#Shannon Diaz my beloved

[flimsy-spine]

my favorite madney scenes: [39/?] ⇢ Blindsided, 4.09

[stagefoureddiediaz]

the space mobile being so prominent behind Shanon got me thinking thoughts and all up in my feels - space theming continues around Christopher and his parents and I'm watching with my eyes on stalks at this point

[stardustsea]

demi eddie has never felt more real tbh 💜

[honestlyeddie-im-bi]

Everybody shut up, I want to write a Shannon lives AU, where Shannon, Buck and Eddie end up together

[whythefuckwouldisayprinter]

i know i stay on my eddie begins bullshit but PLEASE can we discuss?!!!

“he cut the damn line” full body CHILLS

eddies confusion and downright hysteria when having to hold christopher in the 2015 flashback paralleled with their relationship as we know it

the rain, the lights, the sirens, the yelling, the chaos

shannon diaz?? my beloved?? stuck with a baby, terrified husband that abandoned her, and a sick mother

and then eddie diaz my other beloved?? terrified beyond belief, ptsd ridden, under pressure to provide, and trying to do his best with what he has

THE CRASH BITCH, EDDIE IN THE SAME POSITION IN THE WELL WHEN IT COLLAPSES AS HE WAS IN THE CRASH

blood on the st christopher necklace ooooh these sick bitches

eddie kissing his picture of christopher with blood dripping down his hand

eddies wheezing in the medic bed, the concern for his team plowing through the disorientation

the shot of buck immediately after the explosion, the first thing he thinks of being eddie before assessing if he himself his ok

BUCK DIGGING?? THE LOOKING AT HIS HANDS COVERED IN MUD BUT NOT HAVING MADE A DENT!! BOBBY HAVING TO PHYSICALLY RESTRAIN HIM)!’! the breathlessness, the franticness, girl the DRAMA of it all

and don’t even get me STARTED on the conversation with eddies parents. first off, eddie defending shannon 💞, i love that he always does that

“i don’t remember you being around much when i was his age” “i was working” “so was i” OHHH GET HIS ASS EDDIE

“you don’t to make up for lost time with your children by stealing mine” he knew he ate that

“don’t drag him down with you eddie” 💔💔

buck stone faced as bobby’s discussing the plan, one of the most serious we’ve ever seen him

eddies face when he approaches the crowd?? eyes bloodshot, face red, cut up and bruised, unable to hold himself up, voice raspy and strained. ryan guzman the man that you are

“so that’s your good luck charm?” “no, he is” cue end credits??!! 10/10 perfect, beautiful, stunning, amazing

[bibuckbuckley]

Temptation Tuesday

Tagged by my beloved @honestlydarkprincess tysm babe!

Since last night I wanna work on a season 7 fic that deals with Natalia and Marisol dealing with the dynamics that are Buddie and the Buckley Diaz family. There will be double dates, talks about the will, Buck and Christopher, Buck and Eddie being in love with each other but being idiots about it (don't worry they'll get there eventually), and other shenanigans

I've talked about this before, but I also wanna do a Buddie childhood best friends to lovers au that will more than likely also be second chance love. I wanna incorporate what we learned about Eddie and Shannon and see about how that would work with Buck being there as well

I just recently had the urge to do a small town au. I'm not sure if I want to it to be second chance love or one of them end up moving to this small town. Either way there will be fun small town shenanigans in the form of the firefam.

I've also mentioned this before, but I was listening to a song and there were lyrics that were perfect for a fwb fic so I wanna do one as well (but it won't be anywhere as good as other ones)

I also wanna write a big Madney wedding fic where there's lots of fun shenanigans that lead to the wedding. Would want to include: bachelor and bachelorette parties, Madney being all gooey and lovesick, Buddie being idiots and lovesick, and Buckley sibling feels and Chimney and Eddie feels.

Tagging: @wh0re-behavi0r @monsterrae1 @eddiediazisascorpio @usercowboy @enchantedbuckley @littlebitofdiaz @dorkydiaz @speaknowdiaz @thebuckley-hans @madneyslifeline @cowboy-buddie @elvensorceress @loveyourownsmiilee @jacksadventuresinwriting @alyxmastershipper @destielbuddiepipeline and anyone else who wants to do this! (sorry if I missed anyone my brain is mush)

[soleadita]

the arospec eddie diaz post

in honor of aromantic awareness week and also me having a lot of thoughts about eddie diaz at all times, i'm going to talk about arospec eddie. sorry but not sorry. it needed to be said.

(tagging @xjustonemoremiraclex because i promised you a post about this a while ago but i had too many thoughts and no idea how to wrangle them. and ty @scattered-winter for witnessing the pure unfiltered chaos version of this unfold over dms <333)

this is sort of a spiritual successor to my queer pepa post, by which i mean it's about the possibilities!! i'm not saying i believe this is canon and i'm not saying i hope this is canon and i'm not saying it's the one and only and correct way to see eddie. i'm just saying the foundations are there, and the possibilities are fun to think about!! (and also ok fine, nothing about this man gives me any indication that he’s got a firm grasp on what romantic attraction feels like.)

disclaimers: (1) this is heavy on the projection; (2) I AM NOT SAYING I DON’T WANT BUDDIE CANON I DO WANT BUDDIE CANON I LOVE BUDDIE. this is just something i think about kind of a lot and i’m always saying i want more aro headcanons and interpretations of my beloved characters (or literally ANY characters, i'll take anything i can get), so i’m just trying to be the change i want to see in the world. (3) i really tried to make this as aro-focused as possible but it ended up being a blend of aroace + autistic because, like i said, this is projection, and for me, those three parts of me are wrapped up in each other in a way that's hard to separate; (4) re: canon and timelines, i did go and google a few things that i wasn’t sure about but other than that, most of this is pulled from my own recollections. if there’s anything glaringly and FACTUALLY incorrect, i’m so sorry, it was not intentional; (5) i tried to organize this in a way that somewhat makes sense but it's a little rambly; i hope the little subheadings help.

