Work Text:
Eddie wasn’t sure when it had started, this… tension between him and Buck. This hum. Low, constant, impossible to ignore. Maybe after the tsunami. Maybe earlier. When they met? No. That was cheesy. Eddie was straight. He had to be, right? Of course Buck just had to come along and mess that up. Neither of them was ready to say it out loud. Not even now, with Buck practically living in Eddie’s house. His shoes by the door, his hoodie slung over the back of a chair, his toothbrush in the bathroom.
That night, they sat shoulder to shoulder on the sofa, beers sweating rings into the wood of the coffee table. The TV murmured in the background; some weird British historical drama Eddie didn’t give a shit about, but Buck was completely invested in. They had the house to themselves. Chris was on a hunting trip and he hadn’t been home in a few days.
Buck glanced down at his phone, a grin already forming. Too bright, too eager. A distraction.
“And what’s crazier is that the count is cheating on her with her own twin brother—”
Eddie didn’t hear the rest. He was watching Buck instead. The slope of his jaw. The way his mouth tilted when he thought he was about to say something clever. That smug light in his eyes. God, that light Eddie had spent seven years trying not to chase. Seven years of swallowing it down. Of pretending this (whatever this was) didn’t exist. But it did. It always had.
“And then, the duchess—”
Eddie moved before he could think better of it. He snatched the phone from Buck’s hand and dropped it onto the coffee table with a dull clatter.
“Shut up, Buckley.”
Buck blinked, startled… and then Eddie kissed him.
No hesitation. No careful testing. Just heat and certainty and something that had been building for far too long. It hit like a breaking wave, like finally giving in to gravity. Buck made a soft, surprised sound against his mouth, but he didn’t pull away. Of course he didn’t. This… this was inevitable. Buck tasted like beer and whatever the hell that cake he’d made earlier was. An odd combination. Not bad. Eddie savoured it, leaning into it, into him, as Buck kissed him back just as fiercely.
It felt like it went on forever. It still ended too soon. They pulled apart for air, both of them a little stunned. Not unhappy, far from it, but… thrown. They’d surprised themselves and each other.
Eddie had just kissed a man. Eddie had just kissed Buck. Buck looked… delighted.
“Wow,” Buck said, a little breathless, a little awed.
“Wow, I—” Eddie didn’t know what came next. Apologize? Explain? Pretend it hadn’t just—
Buck didn’t give him the chance. He surged forward and kissed him again, hands coming up to cup Eddie’s face, sliding from his cheeks to his jaw, then to the back of his neck, holding him there. Keeping him there. Not trapping. Not forcing. Just… there. Buck’s arms caged him in against the sofa, solid and warm, and Eddie let himself be held.
The TV droned on in the background, completely forgotten.
Eddie let himself be held. That was the thing that got him, later. Not the kiss itself, though that was… a lot, but the way Buck held him like it was the most natural thing in the world. Like Eddie fit there. Like he’d always fit there. Buck pulled back just enough to look at him, eyes searching, bright in a way Eddie had never seen before. Not playful. Not teasing. Something softer.
“You good?” Buck asked quietly.
Eddie huffed out a breath that might’ve been a laugh. “You just kissed me, Buck.”
“You kissed me,” Buck corrected, but there was no bite to it. Just… warmth.
Right. Yeah. Eddie had. He scrubbed a hand down his face, then let it fall, not sure what to do with it. Not sure what to do with any of this. His heart was still hammering like he’d just run a call.
“I didn’t—” he started, then stopped. Because what was he even trying to say? I didn’t mean to? That would be a lie. I don’t know why I did that? Also a lie. Buck watched him, waiting. He always did that. Gave Eddie space, even when Eddie didn’t deserve it. “I’ve been thinking about it,” Eddie admitted finally, the words rough on the way out. “For a while.”
Buck’s eyebrows shot up. “A while?”
Eddie huffed again, this time more real. “Don’t make me define that.”
“Eddie—”
“I don’t know when it started,” he cut in, because if Buck kept looking at him like that, he might actually lose his nerve. “It just… did. And it didn’t stop. I tried to ignore it. I thought it would go away.”
