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It starts with Eddie’s scent.
Buck has always loved it, sweet and warm vanilla with something soft underneath, something that curls in Buck’s chest and tells him he’s home. It’s one of his favorite things in the world, the way Eddie smells like safety and comfort, it’s the thing Buck buries his face into when they get home wrecked from a hard shift, the thing that calms him down without Eddie even trying to.
But recently it has been… different.
Not bad—God, never bad—just different. Richer, somehow? There’s a different kind of sweetness and milkiness to it Buck doesn’t quite recognize, something delicate layered into Eddie’s usual scent. It clings to the air around him, to the couch and sheets and to Buck’s clothes, filling his nostrils and making his chest warm up with a strange but pleasing sensation.
The first time Buck really notices, they’re curled up on the couch together on a lazy Sunday morning. Eddie’s half asleep, sprawled across Buck’s chest, one arm thrown over Buck’s waist. Buck’s fingers are softly running through Eddie’s hair, breathing him in.
Suddenly, he freezes.
Eddie hums softly, snuggling closer. “You okay?” he mumbles, his voice thick with sleep.
Buck swallows. “Yeah,” he says, because that’s easier than explaining that his instincts just sat up and went crazy out of nowhere for some reason he can’t understand. “You smell nice.”
Eddie lets out a sleepy tiny laugh. “I know. You always tell me that.”
Buck smiles and kisses the top of Eddie’s head, but the thought sticks.
And after that, he can’t un-notice it.
Eddie’s scent shifts throughout the week, milky, sweet, warm and inviting in a way that makes Buck’s alpha instincts buzz low and protective in his chest. He finds himself hovering without meaning to, bringing Eddie water, draping blankets over his shoulders, not leaving his side and always having a possessive hand over his lower back when they’re in public. He even found himself growling at a random stranger that got too close to Eddie on a call. (Chimney scolded him for that, but he still doesn’t regret it.)
Eddie doesn’t comment on it. If anything he leans into it, pressing closer and curling into Buck’s space like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
Another weird thing Buck notices is that Eddie has been asking him to bake for him. Not that it’s a bad thing; quite the opposite, Buck's heart jumps with joy whenever Eddie asks him for something. It's unusual, though. Eddie never verbally asks him to bake anything; Buck just always does without being asked because he knows Eddie loves sweets and likes to provide for him, in every way possible. But recently, Eddie asked for cookies, then chocolate cake, then apple pie. He's not complaining, it's just... weird.
Then there’s the nesting.
Buck gets home one evening to find the living room re-arranged. The couches are pushed together as much as possible, forming an awkward sort of enclosed space. Cushions and blankets are carefully piled around it, along with some hoodies that Buck recognizes as his own.
Eddie sits in the middle of it, frowning thoughtfully, still arranging some cushions.
Buck drops his keys. Eddie startles, then relaxes when he sees Buck. “Oh, hey! Sorry, I was just… reorganizing.”
Buck raises an eyebrow. “You reorganized the living room?
Eddie opens his mouth and then closes it, blinking like he doesn’t know what to say or how to explain himself. “I— yeah…”
Buck hums, slow and thoughtful. His instincts purr. “Looks comfy.”
Eddie’s shoulders loosen up immediately. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” Buck steps closer, tugs Eddie into his chest and noses at his neck. The scent hits him full-force, and something in Buck goes warm and protective.
Eddie exhales shakily and melts into him.
After that, the nesting escalates.
Extra blankets appear. Then more pillows. Eddie starts favoring the softest hoodies Buck owns, curling up in them like they’re precious treasures. Buck finds his t-shirts tucked carefully into the pillow pile, folded just right so they hold Buck’s scent the longest.
One evening, Buck walks into the bedroom to find Eddie on the floor, surrounded by blankets, sheets, and pillows, arranging them with intense focus.
“…Eds?”
Eddie looks up, eyes wide, then immediately soft. “I couldn’t get comfortable on the bed,” he admits.
Buck’s heart does a funny little flip. He crouches down, lowering himself to Eddie’s level. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” Eddie says quickly. Then, quieter, “Just tired. And kinda achey.”
Buck gently grabs Eddie's hand and presses a little kiss on it. “You want me to help?”
Eddie’s smile is soft and shy. “Yeah. Please.”
They build it together, Buck handing over pillows, Eddie arranging them just so, murmuring little adjustments under his breath. When it’s done, Eddie crawls into the nest and sighs relieved.
Buck stands and watches him fondly, and suddenly something clicks into place in his mind.
Scent change. Cravings. Clinginess. Nesting. “Oh,” Buck breathes.
Eddie looks up. “Oh what?”
Buck swallows, excitement and nervousness tangling in his chest. “Eddie… have you—have you taken a test?”
Eddie freezes.
For a long moment, he just stares at Buck, eyes shiny and unreadable. Then his hands curl into the blankets, gripping them tight.