pre-canon | eddie & shannon

so ok. consider this:

maybe, as a teenager, eddie is captivated by shannon. she's pretty, and she's so vibrant, and she's interesting to him. he likes talking to her. he likes being around her. they're friends, but his friends, parents, sisters, whoever - they're annoying about him having a friend who's a girl. maybe his friends make suggestive comments and say shit, and maybe his parents start to ask questions, and maybe adriana is like, “oooh, eddie and shannon,” in that annoying (affectionate) way only little siblings can achieve. and at first he's irritated, but then he starts to overthink and wonder. “do i actually like-like her? well, what does that even mean? what does that feel like?”

and maybe he asks his parents or abuela, and they feed him lines that can basically double as a description for friendship: "someone you want to be close to, someone you can talk to, someone you can be yourself around, someone you like to spend time with." (entirely possible that the list would be different for people raised as cis dudes, idk actually, but this is what i grew up hearing.) and what if eddie takes this and thinks, “well...i guess i do feel like that about shannon?” and then maybe they touch a little more—they hold hands, they hug—and one day, she kisses him, and he's like, “well ok this is nice, i guess,” and he does like affection, his dad has always wanted him to be tough but he misses being little when abuela would pull him into her lap, and when it was ok to ask for hugs, and when his mom would kiss him on the forehead before he went to bed.

so he kisses shannon back, and that's just like something they do now? and he rolls with it. and he does care about her and he does love her but he just...? he just doesn't know what it feels like to be In Love. but that's ok, because he's still young, and this doesn't have to be forever, and maybe it's too soon to know anyway. he has fun with her. he likes being around her. and isn't that more important than knowing for sure whether or not he's in love with her?

and eventually they start having sex (obviously because, as we know, christopher exists), and, again, it's...ok? it's not the worst thing in the world, and he’s always heard that the first few times aren’t great, but he really just thinks it's overhyped and he'd rather, like, sit and listen to music with her and talk or something. but again, it's Something People Do, so he does it.

and then, you know, she's pregnant, and he panics, and they get married because he feels like they have to, and maybe it's actually almost a relief. because now he doesn't have to overthink whether or not he's in love with her, because that doesn’t matter anymore. they're getting married regardless. they're having a child regardless.

anyway, i know this isn't necessarily a groundbreaking interpretation of their relationship; i think this is probably how a lot of the fandom would interpret them (although i do tend to live in a little echo chamber, so i could be wrong). and i think this interpretation usually paves the way for gay eddie, sometimes demi/ace eddie. and that's totally valid!!! i love a gay eddie fic!! i am SO grateful for the abundance of ace eddie in the fandom!!

but lately i've been having a fun time looking at this and thinking about an arospec and/or aroace autistic eddie who falls into a relationship with shannon because it feels like an unspoken rule, a logical next step, something that others want for and expect from him. a tactile eddie who wants physical affection in ways that aren't socially acceptable for him to get anywhere else, and because he's not really sure what love in a romantic sense is supposed to feel like anyway, but he likes spending time with her, so why not? a quietly rebellious eddie who has sex because he is sorta curious, and his parents wouldn’t approve, and his friends are doing it, and people generally seem to enjoy it, and he tries it, and he's just like, “hm. whelp. that was that i guess.” an eddie who is not all that great at interoception?? who is not entirely sure how to interpret feelings in the first place??

season 2 | eddie & shannon 2.0

ok, so this is also well-established: we all know that when shannon comes back, eddie isn't thinking about what he wants. or, like, he is ostensibly, but he's thinking about what he wants for chris. he wants chris to have his mom around. he wants to "be a family" (god forgive him he knows not what he says, he knows not of the amatonormativity in which literally everything is steeped). yeah, he falls back into hooking up with her and then some sort of weird tentative relationship, but like: patterns of behavior. masking. once you Are a certain way with someone, it can be hard to Not be that way with them.

and i can't remember how much of this is canonically established or fanon embellishment, but there's the element of eddie feeling some sort of obligation (shannon is still technically his wife, maybe he owes it to her, to chris, to try again?) and searching for some form of absolution? (yeah, shannon is the one who left most recently and most permanently, but he left first, he made the first cracks, and maybe if he can make it work this time, he can forgive himself?)(<- i do not personally think this about him myself but it is something i can see eddie's gorgeous little traumatized season 2 brain coming up with.)

there’s also an argument to be made that maybe he thinks it would be easier for other reasons, too. like, yeah, it would be so much easier to have a household with two adults. it would be so much easier to have more childcare options for chris, less questions from places like chris's school, someone else to help with managing things like grocery shopping and making dinner and running errands and laundry (i swear to god i'm not listing these things because they're like "women's work" and shannon's a woman, it's just those are the things i fucking struggle with so they're at the top of my mind). they'd be a fucking dual income household. like. that shit would be LIFE CHANGING.

