Chapter Text
Ana had known Buck long before she’d ever met him. Christopher talked about him all the time. Bucky did this, Bucky said that. For a while, when she was still his teacher, she’d thought the boy was talking about Bucky Barnes, or that he had an imaginary friend he’d named after his favorite movie character or something. But then, Christopher had started talking about things Bucky and Christopher’s dad did together, and she knew that Bucky was a real person. Someone who obviously meant a lot to the handsome Edmundo Diaz and his son.
Just how much Buck meant to the Diaz family, she’d find out when she started dating Edmundo.
All of her dreams came true the moment she went on that coffee date with the most handsome, amazing man she’d ever met. Edmundo was everything any woman would want. True enough, he came with a fair bit of baggage, but who didn’t nowadays? At least, she didn’t have to worry about competing with Christopher’s mother for time and attention. It was sad, tragic, that the woman had passed so young, never would get to see her son grow up, but form Ana had gathered she hadn’t been a very good mother to begin with. She didn’t know the details, and wasn’t going to ask, it was not her place, but she was able to come to some conclusions thanks to the little things Edmundo and Christopher let slip.
So, Shannon Diaz was not going to be a problem Ana had to worry about. Instead, Evan Buckley, so lovingly called Buck by everyone, was. That had been unexpected.
That Christopher talked about him all the time, was understandable. Judging by the stories the two spent a lot of time together and Christopher obviously adored Buck. She’d thought it very sweet that he had such a deep bond with his father’s best friend.
But Edmundo talked about Buck, too. At first it was a couple of mentions here and there. Like he’d been there and done that with Buck. “Oh, Buck’s a co-worker of mine. Well, he’s a friend. My best friend, actually.” That had been cute. She didn’t necessarily think that having a co-worker as your best friend was a good thing – she always believed that business and private were to be kept strictly separate – but to each their own. She’d simply have to encourage Edmundo to spend more time with people he didn’t work with.
The more time she spent with Edmundo, the more he seemed to talk about Buck. Oh, he talked about all the people he worked with. Hen, Chimney, Bobby, Athena, but Buck’s name comes up the most. Every time they go out and she asks after Christopher, the answer is the same, Buck’s got him.
On one hand it’s really admirable that this Buck is such a good friend, always there to help out Edmundo. On the other… Well, it just doesn’t seem healthy. Buck should have his own life. When she’d said something along those lines to Edmundo once, he’d just looked at her funny, and said Buck wouldn’t do it if he didn’t want to do it. He loves Christopher, Christopher loves him and that’s that.
She didn’t bring up Buck every often, but every time she does, she feels as if Edmundo really doesn’t like it. Which makes no sense. He talks about Buck all the time, after all!
The funny thing is, Ana is actually jealous when Edmundo talks about Buck. Which is ridiculous. Edmundo wouldn’t be… No, just no.
She’s not homophobic, far from it. She wouldn’t be working anywhere near a school if she were homophobic, these days. One wrong word to one wrong person and she could kiss her teaching license goodbye. And that’s a good thing. Just remembering what scum she had as teachers makes her want to vomit.
But Edmundo isn’t gay. He has been married to a woman and has a son. And he isn’t even bi. She would have noticed. She would have, right?
It’s not like he looks at guys in any particular way. Their waiter the other night, was gorgeous if she has to admit it, beautiful even. Edmundo just glanced at him fleetingly when he was thanking him. She looked, she’s not ashamed to admit it, and she’s not gonna pretend that she’s suddenly oblivious to all beautiful men just because she is dating one. It doesn’t work that way.
Edmundo just looks at one beautiful guy in a particular way. She’s seen plenty of photos of Buck to say with confidence that he was devastatingly beautiful. Those cheekbones, those blue eyes, those lips… And that birthmark. Definitely swoon worthy. And if he was half as nice and selfless as Edmundo made him out to be….
Makes a girl wonder how he was single.
Or better yet, why…
She had a feeling she didn’t want to know the answer.
It’s really unfair that the first time she comes face to face with Buck is in a hospital when her boyfriend has just been shot.
When Carla had called her, Ana had felt the ground under her feet crumble away. Why would Edmundo have been shot? He’s a firefighter, not a police officer!
In her car, on the way to the hospital, it suddenly occurred to her that Carla called her. Not the hospital, Carla. She and Edmundo hadn’t gotten around to talking about emergency contacts and all the other legal stuff, granted, they haven’t been together for that long, but still. She was his girlfriend. She shouldn’t be notified by Christopher’s caretaker that her boyfriend had been shot!
She had trouble getting by the front desk in the hospital. The nurse had been more than skeptical when Ana had told her that she was Edmundo’s girlfriend. Luckily, a woman passing by had overheard the argument and helped her out.
Maddie Buckley. Buck’s sister. How ironic.
When she entered the waiting room with Maddie it became a little bit clearer why the nurse at the front desk had been so skeptical. Edmundo’s Abuela and Tia were already there, and they were both curled around Buck. There was no mistaking that big, muscular frame. Buck was trembling in their arms, openly sobbing. If Ana had seen that scene, she wouldn’t have believed herself, either.
She doesn’t say much, just quick hellos, doesn’t know anyone there, either. She stays in a corner, listens to the murmur of too many voices talking all at once, when Buck stirs and stands up, Isabel getting to her feet with him.
“Que pasa, niño?” Ana hears her ask softly.
“Christopher…” Buck whispers. “School is out soon, I have to get Chris, I have to-,” he cuts himself off, turning in a circle patting his pockets, as if looking for something, until his sister stills him with a hand on his arm. He looks at her and Ana can tell he’s feeling lost, completely cast adrift. Her chest seizes, guilt gnawing at her throat. She does not feel lost. Yes, she’s scared for Edmundo, and so unbearably sad, but she’s not lost. Not the way this man looks. He looks wrecked, like half his world has been torn asunder and he was left to pick up the pieces.
“I called Carla,” she hears Maddie say, soothingly. “She’s gonna pick him up from school, take him home. But he needs to hear this from you, Evan.”
It takes Ana a second to remember that Evan is Buck’s given name.
“You should go home and change first, mijo,” Pepa now stands too, puts an arm on Buck’s shoulder and Ana realizes he’s wearing scrubs. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that his clothes were probably ruined by blood. Edmundo’s blood. She bites her lip and looks away for a second.
“I,” Buck starts but shakes his head. “I can’t go, I-I need to be here. Eddie… Eddie needs me, I can’t leave.”
“Christopher needs you, Evan.” Maddie counters. “He needs his Buck. He can’t hear this from anyone else. Eddie is in good hands, and we’re not going anywhere until we know that he’s going to be okay. You need to think about yourself and Christopher now, let us worry about everything else.”
Buck nods after a while and Maddie moves to give him a hug.
The woman in a police uniform that Ana thinks is probably Athena, steps up next, hand firm between his shoulder blades. “Come on, Buckaroo,” she coos softly. “I’ll drive you.”
He nods again and they leave the waiting room after Buck makes the others swear to let him know the second they have news on Edmundo.
Ana briefly wonders why nobody thought that maybe she should be with Christopher, right now.