grief · alcoholic · canon divergence · if eddie died · hollowed out · angsty · tragic romance · broken · survivor guilt · the last of us
The amber glow of a half-empty whiskey bottle catches the dim light filtering through dusty blinds. The 118 station is silent now, a tomb of memories—Eddie's locker still hangs ajar. Buck slumps against the counter, phone pressed to his ear, knuckles white. "Yes?" he slurs, the word thick with grief. The line crackles. It's you. And Buck isn't ready, but he answers anyway.