(are these things i've thought a lot about in relation to being autistic and aro…who can say…who can say.......)

seasons 4-5a | eddie & ana

i mean. i think this is also self-explanatory at this point, and eddieana has been dissected to shreds. i'll just say that pretty much every piece of evidence for gay eddie in this scenario could also apply to arospec (and aroace) eddie. (and it's not like he can’t be, like, gay ace, but we all know when fandom talks about gay eddie, it’s usually gay allo eddie. and i’m NOT AGAINST that (really, i love all queer eddie headcanons, they're SO SPECIAL), but. you know. it's like this post.)

ok, wait, no. i’ll say a little more. consider this:

maybe eddie was so weird around ana because the way he masked around her was, like, a little stiff and overly formal; partly because the first time he met her it was at a parent/teacher conference, and partly he was trying to perform the role of Good Date/Boyfriend, and then she ended up in his house and around his kid (outside of the classroom context) sooner than he originally planned, putting him in the awkward position of, "fuck, how do i be at-home-with-christopher-me and also trying-to-date-ana me?"

or maybe he just didn't know her well enough to have that basis of friendship he had with shannon (remember i'm extrapolating here, i don't think we know whether or not shannon and eddie were friends first, i think that's just something from the autistic!eddie series of all time that i've integrated into my eddie backstory fanon forever), so he just straight up didn't care about her the same way!! literally just in a “oh, i actually don’t know if i really enjoy this person’s company” way, and then in a “oh we’re not vibing as expected” way. only instead of peacing out once he realizes that, he fucking DOUBLES DOWN.

there's also, of course, the department store panic attack. feeling trapped. trying to convince himself that she is what he wants. that maybe if he stays long enough he'll change his mind. and i know this can all be attributed to MANY things; i'm just saying the entire eddieana arc was really relatable to me, local aroace autistic, who has fallen into Situations not entirely unlike this prior to realizing i am in fact aroace.

season 2-onward | eddie & buck

i don't have TOO much to say here, mostly because i know we all know the buddie moments inside and out, and there are so many beautiful posts that already exist about the depth of their relationship, and i don't really have anything new to contribute.

i guess i just wanted to say regardless of whether or not it's ever a canonized romance, it's SO clear to me that they care SOOOOO deeply for each other and in a way that transcends most people's framework for friendship. and i absolutely do not want to devalue platonic relationships or found family dynamics, because THOSE ARE SOOOO IMPORTANT, but like. okay. chim and hen? platonic soulmates. bobby and buck? father/son dynamic. chim and buck? brothers. hen and athena? besties.

buck and eddie? i look at them and i'm like WELL. it doesn't have to be romantic but it's also definitely not like, "oh yeah we're friends!" or even "we're brothers for life." like. they love each other, and in a different way than the rest of the firefam loves each other. and that's one of my favorite things about them as a ship; even without any elements of romantic or sexual attraction, they'd still like...fight like hell for each other. they're still home for each other. idk. can't think about it too hard otherwise it destroys me but in a good way.

ok that's all. <3

some miscellaneous things that make me giggle

(1) THE WAY EDDIE IS CANONICALLY SOOOOOOOOO DISINTERESTED IN DATING. COULD NOT CARE LESS. WOMEN FLIRTING WITH HIM ON A CALL? ANNOYANCE.* "I HAVE A KID THEY'RE NOT MY TYPE" ??????? SIR????????

*this is really valid, actually, aro or not; like, he's just trying to fucking do his job, please leave him alone!! that said, it also amuses me greatly.

not to fucking mention he's told ana (or maybe ana just inferred?) that there hasn't been anyone else since shannon. which is really interesting and could be interpreted in SO many ways (like...there haven't been any other women, but we all know buck's been there? not to mention the rest of the 118?), but to me, it also sounds like NOT REALLY INTERESTED IN SEEKING PEOPLE OUT AT ALL, regardless of gender. <333

(2) he never so much as LOOKS at maddie. granted, she’s almost immediately paired up with chim, and she's buck's sister but?? jennifer love hewitt is GORGEOUS. i am Looking i am Looking so hard and with no particular motive other than to admire because, you know, ace. but i'm just saying.

(3) he's soooooo embarrassed and constantly trying to downplay his relationship with ana in front of other people. like, the man does NOT WANT HER in the firehouse, he does NOT WANT HER around the 118. RELATABLE!! JUST SAYING!!

people start giving him a hard time about going to the christening because that means "it's getting serious" and he shuts that shit down immediately. "it's not that serious." PLEASE. PLEASE.

(that was fucking hilarious to me by the way because like. straight up denial. that IS serious, eddie, i'm sorry, but you are going to CHURCH with that LATINA AND HER ENTIRE FAMILY AND THEN TO A PARTY AFTERWARDS PROBABLY.)

in conclusion...

i guess i just feel really soft about the idea of characters who did things because they were doing what they thought they "should" do, and/or they didn't realize there were other options, and/or they didn't realize what they were feeling wasn't what other people feel. and i also feel really soft about people having ace and/or aro realizations, especially after struggling through a few relationships and feeling shitty and confused. AND i also feel really soft about eddie diaz.

💚💚💚💚💚

[exhuastedpigeon]

eddie diaz 21, 24, 25

EDDIE DIAZ MY BELOVED

21. If you're a fic writer and have written for this character, what's your favorite thing to do when you're writing for this character? What's something you don't like? I LOVE EDDIE SO MUCH. He's a character that I see a lot of myself in and also someone I project a lot of my own shit onto. I love to unpack Eddie's trauma and give him nice things (usually after hurting him more). I love to make him happy because it's kind of like making myself happy.

One thing I really hate seeing is people devaluing his relationship with Shannon. I really believe that he loved her so much and they just had too much baggage to make it work. I think if she hadn't died they would have found a way to be friends again eventually. I won't ever write them hating each other or devaluing their relationship because they're story is a love story, even if it ends in heartbreak.

24. What other character from another fandom of yours that reminds you of them? A little bit Matt Murdoch with the catholic guilt. Also this is so wild to say but kind of Goofy in the Goofy movies? Just like, single dad who loves his kid so damn much and tries so hard even if he doesn't always get it right.

25. What was your first impression of this character? How about now? Oh the first time I saw Eddie Diaz I was like... that man has so much trauma to unpack. No one is like that without layers and layers of repression. And now I'm just proud of him. He's working on himself FOR himself. He's so kind, he's such a bitch, he loves his kid, he loves his family (both found and blood). I just... LOVE HIM. He's got flaws and that just makes me love him more.

