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It didn’t happen dramatically, like in the telenovelas Eddie watches; no longer secretly or under the guise of helping his son out with his Spanish, but simply because he loves them. They also remind him of his abuela, who he used to watch them with back in El Paso as a child. Anyways. This wasn’t anything like that. No exaggerated circumstances, accompanied by theatrical, over the top background music, which swells as the characters realize the truth of their emotions, before declaring their feelings to their one true love.
It’s nothing like that.
And, looking back, it makes sense that it happened like this. That through all the hurt and pain, all the disasters and near-death experiences that they’ve endured, together and apart, that it would happen in a simple, mundane way.
It happens on a Wednesday afternoon, during Eddie’s 48 off. Most of his days off lately had been spent at Buck’s house, helping him with Theo, and today was no different. It made all the sense in the world for Eddie to wake up on his day off, having gone back to sleep till around eleven—after making sure Chris made it to the bus for school on time—and head off to Buck’s house, stopping quickly to grab lunch for the three of them. Despite all the chores and errands that he had to do—several loads of laundry, grocery shopping, vacuuming, both mowing the lawn and weeding his overgrown garden, just to name a few—they seemed less important than spending time with Buck and Theo. So, off he went.
It didn’t once cross his mind to call or send off a text, letting Buck know he’d be dropping by. They’ve been dropping by unannounced at each other’s homes for years, especially recently with the introduction of Theo into their lives; it’s not like Eddie needed an invitation—it’s Buck’s, he’s not really a guest.
After a quick detour to grab lunch, he finds himself parking his car in front of Buck’s house; only noticing once he pulls his car to a stop, that Buck’s truck wasn’t in the driveway. He frowns at the empty spot, happiness at the prospect of seeing Buck—and Theo—disappearing, as disappointment washes over him at Buck’s absence. He sits in his truck, pondering what to do, hands still locked in the ten and two position on his steering wheel, before shrugging and pulling the key out of the ignition. He reaches over and grabs the takeout bag, which contained a couple of sub sandwiches from one of Buck’s favourite delis, and tray of drinks he picked up, and exits his truck. He’s sure wherever Buck went, he’ll be back soon. If not, he’ll call him, and until then, there was no reason he couldn’t go inside and wait for the other man there—Buck gave him his own key exactly for situations like this.
He hums to himself as he makes his way up the walkway, smiling as his eyes land on the new flowers that had been planted along the small garden below the front window of the house. He recalls a few weeks prior, when Buck had announced that Theo had gone with him to the garden center, helping pick out a few different flowers to plant, some zinnias and poppies, from the look of it. Theo had told Buck that Kameron had loved flowers, with Dierdre informing him during one of her visits, that Kameron had a flower garden in her backyard, Theo chiming in that he helped plant them.
Buck, being Buck, spent hours after Theo had gone to sleep that night, researching the best flowers to plant during late spring in LA, reading miles long reddit forums about the best tips for gardening for beginners. All with the hopes that maybe the flowers would make Theo feel more at home, feel more connected to his parents.
“I just want to do everything I can, to keep their memory alive.” Buck had confessed to him, late one night during shift, when neither man could sleep. Buck had only been fostering Theo for a few weeks at that point, and while it had been going well, Eddie could see that his best friend was scared.
Eddie had reached his hand out and placed it on top of Buck’s, giving it a gentle squeeze.
“I know, bud.”
Now, something important to mention is that lately, Eddie has been noticing things, about Buck, specifically.
And so, when he placed his hand on top of Buck’s, meant only to comfort his friend, a show of support, Eddie’s mind had wandered.
He had tried, and failed, in that moment, to not focus on the feeling of Buck’s hand under his palm, skin soft and warm. Had tried, and failed, to not notice the difference in their hands—Eddie’s with his big palms and long fingers, while Buck’s hand was more compact, fingers slightly shorter, and definitely thicker. He very much tried, and very much fucking failed, not to imagine what those fingers—Buck’s fingers—were capable of doing, to him, to Eddie.
He had quickly tossed those thoughts aside, instead suggesting, voice a few octaves too high to pass off as normal, that they should head to the bunk room, to get some rest. He chalked his thoughts off to lack of sleep, dismissing them as they headed to bed that night.