“…I promise I was planning on telling you tonight,” he whispers. “M’sorry”
Buck’s heart stutters. “Tell me— tell me what, exactly?” He asks, even though he pretty much knows the answer already. He wants to hear it from Eddie.
Eddie’s scent spikes—warm, sweet and nervous. He takes a breath, then another, grounding himself.
“I’m pregnant.”
Buck’s breath leaves him in a rush. “You’re—” He laughs, a little broken, a little disbelieving. “Eddie.”
Eddie watches him carefully. “I just found out this morning…” he says, nervous. “You’re okay with it?”
Buck drops to his knees beside the nest, hands shaking as he cups Eddie’s face. “Okay with it?” His voice cracks. “Eddie, I’m probably the happiest man alive right now.”
Eddie’s eyes fill and shine instantly. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” Buck says fiercely. “Yeah. Can I go in?”
Eddie nods rapidly and moves a little to make room for Buck inside the nest. Once Buck is inside too, Eddie crawls into his arms, pressing his face into Buck’s neck, breathing him in. Buck wraps himself around Eddie like a shield, instinct roaring to life, warm and protective and right.
“I love you,” Buck says softly, leaving a soft kiss to Eddie’s hair. “So much.”
Eddie hums and presses his face more into his alpha’s neck. “Mmh… love you too.”
They stay like that for a long time, tangled together in the nest, Buck’s hands never straying far from Eddie’s back, his stomach, like he needs the reassurance that this is real.
Eventually, Eddie pulls back, smiling shyly. “We should tell Christopher.”
Buck grins. “Yeah. We should.”
—
They do it the next day, once Chris is home and settled, sprawled on the couch with his phone.
Eddie and Buck sit across from him, both a little nervous, not sure how he will react.
“Hey, buddy,” Buck says. “We wanna talk to you about something.”
Chris takes his eyes off his phone and eyes them suspiciously. “Am I in trouble?”
“No! No bud, you’re— you’re not in trouble,” Buck says quickly.
“Wait.. did you do something to be in trouble?” Eddie interrupts.
“…No.”
“Ok... well..” Eddie pauses briefly and clears his throat, nervously fidgeting with his fingers. Buck notices immediately and takes Eddie's hands between his own, giving them a gentle squeeze.
Eddie looks up at Buck and smiles. Then he turns to look at Chris, who’s still staring at him suspiciously and also a little judgemental. Then, Eddie says finally, his voice a little shaky, “I’m pregnant.”
There’s a beat of silence, and Eddie feels himself getting even more nervous. Buck gives him a little squeeze again.
Chris blinks. “Like— pregnant pregnant?”
Eddie nods.
Chris leans back, arms crossed, trying very hard to look unimpressed. “Wow. Cool, great. Guess I’m getting replaced.”
“Absolutely not,” Eddie says quickly and distressed. “Why would you think that? Chris—“
“I’m just kidding, dad.”
“Oh.”
Buck chuckles. He feels the way Chris’s scent shifts— surprise, then warmth, then quiet happiness. “So I’m… a big brother.”
“Yeah,” Buck says softly. “You are. You will be”
Chris shrugs, but his smile is unmistakable. “I guess that’s… kinda awesome.”
Eddie reaches out and squeezes his hand. “We’re really happy.”
Chris nods. “Yeah. Me too.”
Eddie smiles fondly, trying to hold back the tears that threaten to spill. He gives his son a gentle kiss on his head, and Buck feels like his heart is going to burst.
—
Later that day, Buck finds Eddie curled in the nest again, one hand resting unconsciously over his stomach.
Buck sits down beside him, pressing a kiss to Eddie’s hair. “You doing okay?”
Eddie smiles, glowing. “Yeah. I feel happy, really happy.”
Buck wraps around him, breathing in that sweet, perfect scent. “Me too,” he says. “I love you.”
Eddie looks up at him with those big, bright doe eyes. They're shining, even more than usual. Buck looks back at him, and he thinks Eddie has never looked more beautiful. The omega places his palm on Buck’s cheek and presses a small kiss on his lips, smiling above his mouth.
“I love you more.” That’s impossible, Buck thinks to himself.
Eddie pulls away from him and turns to look at his belly, still smiling, but Buck can't tear his eyes away from his omega. Eddie looks so happy, so at peace. Buck feels his chest warm again, imagining what it will all be like in a few months: Eddie with a visible bump, being able to feel his baby's kicks…
Eddie yawns suddenly, pulling him away from his thoughts. He rests his head on Buck's shoulder and sighs contentedly. "I'm sleepy," he murmurs softly.
Buck suddenly feels an urge to hug him, pull him onto his lap, and cover him with kisses all over.
He doesn’t do that though. He just gently strokes Eddie's hair until he feels his breathing gradually slow down. Buck turns to look at him once he’s fully asleep, and he feels his alpha purr contentedly and protectively.
After staring at Eddie for a few seconds (or maybe even minutes) more, he finally closes his eyes too, inhaling his omega's sweet, soothing scent until he falls asleep beside him.