CHARACTER ASK GAME!!! 💫

[bi-buck-coded]

Hi Eva my beloved! These all look so great and I can't wait to read them but would love to know more about Hockey AU or Teacher!Buck 🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵

<333

Teacher buck is like if in s2 when eddie had to bring shannon (dont ask why my phone corrected to sharon idk) to the school and he met on of the teachers when they visit and its buck. Theres more but thats the basics, just p simple and straightforward angst to follow.

Hockey is my beloved rn:

-Eddie “Brick Wall” Diaz: goalie for the dallas stars

-Evan “Buck” Buckley: line 1 right winger for the 2023 Stanley Cup winning LA Kings

-A Twitter fued

-Taylor Kelly™️ (derogatory)

-Shannon and Eddie Co-Parent Besties

So ya I love this au and hopefully someday other people will too <3

[daylightdiaz]

I would loooove to read more about the boyband actor au it sounds so interesting

omg thank you!! i’m so happy you’re interested

it’s still a relatively new idea so the outline i have isn’t much but what i do have is

- athena is buck’s agent and has been his agent for a long time now, she knew of him when he first came to LA (even more wayward than he acts now) but she saw potential in him (and am i just a sucker for their dynamic? maybe) but also athena and bobby took buck in before that, i imagine buck was much younger when he tried to break into the movie scene so athena and bobby became the first people he truly relied on and trusted once he was in los angeles (but maddie will also be here because she’s my best girly and like i could leave out my fave buckley <3)

- eddie on the other hand, he was barely 18 when he auditioned for his boyband (considering calling them 118 for reasons) and spent most of his early adult years struggling adapting to fame, being on tour most of the time, shannon and christopher unable to be there and then after the band breaks up, eddie struggles with the loss of fame - it’s a delicate subject and of course he just takes to being a dad instead

- buck’s been dating his co-star of the movie for months but they break up and buck goes a bit wild shall we say and of course all the tabloids can’t wait to get their hands on another buck story and athena is done. but of course with there still being months until the premiere of buck’s movie, buck needs all the good press he can get and that’s when they bring together the publicity stunt relationship with eddie diaz. eddie doesn’t love the idea but he knows he’s been out of the public eye for too long and the rumours about the band reuniting are getting stronger and he unfortunately needs it. buck isn’t on board, he’s got a bit of buck 1.0 in his character and eddie really doesn’t want to have to be playing babysitter but it’s buck and eddie. it’s them. please they’re enemies for all of 5 minutes. the entire thing (i think) is going to take place from buck breaking up with his gf to the premiere of the movie so say? 4-ish months. and of course an epilogue scene which i do not have planned out yet but we will get there

and of course the entire premise is fake dating which is my most beloved trope of all time and that’s pretty much all i have for now because like i said i only really started putting thought into this concept over the last couple of days but i do hope this is enough for you anon!! <3 i’ll probably be posting a lot more stuff about it as i continue to plan it out so if you’re curious i will be tagging this particular au— boyband/actor au for easy find (i hope) but of course if you have more to ask my asks are always open 🫶

[chronicowboy]

3, 6, 12, 17 for the ask game !! 🤍

3. What work are you most proud of (regardless of kudos/hits)?

okay ive been asked this question a bunch so im gonna say a different one each time and i'm gonna go with my parks and rec au just because of the sheer size of it and i am soooo happy with how i melded those two worlds together

6. Favorite title you used

gonna go with the title of my national treasure au 180 years of searching, and I'm three feet away (from you) just because i struggled with it for soooo long

12. How many WIP’s do you have in your docs for next year?

oh god so many. so many aus especially. i don't think i'll ever get around to writing any of them though. final year of uni is soooo intense my god (mainly my own fault But)

17. Your favorite character to write this year?

immediate thought was eddie diaz as always but writing shannon in the parks and rec au was one of my favourite things of all time. she's my most beloved.

[buckttommy]

All four blow my mind but I HAVE to know more about rockband au

ah yes, battalion 7 my MOST beloved. here is a snippet !

April 13, 2015

SHOCKING! Power Couple Eddie and Shannon Diaz Call It Quits!

Battalion 7 lead singer Eddie Diaz and wife Shannon Diaz divorce after six years!

A representative for the couple released a statement saying that, while Shannon and Eddie still do and will always love each other very much, they have made the decision to lovingly separate. The couple asks for privacy at this time so they can adjust to their new reality while continuing to co-parent their son Christopher, 4, and embark on this next part of their journey.

Eddie, 28, and Shannon (nee Montgomery), 26, first met in college in 2006. Upon dropping out to pursue their musical dreams, the couple’s relationship has not been without its ups and downs including a miscarriage in 2009 and a fatal helicopter crash in 2011 that almost claimed Diaz’s life. The news of this separation undoubtedly comes as a shock to fans who, just as early as last week, saw the couple holding hands in Calabasas.

People has reached out to their representatives for additional comments.

[what-do-1000-swords-look-like]

Alright, can we talk about how Eddie could have had 4 different other female love interests (other than Shannon and Ana of course) and the show chose not to pursue them despite any chemistry that may have been present between the actors?