Since that day, however, those thoughts had only increased, at a rather alarming rate, popping into his head at the most unfortunate, inopportune moments. Like last week at work, when Eddie had almost hit Harry in the face with his med bag, too busy staring at Buck to notice. More specifically, he was staring at Buck’s arms, which were flexing obscenely, straining against his navy blue LAFD shirt as he lifted someone off the floor. The person was a woman in her mid-sixties, who had taken a fall down her stairs, twisting her ankle in the process; Buck lifted her as if she weighed nothing, completely oblivious to his friends gawking, as he gently puts her down onto the stretcher to be transported to hospital.
It was only when Hen had elbowed him in the ribs, giving him a look that suggested that she had seen everything, and that she knew exactly what was going on in his head, that he snapped out of it. This, along with several other similar, embarrassing occurrences, unfortunately forced Eddie to confront that maybe, perhaps, the thoughts were not just a biproduct of lack of sleep.
The only conclusion Eddie has come to is that Buck’s an attractive man, has always been an attractive man—Eddie’s straight, not blind—and now, Eddie’s simply appreciating his attractiveness, noticing it in a way he hadn’t before. In a completely normal, heterosexual, platonic way.
Eddie was still workshopping his findings.
He balances the food and drinks in one hand as he grabs Buck’s key from his keyring, unlocking the door and stepping inside. He makes his way through the house, dropping the tray of drinks—iced coffee for him, an iced matcha for Buck, and a chocolate milk for Theo—on the counter, placing the bag of food beside it.
He was grateful that he had only stopped for cold sandwiches, nothing that needed to be reheated, so they would keep till Buck and Theo returned. He pulls his own drink out of the drink tray, sticking in his straw, and taking a long sip. The sugary, caramel sweetness hits his tastebuds, and he hums in satisfaction, his lips quirking up in a smirk as he thinks of the look of disgust that Buck gives him every time, he sees Eddie drinking it.
He moves over to the cupboard, pulling out one of Theo’s spill resistant cups, and pouring the milk into the cup, tightening the lid. He tosses the empty drink carton into the recycling under Buck’s sink, and just as he’s deciding whether or not he should put the drinks and food in the fridge, he hears the front door opening, a laugh bubbling out of him as he hears Buck call out, “Theo, take your muddy shoes off before running in the house, please!”
His tone sounds exasperated, but fond, his voice laced with obvious amusement. Eddie can picture Buck shaking his head at Theo’s antics, holding back his smile to appear stern and serious.
“But Eddie’s here!”
“I know that, and I want to see him, too.” Eddie smile widens at Buck’s admission, chest fluttering happily; he shakes his head as he takes another sip of his drink, noting that his face feels unusually warm. His whole body does, actually; shrugging, he removes his sweater, leaving him in just his olive-green t-shirt.
He drops his sweater on the counter next to the takeout bag as Buck continues, “we don’t want muddy footprints all over the floor, now, do we?”
“Noooo.”
What follows is the sound of shoes being removed, or rather, being thrown on the floor, based on the several thuds Eddie hears, before the sound of tiny, socked clad feet are running towards him. Theo appears in the entry way of the kitchen, feet skidding to a stop as his eyes light up the moment they spot Eddie.
“Eddie!” Theo exclaims, beaming and giggling as he runs into Eddie’s waiting arms. Eddie bends down and scoops him up, giving him a quick hug.
“Hey, little man.” Eddie responds, pulling back and ruffling Theo’s hair. His hair had gotten longer since Buck’s taken him in, the new length making his once mop of wavy hair slightly curlier, only further highlighting the resemblance between him and Buck.
Eddie’s eyes soften fondly, nodding along as Theo begins telling him about his morning. “We went to the park!”
“Oh, yeah?” Eddie asks, adjusting his hold so that the little boy was resting against his hip. “Is that why Buck told you to take your muddy shoes off?”
Theo nods in confirmation, his head bobbing up and down as he explains, “the grass was wet, because it rained last night.”
“That’s right, it did.” Eddie confirms.
“Is Chris here?” Theo asks, looking around the room in hopes of spotting the teenager.
Eddie shakes his head, “no, sorry kiddo, he’s at school.”
Theo frowns, letting out an exaggerated sigh that only a four-year-old was capable of producing.