“And?” Buck asked softly.
Eddie met his eyes. Held them. “It didn’t.”
Something in Buck’s expression shifted. Relief, maybe. Or something dangerously close to it.
“Good,” Buck said, like he couldn’t help himself.
Eddie blinked. “Good?”
“Yeah.” Buck’s mouth curved, small and a little unsure now, like he was the one stepping out onto thin ice. “Would’ve been kind of embarrassing if I was the only one losing my mind over this.”
Eddie stared at him. “You….?”
“Yeah,” Buck said, a breathless little laugh slipping out. “Yeah, Eddie. Been there. Done that. Still doing that, apparently.”
That did something to Eddie’s chest. Something tight unwound just a fraction.
“Okay,” he said, because that was all he had. Because okay felt like the only word that wouldn’t make this shatter. Buck studied him for another second, like he was checking for cracks. Then, slower this time, giving Eddie every chance to pull away, he leaned in again. Eddie didn’t.
Their mouths met, softer now. Less collision, more intention. Eddie could feel the difference immediately. The way Buck eased into it, the way his hands settled at Eddie’s sides instead of pulling him in, like he was asking instead of taking. Eddie answered anyway, shifting closer, one hand coming up to grip the front of Buck’s shirt. He kissed him back, steady this time, sure in a way he hadn’t been before. They broke apart again, foreheads brushing, breaths mingling in the small space between them.
“Still good?” Buck murmured.
Eddie let out a quiet laugh, shaking his head a little. “Yeah.”
More than good. Terrifying. Complicated. Probably a terrible idea. Buck was his best friend… But yeah.
“Yeah,” he repeated, softer this time. Buck smiled at that, soft, still a little disbelieving, like he still couldn’t believe it. The TV kept playing, voices rising and falling in dramatic nonsense neither of them were listening to. Eddie didn’t think he’d ever be able to hear it again without remembering this. Didn’t think he’d want to.
Buck’s smile softened into something quieter, like he was waiting for Eddie to change his mind. Like he still couldn’t quite believe he hadn’t. Eddie felt that under his skin, the instinct to reassure, to anchor, to make it real in a way Buck could hold onto. So he did the only thing that made sense. He kissed him again.
Not tentative this time. Not careful in the way that felt like testing. Just… there. Present. Eddie shifted closer on the couch, knees brushing Buck’s thigh, one hand sliding up to cup the back of his neck. Buck made a small sound, barely there, but it hit Eddie anyway. Right in the gut.
Buck responded immediately, like he’d been waiting for permission that was never actually denied. His hands slid back up to Eddie’s face again, thumbs brushing his cheekbones, holding him like he was something precious. Eddie’s chest tightened. He broke the kiss just long enough to breathe, forehead still close enough to feel Buck’s exhale.
Eddie searched his face. Habit. Fear. Whatever name it had. Buck didn’t look away. Something in him shifted. His hand slid from Buck’s neck to his shoulder, then down, lower, lower…
Buck leaned into him first this time. That did it.
Eddie pulled him closer, and the space between them disappeared. Buck adjusted easily, turning into him, one knee coming up onto the couch, crowding into Eddie’s space like it had always been his. Eddie’s back hit the armrest, not from force but from proximity, from Buck simply being there. Buck followed him down without hesitation, still careful, still watching, but no longer holding himself back. Their mouths met again, slower now, deeper in a way that wasn’t frantic so much as inevitable. Eddie could feel the heat of Buck’s palm against his jaw, the steady press of him, the way he stayed close even when Eddie exhaled into the space between them like he was trying to catch his bearings.
Eddie tugged the bottom of Buck’s shirt, a silent order. Eddie’s fingers stayed hooked in the fabric of Buck’s shirt for only a second longer before Buck peeled it off completely, tossing it somewhere behind the couch. The sight hit Eddie square in the chest, broad shoulders, the familiar lines of muscle across his torso, the ink that Eddie had seen a hundred times but never like this, never with the right to reach out and trace. He let out a low whistle without thinking, heat curling low in his belly.