1) Lena Bosko:

Granted, Ronda was only on for a couple of episodes so tbf pursuing any type of romantic story line for a main character and a guest star for a very limited run would have been ridiculous. Especially, since it wouldn't have made sense for Eddie's character and where he is emotionally when he meets her. There still could have been some flirting or a very obvious attraction, but the show chose to veer away from that altogether. Instead, they made it very clear that she becomes an almost stand-in for Buck (when she's with the 118): Eddie calling her to bail him out of jail, her taking Eddie to the fights so he could have a healthy outlet for his anger, being partnered with him during the shopping trip -- all of it. I won't get into why I think they did this right now, but the point is, they did it. They chose to keep it at a surface friendship level, rather than allow anything to occur between these two characters. Lena had a purpose to serve and she served it. (though I will admit, I wish they would bring her back for a couple of episodes, I loved her)

2) Marjan Marwani:

When the crossover happened, Ryan and Natacha had a lot of chemistry. I won't lie, when watching it the first time, I started wondering if something might develop between them, even if it was just a simple flirtation (until we saw his goodbye scene with her). Tbf, it would be ridiculous and extremely challenging to both characters' arcs for anything to be pursued for them other than a friendship. Eddie has his own story, and so does Marjan (as we see after the crossover, she wouldn't have been available at that point in time) on two different shows. It's not impossible but it would be especially difficult to maintain something like that unless they were going to be crossing over repeatedly and frequently. I did enjoy their scenes (I LOVE Marjan so much btw) and I look forward to more if we get additional crossovers, but bottom line is, they chose not to pursue anything here, even a simple attraction. Instead, they parted as friendly acquaintances who held respect for one another.

3) Maddie Buckley:

I know, I know. It feels like I'm committing some great sin even by putting her on the list but I've got to talk about it, just for a second. I'm so sorry, Chim and baby Jee, I'll make it fast I promise.

We all remember the scene where Eddie and Buck shared one brain cell between them about carrying the couch into Maddie's new apartment in season 2. We see that Maddie looked at those two and was like "oh right, one brain cell" and went back to being cute and very obviously into Chimney. When she mentions Chim being cute, we see Buck thinking she's talking about Eddie. The show could have definitely have gone in that direction, if you think about it (just for a second, I promise!). Then this would have cemented the brothers aspect of the Buck and Eddie relationship as well as keeping it purely platonic and familial. Maddie could have completed the Buckley Diaz family (and they could have even kept Buck involved) and she would have been a great help with Christopher. She could have been someone Eddie could rely on and someone who absolutely could have made him feel like he was enough. As their relationship developed, they could have been a great emotional support for one another and a solid family unit would have been formed. Tbf, Maddie and Eddie were nowhere near where they would have needed to be for this type of relationship to happen had the show pursued it, where they were both emotionally in the story line at that moment. But there still could have been a flirtation, an attraction, something that could have grown over time. We could have easily gotten that kitchen scene in Eddie's house where Buck brings cookies to be different, where Maddie is hosting instead of being a guest as well. Instead, they chose to veer away from that altogether and eventually we got Madney (which imho was the absolute right call, I love those two, they're perfect for one another).

4) Ali Martin:

I'm not going to lie, I didn't see chemistry between her and Buck during the earthquake episodes, not enough to bring her back and make it a thing anyway. (though obviously the whole "My name is Ali, not Abby" line makes more sense now) But when she came back and they pursued it, and there was some chemistry between them, I was like "alright, let's see where they go with this" and I did like her character, but I digress. My point is, she and Eddie could have just as easily become a thing. Granted, in the story line when she does come back, Eddie is not in a place to get into another relationship, emotionally or literally. At the time she comes back, Shannon has re-entered Eddie's life. So I get them not pursuing her as a possibility and instead bringing her back for Buck's story line. But the point is, they could have gone that way and they didn't.

And not mentioned on this list is any other possibility that they could have had Eddie attracted to someone else that they meet during a rescue, or times at each other's houses, another lady firefighter, just some random character he bumps into on the street, but they don't. Not only does that not seem to suit Eddie's character (since he talks about how dating is complicated as a single dad) or fit into his emotional landscape at certain times during his story, but the show purposely kept it this way.

Instead, we get two official love interests the entire two seasons he's been on the show:

1) Shannon Diaz:

Listen, I won't lie, I loved Shannon. She wasn't perfect and she had made mistakes, but one thing I never doubted when she returned, was how much she loved Christopher and how much she wanted to make things right between them. Even though she and Eddie get involved again, and I am sure she still loved him and always would, her focus was Christopher and herself. I think they brought her back to not only give Eddie closure, but also for her character as well. Sadly, I think the only person who didn't get closure from this return was Christopher, and it breaks my heart for him to think about it, but I'll get back to the point. Eddie loved Shannon; Shannon loved Eddie. Eddie wanted to try for a second time which Shannon truthfully tells him that she's still getting used to being someone's mom, and maybe someday she might be ready to be someone's wife, but now is not that time. She's focused on Christopher and herself. It doesn't mean that she doesn't love Eddie or care for him, she obviously does, but just like Maddie was trying to start over, so was she. The way her story ended saddens me greatly, not just for Christopher and Eddie, but also because here she was, on the cusp of moving on and rebuilding her relationship with her son, and boom! That's it. Regardless of any mistakes she made, regardless of how much her rejection hurt Eddie, that is just tragically sad in itself. And one of the reasons I love Eddie's character so much is that while he was hurt, while he was trying to do right by Christopher and put his family back together, he never lost sight of the fact that he made mistakes just like her. He says it right to Buck in 2x10. He says it to Bobby in 3x08. He even stands up for her when we see the flashback scene in 3x15. So while I appreciated that and I do kind of wish they had let her live her life, this is how the show chose to end things between them, before she died.

2) Ana Flores:

I think the show has dropped a major hint (in 4x13) as to where this relationship might be heading or at the very least, what's going on beneath the surface. Ana has become another Shannon for Eddie. Not that Ana is planning on leaving, not that she wouldn't willingly co-parent Christopher (if it came to that), but the show purposely chose to let the audience know that Eddie is going down a similar path with Ana, that he had already gone done with Shannon and was willing to go down with her again before she mentioned she wanted a divorce. He is pursuing things romantically with Ana for Christopher. Carla basically says as much with "Just make sure you're following your heart, and not Christopher's, okay?" It doesn't mean Eddie wasn't attracted to Ana or that he didn't even like her, but his heart isn't in it. Which is cemented by Eddie's expression when he watches Christopher and Ana laughing together as he's lighting the candles on Carla's birthday cake. The show is having Eddie realize this early in his relationship with Ana in order to alter the course he's currently on because it's deja vu all over again.