“Hey, Eds.” Buck walks into the kitchen, an easy but tired smile on his face as he greets Eddie. Eddie’s heart flips, breath stuttering in his chest at the sight of his best friend. His whole body feels hot now, a pleasant heat that spreads through him as he takes Buck in, his eyes lingering a moment too long on the tattoos on Buck’s legs, visible because of the shorts he’s wearing.
Relax, it’s just Buck, he thinks, scolding himself.
But that thought only makes him flush further and his heart flip again, because yeah, it was just Buck. His ridiculously hot—like honestly it was unfair at this point— and incredible best friend, Buck.
Okay, listen.
Eddie wasn’t dumb; honestly, he wasn’t. Oblivious sometimes, sure, and definitely stubborn, but not dumb. He knew that there was a difference between noticing his best friend’s looks, appreciating them even, and tripping over his own two feet and almost faceplanting at the station gym, all because he caught a glimpse of Buck’s stomach, when he had simply lifted his shirt to wipe the sweat off his forehead.
These thoughts weren’t very straight of him. He knows that, okay? But that doesn’t mean he’s ready to think about it, and about what it could all possibly mean.
“Hey, bud,” Eddie says, clearing his throat, hoping his blush wasn’t too obvious, as he looks away from Buck. He puts Theo down, gesturing to the drinks and bag of food on the counter. “I brought lunch.”
Theo’s ears perk up at the words, looking up at Eddie as he asks, “chocolate milk?”
“Yes, and chocolate milk.”
Theo cheers, causing both men to laugh.
Buck walks further into the room, looking down at Theo as he says, “what do we say?”
“Thank you, Eddie!” Theo chirps, the volume a tad too loud, as he looks back and forth between the two men, waiting for his chocolate milk.
Buck grabs a couple of plates from the cupboard, before gesturing for Theo to follow him. “Let’s go enjoy our food at the table, shall we?”
Eddie nods, grabbing the drinks and food. “Excellent idea.”
The three move into the dining room, and Buck helps Theo onto the wooden dining chair, before handing Theo his chocolate milk.
Theo says another thank you as he takes a long sip, his smile widening as he looks at the bag of food. “What’s in the bag?”
“Well,” Eddie says, sitting down as he reaches for the takeout bag. “I brought some sandwiches.” He pulls them out of the bag, placing the several wrapped sandwiches in the middle of the table. “And also,” he pauses for dramatic effect, “I brought you a chocolate chip cookie, to go with your chocolate milk.”
Theo’s eyes widen at the cookie bag in Eddie’s hands, and Eddie bites back a laugh. He knew Theo loved these cookies, after visiting the deli that sold them with Theo during the first few weeks he’d been staying with Buck. He spent several days after having it, telling anyone and everyone who would listen, that the cookie was so good and bigger than his head.
Theo opens his mouth to speak, but Eddie holds up a hand, stopping him. “And you can have it, but only if you have some of your sandwich first, and if Buck says it’s okay.”
Theo’s head wipes in Buck’s direction, who was sipping his iced matcha, watching the scene unfold between Theo and his best friend. Theo’s eyes are impossibly wide, folding his hands in front of him, as he pleads, “please, Buck.”
Buck narrows his eyes slightly at Eddie, a smile playing on his lips, his eyes bright. He puts down his drink, quickly schooling his expression, before looking directly at Theo, tilting his head slightly. He purses his lips, tapping the edge of his chin as he says, “hm, I don’t know. A cookie? Hmm…” He squints at Theo dramatically, tapping his chin again a few more times as he pretends to think it over, making Theo giggle out an exasperated Buck. “Yeah, buddy. You can have the cookie.”
Theo cheers, throwing his hands up in the air in excitement. His milk—which Eddie was very grateful he’d transferred into the spill-resistant cup, thank god— was clutched tightly in his little hand, as he waves it around in the air above his head. He turns back to Eddie, giving him an expectant look, making grabby hands with his free hand that wasn’t holding his chocolate milk, across the table at Eddie.
“Buck says it’s okay.” He informs Eddie, expression very serious.
“Sandwich first.” Eddie reminds him, grabbing the ham and cheese sub, which had been cut into smaller, four-year-old appropriate sized pieces at the deli at Eddie’s request, and puts it on a plate, passing it over to Theo.