Buck’s grin was quick and bright, but it softened when he leaned back in. His hands moved to Eddie’s shirt, working the buttons open one by one with steady fingers. Each new inch of skin exposed made Buck’s breathing shift, slower, heavier. When the last button gave, Buck pushed the shirt open and off Eddie’s shoulders, sliding it down his arms until it joined Buck’s on the floor.
Buck’s palms settled on Eddie’s bare chest, thumbs brushing over his nipples in slow, deliberate circles. Eddie’s breath caught, hips twitching up without permission. Buck dipped his head, mouth finding the line of Eddie’s collarbone, then lower, tongue dragging hot and wet across his sternum. Eddie’s hand found the back of Buck’s neck, fingers threading into short hair, holding him there.
They shifted again, Buck’s knee sliding further onto the couch, his thigh pressing between Eddie’s legs. Eddie spread for him instinctively, one foot braced on the floor, the other hooked around Buck’s calf. Their bare chests met, skin to skin, heat blooming everywhere they touched. Buck’s cock was hard against Eddie’s hip through his jeans, a thick, insistent line that made Eddie’s mouth water.
Eddie’s hands roamed down Buck’s back, nails scraping lightly over muscle until he reached the waistband of Buck’s pants. He tugged, a silent demand. Buck lifted his hips just enough for Eddie to shove the denim down, taking his boxers with it. Buck’s cock sprang free, flushed and heavy, the head already slick. Eddie wrapped his hand around it without hesitation, stroking slow and firm from base to tip, thumb smearing the precum.
Buck groaned into Eddie’s neck, hips rolling into the touch. His own hands worked Eddie’s pants open next, yanking them down along with his underwear until both men were naked on the couch. Buck’s fingers wrapped around Eddie’s cock in return, matching the rhythm, squeezing just right. They stroked each other in tandem, mouths locked again, tongues sliding deep, spit slicking their chins.
Buck broke the kiss to mouth at Eddie’s jaw, then lower, sucking a mark just above his pulse. “Eddie,” he breathed, voice rough. “Want you. All of you.” He pulled back just enough to meet Eddie’s eyes, his own gaze dark with want but steady. “Bedroom?” he asked, voice low and rough.
Eddie nodded, throat tight. They untangled slowly, legs brushing as they stood. Buck’s hand stayed at Eddie’s waist, guiding him down the short hall. The bedroom was dim, sheets still rumpled from the night before. Buck didn’t rush. He turned, hands sliding up Eddie’s bare chest again, thumbs brushing his nipples until Eddie’s breath hitched.
Eddie’s fingers hovered at Buck’s hips, then dropped. It felt so real, all of a sudden. “I’ve… never done this with a guy,” he admitted, voice quiet. His eyes flicked away for a second before coming back. “You know that, but I…” I don’t know what to do? I want to? I need to be with you? Eddie isn’t sure what to say.
“I know,” Buck’s expression softened. He cupped Eddie’s jaw, thumb stroking his cheek. “We go at your pace. You say stop, we stop. You want slow, we go slow.”
Eddie swallowed, then nodded again. Buck kissed him once, gentle this time, before easing him onto the bed. Eddie lay back against the pillows as Buck searched his discarded jacket for something. Triumphantly, he pulled out lube, and slicked his fingers. Eddie’s legs parted as Buck climbed over him. Their cocks brushed, both still hard, and Eddie’s hips jerked at the contact.
He kissed down Eddie’s chest, tongue tracing the line of muscle, then lower. When his mouth closed around the head of Eddie’s cock, Eddie’s hand flew to Buck’s hair. Buck took him deeper, sucking slow and wet, tongue pressing along the underside. Eddie groaned, thighs tensing around Buck’s shoulders.
Buck pulled off with a wet sound, and Eddie practically whined at the loss, “Buck-”
Buck grinned, and then shifted lower. His slick fingers found Eddie’s hole again, pressing in one at a time, working him open with experienced strokes. Eddie’s breath came faster, one hand gripping the sheets, the other still tangled in Buck’s hair. The stretch felt different here, deeper, more exposed. When Buck added a third finger and curled them just right, Eddie’s back arched. “Fuck—Buck.”