Not to mention a few obvious parallels:

Eddie contacts Shannon to help Christopher get into the new school; he meets Ana at the new school where she's Christopher's teacher

Eddie talks about how it's nice when he, Shannon, and Christopher are at the beach which is followed by Shannon asking what they are and if her being Christopher's mother is all she is to him; when Buck asks him how the date with Ana went, Eddie says it's nice, she taught him math; when Carla asks how Eddie feels about Ana, he says it's nice, it's easy being with her

Eddie tells Buck in 2x08 that he's confused and not sure if he's letting Shannon back in for Christopher or himself, after Buck suggests he let Christopher see Shannon since he's let her back into his own life; Carla tells Eddie in 4x13 that he should make sure that he's following his heart and not Christopher's

Eddie never gave up on Shannon and their marriage/family once he returned from Afghanistan, he didn't push Shannon or run after her, but he always hoped for her return and did everything he could to keep her around after she comes back into Christopher's life; Eddie has the webcam conversation with Ana where she says (due to Christopher's reaction) if they need to take a break, she'll understand & Eddie immediately tells her no, he and Christopher will figure it out and "In the meantime, I don't want you going anywhere. Got it?"

Where it all leads? I couldn't with a 100% certainty tell you. I, like many of you, think I have a pretty good idea of where it's headed

The show has been going back to this relationship time and time again. To the point, where it's right in front of your face and extremely hard to ignore, where people who hate this ship have to cry "queerbait!" which of course it's anything but (SPN veteran here). This show has excellent representation and even continues that in its spinoff (Lonestar). While the show may have figured out that the Buddie ship is one of their most popular pieces and are milking it for all its worth when it comes to promotion and ratings, that doesn't change the fact that the writers/show have/has been going there with these two characters before the obvious shift in season 3. They literally have been showing them as a unit and testing the waters with them since Eddie's arrival in season 2. For example, the scene where Eddie talks to Buck after Maddie is taken and Buck takes Chim's phone from the crime scene, that was an obvious testing of the waters and they absolutely passed. But then when Shannon dies, we don't see Buck being an emotional support in the scene where Eddie walks through the hospital waiting room and goes right to Bobby. We see Eddie and Christopher there for Chimney in the hospital but neither of them there for when Buck's leg is crushed. We see Buck being the one to give Bobby a heads up so Christopher could be at the firehouse. We then even see the shot where Chim and Hen (partners) are at the top of the fire pole, sliding Christopher down to Buck and Eddie (two eventual partners) who catch him together. And that was just the fourth episode of the season. Testing the waters. Not to mention, while Buck likes Christopher and we've seen them interact, their relationship develops further once season 3 starts, beginning with the card scene. This is also where Buck and Eddie's relationship also begins to deepen (the whole "get up" scene, showing more of Eddie's reactions to dialogue and events relating to Buck) even before the tsunami happens.

When I started to watch the series, I fully went into it unbiased and let the story take me where it wanted to take me. But soon it became pretty clear that the Buck and Eddie relationship has become something more than a simple partnership, more than a friendship or brotherhood. These two are literally co-parenting Eddie's son, and that's before the legal guardianship conversation. They have formed a family unit that the show just double downed on. Everything Eddie was looking for emotionally in Shannon and then in Ana, he has found in Buck. And regardless of whether Eddie realizes some deep-seated feelings he might have or not, the show purposely brought Taylor back into the picture because Buck is still not where he needs to be emotionally for anything to develop further between the two characters or just them as a family unit. These guys' relationships/dating has been used to advance them forward in their story lines. First we had Buck 1.0, then he gets with Abby, then we have Buck 2.0 who is the version Eddie meets. First we had a still married Eddie who eventually gets involved with Shannon again, then we have widower!Eddie, then we have dating again!Eddie. They are literally progressing these characters forward, from stepping stone to stepping stone, to end up in the same place, crossing the same finish line.

Plus, there is one big parallel that I think foreshadowed the similar emotional journey these guys would find themselves on: Buck waited for Abby, even though Abby was obviously moving on, and he remained faithful to her the entire time. Only when he was forced to look at the situation did he move on. "I have to figure out who I am without you." Then Abby returned in 3x18 and gave Buck closure, when she had been in Phoenix vs LA for the past year -> Eddie literally did the same thing with Shannon (who left him in El Paso and went to LA) until she returned and eventually made it very clear that they were done and she was moving on

But to be fully objective, I have to entertain the possibility that maybe Buck is not the person Eddie's journey is leading towards (which to me is just ludicrous considering all of the time they've spent setting this up in both Eddie's and Buck's arcs separately never mind together). Regardless, the point is Eddie has not yet had a canon love interest that will provide him with everything he is looking for, everything he needs, for him and for Christopher both. Considering that the show ended Eddie's story for this season on this high and very tense point (surviving the shooting & the question surrounding his relationship with Ana), it will be very interesting to see where they take his story moving forward. Especially since there seems to be something for him on the horizon that we don't quite know what it is yet and he has yet to have someone who he not only develops a close emotional relationship with but also provides stability, security, love, strength, teamwork, support, and overall acceptance.

Oh, wait *facepalm* he already does:

My bad 😏

[honestlyeddie-im-bi]

Ok, I think I'm starting to process this a little bit, so here are my thoughts on this episode.

Starting strong with the hearts mentions! The girl with the heart transplant, the golfer dad 'shot' almost to the heart by the wedding ring, the car dealer claiming that they have heart, and Maddie, MADDIE MY LOVE, wearing the same heart necklace in all of her scenes, all 7 of them!!!! I'm still screaming.