Theo looks down at the plate, clearly displeased with the lack of cookie in front of him.
“Eat a little bit of your sandwich, then you can have your cookie, okay Spider-Man?” Buck explains, tapping Theo’s plate with his finger with a wink. “Remember, Eddie brought you the sandwich to enjoy, too, not just the cookie.”
“Okay, Buck.” Theo agrees, reaching over to grab the sandwich off the plate with both hands. He takes a bite, munching happily.
Eddie grabs the other two subs, unwrapping them and placing them each on a plate, before handing one over to Buck.
“Thanks, man, I’m starving.” Buck takes a huge bite, a little bit of mustard sticking to the side of his lips as he chews. Eddie’s gaze flits down to Buck’s mouth, his own sandwich hovering inches from his own, hands frozen in place as he continues to stare, unblinking. It’s only then that Buck notices him staring, giving Eddie a curious look, and Eddie blinks, looking away as he grabs a napkin, handing it over to Buck.
“You got a little,” he gestures to the side of Buck’s mouth, before looking down at his own sandwich, taking a bite, ignoring the urge to lean over the table and lick the mustard off Buck’s face. He doesn’t even like mustard—god, help him.
They eat in silence for a few moments, Eddie willing his libido to calm the fuck down, before Theo speaks, drawing Eddie’s eyes back to him.
“Done!” Theo declares, throwing his hands up in the air as he looks from Buck to Eddie. His eyes land on the cookie in the bag beside Eddie’s plate. “Cookie now?”
Eddie laughs, grateful for the distraction. “Yes, you can have your cookie now.”
Eddie places it on another plate, moving Theo’s sandwich plate out of the way, before passing it over. Theo takes a big bite, chocolate getting all over his chin, the crumbs from the cookie falling onto the table and his lap. Both men watch the display with matching grins.
“If I didn’t know any better, Eddie, I’d think you were trying to give Theo a sugar rush.”
“it’s one cookie, Buck. He’ll be fine.”
“It’s a big cookie.”
“Big cookie!” Theo parrots, his mouth full of said cookie.
Eddie shrugs innocently. Yeah, it was a big cookie.
Buck sighs, pulling off a piece of his sandwich bread, and shoving it into his mouth. “If he’s unable to sleep during his nap later and ends up crashing at Maddie’s, when we go for dinner tonight, I’m blaming you.” He says, around his own mouthful of food, as he points an accusatory finger at Eddie.
Eddie holds his hands up in defence, shaking his head as he wipes his mouth with a napkin. “Don’t talk with your mouth full, you’re setting a bad example.” He raises an eyebrow, tilting his chin pointedly in Theo’s direction.
Buck’s sticks out his tongue at him in response, and Eddie can’t help how his gaze drops to Buck’s mouth, again, heat travelling up the back of his neck. It’s Theo’s laughter that snaps him out of his trance—how long had he been looking at Buck’s lips? Had he noticed? He turns his head to see Theo mimicking Buck, sticking out his own tongue wide, which was covered in chocolate.
Buck winces, swallowing his food before he says, “okay, you got a point.”
Eddie chokes out a laugh, before looking down at his half eaten sandwich. Oh, he was so fucked.
~
Once they finished their lunch, they begin clearing the table. Buck wrangles a chocolate covered Theo, until he’s sitting obediently on the counter, letting Buck clean the chocolate off his face with a wet wipe.
Eddie stands over by the sink, cleaning the few dishes they used by hand. He steals a glance behind him, hands pausing as his breath catches in his throat at the sight of Buck, smile wide and bright. Buck was scrubbing Theo’s face clean, the young boy trying to swat Buck’s hand away, as Buck abandons cleaning his face to tickle him, instead.
The sound of Theo’s laughter fades into the background as Eddie’s eyes focus entirely on Buck. Eddie stops scrubbing the plate entirely, dishes forgotten in the sink as he leans his hip against the counter, soap suds on his hands, as he watches the father and son.
God, he’s beautiful, Eddie’s mind supplies, unprompted. Eddie can’t find it in himself to disagree.