Buck kissed the inside of Eddie’s thigh, then moved up, settling between his legs. He slicked his own cock, the head nudging at Eddie’s entrance. “Still good?” he asked.
Eddie nodded eagerly, pulling him down. “Yeah. Want you.”
Buck pushed in slow, inch by inch, watching Eddie’s face. The burn was sharper this time, but Eddie breathed through it, legs wrapping around Buck’s waist. Once Buck was fully seated, he stayed still, forehead pressed to Eddie’s, letting him adjust. Eddie’s hands roamed Buck’s back, feeling the flex of muscle as Buck started to move.
The thrusts stayed deep and steady at first. Skin met skin with soft sounds. Eddie’s cock rubbed between their stomachs, leaking steadily. Buck reached down, wrapped his hand around it, and stroked in time with his hips. Eddie’s moans grew louder, his hesitation melting into raw need as Buck fucked him harder, the bed creaking under them.
Buck’s mouth found Eddie’s neck, sucking another mark as his pace picked up. Eddie met every thrust, heels digging into Buck’s ass, pulling him deeper. The room filled with the wet slap of bodies and the low, broken sounds they made. Buck’s cock dragged over that spot inside Eddie again and again until Eddie’s whole body shook.
Eddie came first, cum spilling hot between them, his hole clenching tight around Buck. It took everything in him not to shout. Buck groaned loudly and followed, hips stuttering as he filled Eddie in thick pulses. They stayed locked together, breathing hard, Buck’s weight a warm, solid press on top of him.
After a minute Buck eased out carefully and rolled to the side, pulling Eddie against his chest. Eddie’s fingers traced idle patterns over Buck’s tattoos, the earlier nerves quiet now, replaced by something steadier.
That was… something.
Amazing. Wonderful. Life changing. But completely exhausting. Eddie can’t keep his eyes open. His crappy bed somehow feels like the softest surface on earth. He’s vaguely aware of Buck shifting beside him, the mattress dipping again as he settles properly.
“Wow,” Buck says again, quieter this time. Less like disbelief. More like acceptance.
Eddie huffs a laugh without opening his eyes. “You said that already.”
“I know,” Buck murmurs. “Still applies.”
That earns him a tired smile Eddie doesn’t bother hiding. He finally cracks one eye open. Buck is lying on his side facing him, hair a mess, expression soft in a way Eddie isn’t used to seeing outside of rare, quiet moments after a long shift. Except this is different. There’s no distance in it. No careful edges. Just Buck. Right there. Eddie shifts a little, a little closer. Buck notices immediately anyway, like he’s tuned to it.
“You okay?” he asks, quieter now.
Eddie considers that. His body feels like it’s been through a fight and come out strangely peaceful on the other side. His mind, though, is suspiciously quiet for once.
“Yeah,” he says finally. “Just… tired.”
Buck nods like that makes perfect sense. Like nothing about this is something to overthink.
“Same,” he says. Then, after a beat: “In a good way.”
Eddie lets out a quiet hum of agreement.
“In a good way,” Buck repeats softly, like he needs to make sure it lands.
“Yeah,” Eddie says, barely audible. “In a good way.”
The silence that follows is easy. Heavy in the best way. Like neither of them feels the need to fill it anymore. Buck shifts impossibly closer without thinking, arm sliding up and down Eddie’s back like it belongs there. Eddie doesn’t move away. He actually relaxes into it.
“Your bed is still terrible,” Buck murmurs after a moment.
“I know,” Eddie huffs, eyes slipping shut. “Shut up.”
“Make me,” Buck mutters automatically, but it’s slow now. Fading at the edges. Eddie nudges him weakly in response, more instinct than effort. Buck catches his hand, holds it loosely. A pause.
“Eddie?”
“Mm.”
“Okay,” Buck says instead of whatever he was going to say. Eddie doesn’t ask. They don’t move again. Their breathing syncs somewhere in the middle of the silence, and neither of them notices when it turns into sleep.