slides his own into it, holding onto it.
Somehow, it’s enough to bolster Eddie’s spirits. He has his soulmate with him.
They need to talk, there’s so much to talk about, Shannon and Christopher, and Eddie wants to know everything about Evan, but…
“I’m not going to stay awake long,” Eddie warns him.
Evan smiles. His eyes bright. “That’s OK. You should sleep. I’m not going anywhere.”
There’s a promise in there that Eddie just trusts instinctively. He remembers how Sunshine helped him save his team.
“You can have my back any day,” Eddie murmurs, his eyes already feeling heavy at the idea of slipping back into sleep.
“Or…or you could have mine,” Evan says back with that same shy smile that Eddie just wants to kiss…
He slips back into sleep.
o-O-o
El Paso, Texas, 2015
The backyard Soul bonding ceremony isn’t exactly small, even with only Eddie’s family in attendance.
Evan had invited his family, but there had been no response from them. From the stories of his childhood Evan has confided, Eddie knows that Evan had expected the lack of response from his parents, but he’d been hopeful about his sister, Maddie.
Eddie knows Evan is hurt by the silence, although he’s excused his sister noting she may not have been able to secure the time off work, or maybe didn’t want to travel without her husband, Doug, who doesn’t like Evan and who probably didn’t want to attend.
It doesn’t matter, Eddie thinks furiously as he stands beside Evan in front of the happy Bonder from the Soulmate Registry at the bottom of his parents’ garden. Eddie is Evan’s family now.
They’re both dressed in smart jeans, white button-down shirts, and blue blazers which Eddie figures will be discarded as soon as the official photos are done. His mother had tried to talk them both into suits, but it’s not their style. They’d wanted something more casual than formal.
Eddie glances out at the happy crowd of his own family.
His Los Angeles relatives are gathered in a group, his Abuela beaming happily. His mother and father are in the front row, his sisters and their partners just behind. Helena and Ramon Diaz are soulmates themselves and they are thrilled that Eddie and Evan have found each other.
Finally, Shannon and Chris grin at them from the front row in the seats closest to them.
Evan and Shannon have bonded like old friends which has eased Eddie’s worry about how they’ll all co-parent together even though he and Shannon had not married when she’d fallen accidently pregnant because they’d wanted to remain available to the possibility of future soulmates.
Evan’s presence, Eddie muses, likely makes easier than it has been with just the two of them. Shannon and Eddie butt heads a lot of the time – they’ve never agreed really on how Eddie provided for their son by enlisting. But Evan manages to smooth over their rough edges and makes them fit, mostly because Evan is fantastic with their son and Chris adores Evan right back.
“It’s like Fate knew Chris needed Evan as his third parent and gave him to you for that reason,” Shannon had commented the night they’d come home to Texas and Eddie thinks she’s right.
Evan reaches out his hand and Eddie slides his firmly into it as they turn to each other. Beside them, Sunshine and Sergeant look at their soulmates as they take their final step in bonding.
Eddie squeezes Evan’s hand. “I greet thee, Evan Buckley, for I have spent days with the guide to your soul and I wish to bond myself to thee.”
“I greet thee, Edmundo Diaz, for the guide of your soul led me to you, and I wish to bond myself to thee in return.”
Eddie feels the warmth of their bond settling between them with satisfaction.
Their soul animals howl and disappear from the physical plane for the first time since they’d arrived.
Eddie pulls a smiling Evan close as the Bonder announces their bonding is successful and invites them to kiss.
It’s not their first kiss, but it’s their first as truly bonded and Eddie feels Evan’s vast love for him and returns it whole-heartedly. He hopes Evan feels how much Eddie loves him.
There’s a whistle and a holler from the crowd and they stop kissing suddenly very reminded that they’re not alone.
The party that follows is an old-fashioned Texan barbeque with a small dance floor set-up in the middle of the garden.
Shannon finds Eddie watching his bonded dancing with his Abuela. She sits on the arm of the porch chair. “You’re so lucky.”
“I know,” Eddie says simply.
Evan is his sunshine. If it wasn’t the way of soulmates, he’d question how far and fast he’d fallen for Evan’s big heart and his loving spirit.
“Chris asleep?” asks Eddie.
“Out like a light,” Shannon says with a smile which fades as she bites her lip. “Are you sure you’re OK with me heading back to L.A. with Isabel?”
“Of course,” Eddie says, nudging her with his good shoulder. “You need to be with your Mom right now. Both Evan and I understand. Chris understands as much as he can do.” They hadn't wanted to explain too much about the seriousness of Janet's cancer diagnosis.
“Thank you,” Shannon says. “I know leaving you looking after Chris when you’re just home isn’t ideal.”
Eddie grimaces because he can’t argue with that. Ideally, he would have a little more time to adjust to his discharge from the Army, to have healed more from his injuries, to deal with the nightmares that plague him…
“I have Evan to help,” Eddie says simply. His soulmate makes all things manageable. “We’ll be OK. You just focus on Janet.”
Shannon smiles at him, ducks down and busses his cheek. She thumbs away whatever lipstick mark she left and slips off the chair. “Why don’t you go grab your man and take him home, Eddie?”
Eddie looks across to the dancefloor and finds Evan grinning as he spins Abuela around. “I think I might just do that.”
And he does.
o-O-o
Los Angeles, California, 2016
“Where did you want this box, Eddie?” His mother gestures at the box his father is carrying.
“Kitchen,” he instructs noting the mark that Evan had placed on the front of it. “It’s all Evan’s baking stuff.”
“Be careful with it, Ramon!” Helena instructs sternly.