Buck is beautiful, undeniably so. He grins freely, dimples appearing on his cheeks as he beams down at the young boy, while his light brown curls fall across his forehead as he leans down to poke Theo in his side. Theo erupts into giggles, Buck laughing alongside him, full and joyous, the sound making Eddie’s knees weak. Buck’s hand continues its attack on Theo’s tummy, his other hand holding the boy in place on the counter, preventing him from falling.
Eddie’s chest feels tight, suddenly, as he thinks back to all the years Buck has been in his life, all the years he’s been in Christopher’s life. An almost decade of friendship between them. Eddie has seen this exact scene play out countless of times, between Buck and Chris.
Many, many day trips to the zoo and aquarium, some with, and some without Eddie. The ones where Eddie tagged along, had him trailing behind two matching heads of curly hair, each talking a mile a minute about the animal exhibits, twin grins on their excited faces. The two of them baking together in Eddie’s kitchen, leaving a mess of flour in their path, their laughter and banter filling the halls of South Bedford Street. Helping Chris with his homework, with Buck going down endless rabbit holes of research, as he studies up on endless potential topics for Christopher’s science projects. Buck tucking Chris into bed, after reading a few chapters of whatever book they were reading at the time.
Buck is such an amazing dad.
And it’s not the first time Eddie’s had this thought, not even close. He’s known this for years; seeing Buck not only with Chris, but with Jee and Nash, and with Hen’s kids. Not to mention the kids they meet on calls; he’s just a natural. Kids just loved him, gravitating towards his boundless energy, optimism, and kindness—something Eddie can easily resonate with, having fallen into Buck’s orbit years ago, circling him like the earth does the sun.
One day, his thoughts had moved from Buck is going to be an amazing dad to Buck is an amazing dad. Because along the way, Buck had become like a dad to Chris; Eddie knows that they’ve been co-parenting together for almost as long as Buck has been in their lives.
Eddie knew there was something special about Buck, that his life changed the minute they shook hands, after removing a live grenade from a man’s leg, promising to have each other’s backs.
And as he watches Buck with Theo, that same feeling—that same overwhelming, terrifying, earth-shattering, life altering, undeniable feeling, the one he’s felt and ignored for years, every time he’s seen Buck with Chris—settles in his chest, knocking the air from his lungs, leaving him breathless. Eddie’s entire world comes to a screeching halt as he stares at Buck, heart hammering against his ribcage, a quick but steady beat of Buck Buck Buck.
Oh.
Of course. Of course he’s not just attracted to his best friend, no—no, he’s—he’s—
“Oh,” Eddie breathes out, his heart pounding in his chest as the words slip past his lips. “I’m in love with you.”
Eddie watches as his words hit Buck, the other man freezing in place as he stops tickling Theo; jaw dropped open in shock, his head whips over to look at Eddie, who is still standing by the sink, soap bubbles still on his hands. Theo, who was still on the counter, frowns, eyebrows scrunching in confusion as he looks back and forth between the two men, noticing their silence; no one speaks for a moment, until Theo decides he’s done with the quiet— as well as done being on the counter—and he begins to wiggle in Buck’s hold, an annoyed pout forming on his face.
“Buck,” the four-year-old whines, tapping Buck against his chest, trying to get the man’s attention, “let me down. I want to go play.”
Buck startles, turning back to the young boy. “Uh—right, of course.” He eases Theo to the ground, straightening out Theo’s shirt, which was rumpled and slightly askew from Buck’s tickle attack. “Sorry, Spider-Man. Off you go.”
Theo nods, already racing out of the kitchen, heading towards his room to play. “Thanks, Buck!”
Buck’s eyes turn back towards Eddie, his mouth opening as if to speak, before pausing, his eyes darting towards Theo’s retreating back, “your nap will be in an hour!”
“’kay!” Theo calls back, already out of the room.
The sound of Theo’s footsteps gets further away until it’s quiet, until it’s just Eddie and Buck, and Eddie’s words, his confession, just hanging in the air between them.
Eddie waits for the panic to set in, for the urge to flee to take over his body, till he’s hightailing it out of the house, leaving behind nothing but an Eddie shaped hole in Buck’s front door. But it never comes.
Instead, he feels settled. Calm, grounded. A little giddy, pathetically so, and a tad embarrassed, perhaps, having just blurted out his feelings like that, in front of Theo, no less. But he can’t find it in himself to regret it because it’s completely true. It’s not just that he’s attracted to his best friend, he’s in love with him. He’s in love with Buck; and now, that truth is out there.