Speaking of Maddie.... so much is going on in my head about her! Madney is back! Madney is going strong! I fucking love them - on another note, Chimney, dear lord. The way he caresses Maddie's shirt to get to her hand... just. That's some fucking Austen shit right there, and also hotter than all the 50 shades movies combined.

And something else about Maddie! I love that once she moves in with Chim she says "Turns out Mama's got a lot of stuff!" which is so different from what we know of Maddie - she never puts down roots, she travels light, she only had two suitcases worth of stuff when she left Doug, but now she's got many more things, just like her family is made of a lot more people.

Captain Hen! She IS the future of the LAFD as it's implied in Hen Begins. I think Captain Wilson was where they were going to go before they decided to get Hen to Med School, anyway, so. Also, I hadn't watched the Lucy scene before watching the episode because ya girl here wants to experience the whole episode at once, so yeah, I'm perfectly ok with the way all the things about the Interim Captain went. (Also, I still stand by my decision to watch the episode as they come - no preview, no nothing, it's a whole other experience this way.)

(May is so pretty in this episode, dear lord)

Bobby and Athena, my loves! ❤️ Their first scene together warmed me to my very core. (also if we find out that that little girl that disappeared when Athena was a kid was kidnapped or killed by her dad I will cry for three days straight)

Buck, Buck, my beloved (THE RETURN OF THE CLIPBOARD!!!!!!!!!). I firmly believe that the show will end with Buck in the Captain's chair - and this! We'd got from Oliver Stark's several interviews in the last week that he was going to go for that and I loved his interaction with Bobby, the idea that to become a good leader you can't just be good at your job, you also need stuff outside of it too.

Eddie in this episode hit me in so many ways, dear lord. He was so competent with everything - did you see the sternal rub? I'm gonna start developing a complex here - both as a medic and as a firefighter. He's better, he's more open, I love how he talked about Shannon, I just loved him so much in this episode. (also kudos to Ryan Guzman, because seriously! He's so different from the other seasons, and you can see it, you can feel it, I love the way he talks now, because I remember how he was in S2-S4, always trying to make his voice a bit bigger, a bit lower, louder and quieter at the same time, but this Eddie is more comfortable in his own skin, he doesn't need to pretend to be something he's not, and Mr. Guzman is incredible in the way he shows it.)

Buddie. I have no words - actually, I have too many words, bear with me here:

The lasagna!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! As a little italian lady, let me tell you that lasagna is how you show love. It's time-consuming, it's a hassle, it's something that you only do for the people you love. The fact that he's making it for Chris and Eddie, so comfortable in his kitchen, so laid back, is just... ugh. Also how he says it took him three times to get it 'right' - I don't know, like the number of girlfriends he's had in the show and the fourth time is the charm and he's giving it to Eddie and Chris???????? I'm screaming.

On a sidenote, I fucking called it - food is love in this show, so Taylor can get fucked and she only gets frozen waffles, but the Diaz family deserves home-cooked meals made from scratch! Something he doesn't really know how to cook even! That he had to make over and over again. I'm sorry, I'm obsessed.

The couch talk was so incredibly important too - once again, I'd steered clear of all the discourse after 'you don't even have a couch' was leaked - but yeah. The way Buck says "The couches came with girlfriends" and he's never really felt comfortable in them (thinking of Chris sitting down on the coffee table in 3x03 here), and then Eddie replying "Your last two girlfriends came with couches" WHEN BUCK IS ALWAYS SITTING DOWN OR SLEEPING ON EDDIE'S COUCH, JUST WHAT

I have no idea how they managed to make the loft so lived in! It looked like a home - and the fact that it was because the table was set and Eddie and Chris were there, just... kill me already.

I'M NOT DONE ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT THE FOOD IS. You mean to tell me that Taylor moves in and she gets to eat takeout - no cutlery because they can find it - but Eddie is there and the whole table is set up, everything is out, and they get a homemade meal? I will be done screaming at one point, I swear.

Chris roasting one of his dads with the help of his other dad, my beloved.

Eddie and Chris feeling comfortable enough at the loft that they can mind their own business as Buck does his thing ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ also, I love how at ease they looked in Buck's kitchen but once they're home on their own... it felt off, it felt like something was missing this time around.

(Mr Guzman, you blushed through the whole episode. What. do. you. know.)

THE CHAIR. ashdhfbrkfhbsrkjfbsdfjbsd the way he's choosing a chair he owns, a chair he knows, a chair that won't hurt him. (Also, Oliver, dear lord, the way he lifts that chair)

I don't know. I have so many feelings. The more I think about it the more insane I feel about the weewoo show.

[eusuntgratie]

"I can't do this without you"

[readinginthereadyroom]

let’s talk about 9-1-1 buddie headcanons:

- eddie gets rid of his truck. christopher is getting older and wants more independence so he gets something with better clearance. and I’ve decided that something is a dodge durango. eddie is actually really into it. can’t stop talking about the fold down seats and towing capabilities. buck teases him and calls it his soccer mom van. then immediately starts researching CP-friendly soccer leagues for chris.

- buck strikes me as a podcast kinda guy. I feel like a lot of his random facts probably start with information learned via podcast and then researched separately on google or wikipedia. 

- luddite eddie my beloved. but not like luddite luddite. eddie’s a millennial so I see him as okay with all the 20th century technology he grew up with and just not all the newfangled smart home/internet gaming stuff. 

- abuela gives eddie an old turntable and a box of records and he falls in love with it. likes to play spanish love songs while cleaning on the weekends.

- eddie breaks up with ana. he does it quietly and cordially a couple weeks after the sniper incident.

- buck and taylor date for a little while but never really take off. and it’s super important that it’s buck who makes the decision to break up. they both have very busy lives and different priorities. and taylor acknowledges she probably shouldn’t have kissed him in the first place. she just hated to see buck so broken and wanted to comfort him. they decide they are better as friends.