Eddie hides his grin at his father’s eye-rolling as they walk away, leaving him to construct the sofa they had ordered. Helena and Evan have bonded over cooking. They’d even ended up going to a local college course together.
Evan walks in carrying a giggling Chris. “We’ve just about got this one’s bedroom sorted. What’s next?”
Eddie’s not sure why he got put in charge of the plan, but it’s not like the Army didn’t train him to adapt. “Our bed needs making.”
Evan drops a kiss on Eddie’s lips. “Right you are, Staff Sergeant! Come on, Private Diaz, you can help me make mine and your Dad’s bed.”
“Or I can watch you!” Chris laughs as Evan carries him away.
“Hello, the house!” Shannon calls out from the front door of the bungalow.
Eddie steps out of the living room and into the hallway to greet her. “Hey! We didn’t expect to see you today!”
Shannon shrugs. “Mom insisted I drop off a casserole.” She pushes it into his hands and looks behind him. “And I missed my baby.”
“Main bedroom helping Evan make the bed,” Eddie tells her. He’s not surprised when she pushes past him and makes a beeline for Chris. She’d seen him when they’d visited for Thanksgiving the previous year, but since then it had all been video calls.
Eddie drops the casserole off in the kitchen where his mother is instructing his father on where to put the pans and escapes before she can inveigle him into it. He abandons the sofa to join his soulmate deal with their sudden visitor.
Evan’s putting cases on the pillows and he smiles as Eddie joins them softly closing the door.
Shannon and Chris are sat hugging in the large cosy armchair Evan insisted they needed because some house improvement design programme had said it was important.
Shannon looks up and smiles at them, tossing her dark hair back over her shoulder. “When do you guys start at the Academy?”
“Next week,” Evan replies.
Of the two of them, he’s the most excited to be starting their training as firefighters. Eddie picks up a pillowcase and starts to help sending Evan an indulgent look as he babbles happily about the Academy. Eddie is looking forward to it, but mostly he’s looking forward to being part of a team again and gaining the satisfaction of helping people, doing something worthwhile.
“You’ll be OK picking Chris up from school every day?” asks Eddie when Evan finishes.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Shannon tickles Chris. “I managed to secure this great home-help with the money you guys sent me from the sale of the house. Her name’s Carla. She’s brilliant with Mom. She’ll come over to look after her while I get this one from school and stay until I get home, or you pick him up. Mom says if she’s up to it, she’d love to have Chris over.”
Eddie and Evan exchange a quick look and Eddie nods. They can always pick Chris up on their way back from the Academy.
“Sounds like a plan,” Eddie says.
Shannon smiles, but her eyes shine with sudden tears. “I just can’t thank you guys enough for moving out here.”
“You’re here,” Chris points out brightly.
Eddie smiles at her. “Plus you know the pay’s better out here.”
Evan smacks him with a pillow. Eddie smacks him back with another one. There’s a beat between them, and then a full-on pillow fight ensues…
Chris starts laughing, Shannon is grinning, and it’s perfect.
o-O-o
Los Angeles, California, January 2017
Eddie parks in front of the 118 and glances across at Evan who looks nervous, his hands fidgeting at his t-shirt. He reaches across and takes his hand.
“You OK?” asks Eddie.
Evan smiles tremulously. “Just…first day butterflies, I guess?”
Eddie squeezes his hand and lets go to cup the back of Evan’s head. “You aced the Academy, Evan.”
Evan pokes at his ribs. “You topped the class.”
“And you were right behind me,” Eddie points out. “I have the advantage of my Army training, but you? You’re naturally great at this.” He has a feeling firefighting is actually Evan’s calling.
Evan blushes. He’s always a little stunned when Eddie compliments him, but he’s slowly gaining confidence.
“You have my back, right?” Evan takes a deep breath.
“Always,” Eddie says. “Just like you have mine.” He kisses Evan gently. “Come on, let’s go find Captain Nash.”
The Captain had interviewed them and immediately offered them both places with the 118.
Evan leans in to kiss Eddie again before they separate and slide out of the truck. They’d replaced Eddie’s old truck and sold Evan’s Jeep when they’d gotten to California. Any sentimentality attached to the Jeep that Evan had held onto had dissipated once Maddie hadn’t responded to their Bonding invitation and with her continuing silence.
They walk side by side into the firehouse, taking in the trucks and the layout. They are early for their shift to meet with Nash and get oriented.
Nash greets them, striding across to shake both their hands firmly. “Welcome to the 118. Come on in. I’ll show you around before the rest of the shift gets here.”
Eddie catalogues everything quietly as they make their way through the tour. Evan asks enough questions for both of them, and Nash responds to Evan’s enthusiasm with a warm friendliness that reassures Eddie.
They end up at the lockers.
Eddie isn’t sure what to think about the glass walls.
“You sure you don’t mind going by Buckley?” Nash asks Evan as they start to stow away their belongings.
Evan shrugs. “I know it’s confusing having us both called Diaz in the field. I don’t mind. I ended up being called Buck at the Academy because there were too many Evans.”
Nash nods. “Happens to a lot of us. I ended up as Bobby because there were five Roberts in my Academy class back in Saint Louis.”
Evan grins at their Captain.
“You’re free to call me Bobby when we’re not at work,” Bobby continues with a friendly smile.
“Thanks, Captain,” Evan says.
Eddie echoes it.
“I’ll leave you boys to get changed,” Bobby says, “come up to the kitchen for breakfast when you’re ready.” He walks away and leaves them alone.
Eddie drags off one t-shirt to pull on another. He nudges Evan. “Good?”
Evan nods, smiling. “Yeah. I think we could be happy here, Eds.”
Eddie nods back. He could do without the weird idea of a locker room, but he thinks the same; they could be happy at the 118.