“Eds?” Buck says his name quietly, his voice wavering slightly, a complicated expression on his face as he shuffles forward towards Eddie. “What—what did you mean?”
“I’m in love with you.” Eddie repeats, a smile growing on his face at how easily the words come. It’s true—he’s in love with Evan Buckley. It might be the truest thing he’s ever felt.
“You love me?”
Eddie nods, taking a step of his own. “I do.”
“You’re in love with me?” Buck asks, needing clarification.
“I am.”
Buck nods back, eyes still impossibly wide. “And, um, how long have you been in love with me?”
Eddie takes another step, till they’re almost toe to toe. Buck’s eyes widen even further, if possible; clear, beautiful blue eyes stare back at Eddie, as he inhales sharply, taking in their closeness.
“Honestly? Probably for years.”
Years, he watches Buck mouth the word, as his eyes slip past Eddie. His expression turning slightly dazed as he tries to process this new information.
“But I only realized it now.”
Buck’s eyes flick back to him, eyebrows shooting up in surprise. “Now?”
“Yeah, like, right now.” He looks down at the watch on his wrist, cocking his head back and forth. It’s only then that he notices the soap still lingering on his hands and quickly wipes them on his jeans, giving Buck a small smile. “About five minutes ago, give or take.”
“You realized you’re in love with me while watching me wipe chocolate off Theo’s face?” Buck huffs out a laugh, looking down at the dirty wet wipe still clutched in his hands in disbelief, before tossing it onto the counter beside him.
“Watching you be an incredible father to Theo, which made me realize you’ve been a second dad to my son for years.” He clarifies, his voice steady despite how hard his heart is beating in his chest; Buck’s breath hitches at Eddie’s admission, but he remains silent, waiting for Eddie to continue.
“Seeing you, and realizing I want us to be a family, together. The four of us.” He closes the distance, his hand finding its familiar place on Buck’s shoulder while the other comes up to cup the side of Buck’s face, thumb tracing the side of Buck’s cheek. “Realizing that I’m sorta stupidly in love with you, and that there’s no one else I see a future with, but you.”
“Oh.” Buck breathes, voice barely above a whisper, as he tilts his head slightly, leaning into Eddie’s touch.
“Is that—okay?” Eddie asks, unease creeping in, his thumb pausing its movement along Buck’s skin. He’s been so focused on his own feelings; he hadn’t stop for a second to think about whether or not Buck returned his feelings.
Oh, god, what did I just do? Eddie thinks, panic rising in him. What if he doesn’t feel the same? Just because Buck is bi, doesn’t automatically mean he—?
Eddie doesn’t get another moment to stress, another second to spiral, before he feels a pair of lips press gently against his, abruptly cutting off his train of thought, his brain going fully offline. Those are Buck’s lips. On his own lips. Eddie Diaz’s lips. Evan Buckley’s lips are pressed to Eddie Diaz’s lips.
Oh.
Oh, indeed.
It’s a dry press of lips, soft and barely there, but Eddie melts into it, tilting his head to deepen the kiss, pressing his lips more firmly to Buck’s, using his hand on Buck’s shoulder as leverage to pull the man closer. The other hand that was cupping Buck’s cheek moves behind his head, fingers digging into the soft curls there. Buck lets himself be pulled, his own hands settling on Eddie’s waist, his fingers digging into Eddie’s back, curling along the ridges of his spine, as he opens his mouth, capturing Eddie’s bottom lip between his own.
“’Is that okay?’ he asks,” Buck mutters between kisses, repeating Eddie’s words back to him, pulling away for only a moment before capturing Eddie’s lips between his, again and again. He sucks at Eddie’s bottom lip, pulling it slightly between his teeth, the sting making Eddie whine, before Buck pulls back, breathing hard. “In what universe is you being in love with me not okay?”
Buck pulls back enough to give him a look, unimpressed, but his eyes are crinkling in the corners, giving away his smile; Eddie can only snort out a laugh, his heart beating quickly in his chest as he pulls Buck back in, wrapping his arms around Buck’s neck, as he groans against the other man’s mouth. The sound spurs Buck on as he deepens the kiss further, moving them till Eddie’s pressed against the counter behind him, slotting his leg between Eddie’s open ones.