- bosko and eddie friendship rights! eddie actually apologizes to her and they become gym buddies. lena stops going to the junkyard fights and finds an MMA gym that she’ll take eddie to. during the pandemic they somehow find themselves doing socially distanced tai-chi in the park. they keep it up once the gyms reopen.

- side note: lena does in fact get a cat. he’s a huge floofy maine coon named sarge who absolutely adores eddie. rubs his head all over him and immediately worms his way into his lap when eddie visits. he hisses at buck tho and lena finds it endlessly hilarious.

- demisexual eddie! I like the idea of lena no-nonsense asking eddie if he’s ace one day and eddie just having an internal panic attack but not being able to figure out why. karen gently brings it up few months later and he’s just deny deny deny. then he overhears david telling michael that he gives off ace vibes and that’s the last straw. so eddie pulls a full buck and starts researching just to prove everyone wrong. except it’s like a lightbulb clicks on and yeah. maybe there’s something to this.

- eddie and karen have a book club every other week. usually novellas or a short story collection. queer theory and literary fiction. the occasional poetry book. at some point they invite david to join them. they also have a not-so-secret romance novel exchange because they are big saps.

- eddie is also a sucker for a really good cup of black coffee. has a favorite hole-in-the-wall cafe where he buys beans in bulk. buck calls it his diesel fuel drink and grimaces at the taste. he prefers simple oatmilk latte from the place near the station. and yet buck always seems to know what days eddie will be running late and rushing to work and has a cup from said hole-in-the-wall coffee waiting. despite it not being on buck’s route. 

- christopher loves buck’s loft. buck keeps a stash of toys and coloring books in his coffee table trunk for when he visits. chris sees the stairs as a fun challenge and will often ask to go up and sit on buck’s bed to watch the city. or sit on the patio while buck bbq’s dinner for the three of them. he thinks it’s the coolest house ever.

- buck actually rides his bike. it’s not just for show. especially after the pandemic hit. he likes to go out in the mornings. drives to a nearby trail on his days off and enjoys the scenery while the sun comes up. sometimes eddie and chris meet him there after his ride and they have a breakfast picnic.

- the diaz-buckley-han’s share one netflix account. it’s technically buck’s in that he pays for it, but when maddie moved to LA he set her up with her own profile. then logged into his account at eddie’s one day and never logged out. renamed the profile buck & eddie after he setup a kid’s profile specifically for chris. then after learning about maddie and chim’s not-dating buff-fridays, buck put both their names on her profile as a prank. and then it just stayed that way. jee-yun even has a profile despite being a literal infant that doesn’t watch tv. maddie cried when she saw it.

- buck takes the legal guardianship thing very seriously. he’s already really involved in essentially co-parenting chris but he starts getting really nervous about asking invasive questions about chris’ medical history. so eddie sits him down with chris and the three of them talk about it. eddie very specifically asks chris if he’s okay with sharing that kind of info with buck. because even tho christopher’s a kid eddie always wants him to have a say in his own health decisions. then he has a more in-depth convo with just buck about insurance and bills and doctor’s visits. makes sure buck has access to all of it. 

- chris played secret matchmaker. went to his old friend santa claus and asked if buck would stay forever. santa came thru, as always.

- also carla knows. buck starts spending more nights at the diaz house and one morning she lets herself in and sees buck coming out of eddie’s room in just a pair of sweatpants. she gives him a coy eyebrow raise and buck blushes. then she just laughs, pats his cheek affectionately, and says your secret’s safe with me buckaroo. when a bleary-eyed eddie wanders out a half hour later she pushes a cup of coffee into his hands, waits a few moments, looks eddie dead in the eyes, and points at buck. I see you took my advice. eddie chokes on his coffee.

- speaking of carla she is family. she and her husband are regular guests at the 118 get-togethers, holidays at the firehouse, and family meals. she occasionally takes on other clients, but she’s mostly exclusive to the diazes these days. esp as christopher gets older and wants more independence. she’s been around since he was 7 and he’s comfortable with her. she stays his home heath care aide until she retires. then she personally vets a new one. because not just anyone will do for her boy. they throw her a huge retirement party.

- gonna jump into the future because christopher absolutely names his daughter carla shannon buckley-diaz. there isn’t a dry eye in the house.

- and I don’t actually see chris calling buck pops or anything. he’s just his buck. tho I can see eddie asking christopher if he wants to hyphenate his last name when buck officially adopts him. buck’s his hero so chris is 100% onboard. 

- buck and eddie don’t have more kids. eddie never wanted more and buck is surrounded by the ever-expanding horde of firefam kids. they love their little trio.

- also eddie is hilariously terrible with other kids. he just. doesn’t know how to talk to them. he’s literally the best father ever with christopher, but any other kid and he’s all awkward hello small human. it’s also the reason the team sends buck to handle kid rescues. he knows how to speak to kids and they light up around his sunshine energy. but then there are certain kids who just glom onto eddie. usually the quiet ones. they find something about his calm dad presence very soothing so they just cling to him until buck can coax them around. 

- I do not see the buckley-diazes getting a pet. buck and eddie work long shifts and it’s not fair to put that kind of extra responsibility on carla when her job is to care for chris. however, as chris gets older he does get a mobility service dog to help with counterbalance. she’s a golden retriever named stella and she’s a very good girl. 

- buck proposes by accident. they’re at the park with christopher and marriage just sorta comes up during one of his infodumps. eddie is eating his sandwich, nodding along, and just casually says of course I want to marry you. buck stops talking. christopher giggles. eddie panics. but when he looks at buck he’s all puppy-eyed and hopeful. you do? eddie nods. chris chimes in with a stage whispered ask properly buck and say yes dad. so they do.