“Fuck,” Eddie moans, arching against the other man, his tongue meeting Buck’s in a hot glide, the wet heat of it sending shivers of pleasure up his spine.
The pressure of Buck’s knee between his thighs makes him dizzy, and it’s only then that Eddie realizes that he’s hard, achingly so, and so is Buck, whose erection is now pressing against the side of Eddie’s hip. Eddie grinds forward slowly, testing the movement, eliciting a low, punched out moan from Buck, the sound muffled against Eddie’s lips. Throbbing in his jeans, he moves more deliberately, seeking that delicious friction again.
The movement seems to snap Buck out of their kiss, and he separates them, his lips disconnecting from Eddie’s. Eddie whines, disappointed, chasing Buck’s lips with his own, but Buck moves back further, huffing out a breathless laugh.
“Eddie, Ed—Eddie Eddie Eddie—stop—” Buck croaks out, his gaze dark as he puts his hand on Eddie’s chest, stopping him. He licks his lips, which were now a delicious red—because of me, Eddie thinks deliriously—and Eddie follows the movement with his eyes, licking his own lips, mirroring the movement.
Buck sees where his eyes are and lets out another laugh, leaning forward to press a chaste kiss to Eddie’s lips. “While I’m very happy about this turn of events, trust me, I think I need to remind you that Theo is right down the hall.”
Eddie’s body locks up, his eyes widening as he realizes what they’ve just done. He looks past Buck’s shoulder to the entrance to the kitchen, as if expecting Theo to materialize out of thin air. They were just making out like a couple of teenagers in Buck’s kitchen. Eddie just rutted against Buck’s leg while pressed against the counter, basically dry humping him in the same room where he cooks their meals.
Eddie’s cock is currently hard, in Buck’s kitchen, on a Wednesday afternoon. Oh, god.
He drops his head, his forehead pressing against Buck’s chest, face flaming even further as he lets out a groan of embarrassment. “Oh my god.”
He feels Buck’s torso shake beneath him as he laughs, before pressing a quick kiss to Eddie’s temple. Eddie raises his head, his eyes meeting Buck’s, which shine brightly in the afternoon light of the kitchen. Butterflies erupt in Eddie’s stomach, his face flushing even further as he smiles back, shyly, cheeks pink.
“I’m in love with you, too.” Buck confesses, his hands settling comfortably on Eddie’s hips, his touch grounding. “If that wasn’t clear. I’m like, ridiculously in love with you. I have been for years. I’ve just been denying it—hell, I didn’t let myself even think about it—because I didn’t think you’d ever feel the same. I didn’t want to admit that I was the guy hopelessly pining for his straight best friend.”
The butterflies in his stomach freeze at Buck’s admission, his throat tightening. “Buck.”
“And I want it, too.” Buck continues, his smile softening , eyes shining with unshed tears. “I want us to be a family, the four of us. It’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
Eddie traces his thumb along the side of Buck’s birthmark, his own eyes stinging as the tears building up behind them threaten to spill over. “I love you.”
“I love you, too, Eds.”
“Do you want to drop by mine after Maddie’s tonight?” Eddie asks, trying not to pout at the thought of being separated from Buck for even a couple of hours. Wow, he’s so whipped. “And we can tell Chris together?”
Buck’s inhales sharply, his brows pinched in worry as he gives Eddie a concerned look. “Do you think he’ll be okay with this? With us?”
“I have no doubt.” Eddie assures him, hand coming up to rest on Buck’s chest, steadying him. While there’s still things they need to figure out—he doesn’t even have a label for himself, other than absolutely 100% definitely not straight—there’s one thing that he’s certain of, and it’s that Chris will be happy for him. For them.
Buck smiles, ducking his head in the bashful way he does when he’s pleased. “Maddie’s gonna be insufferable, you know? She’s been teasing me about my feelings for you for years.”
“Years, you say?” Eddie tease, grinning, poking Buck in the chest.
“Yeah, years.” Buck rolls his eyes playfully, leaning in to press another quick kiss to Eddie’s lips. “But we got here in the end.”
Eddie smiles softly. No theatrics, no dramatic music necessary. Just him and Buck on this Wednesday afternoon. “Yeah, we did.”