Chapter Text
Eddie put the phone down and looked around his house. He needed something to do while he waited, but there was nothing jumping out at him. For the first time ever, he cursed himself for keeping the house tidy and wandered into the kitchen to see if there were any dishes still waiting. But the sink and dishwasher were both empty, the benches freshly wiped down and the fridge had been cleaned out the day before when he had done the grocery shopping.
Huffing an agitated breath, he leaned against the counter and thought.
There was laundry in the machine, but it wouldn’t be ready to hang for another hour. The floors had been done two days earlier, when he was avoiding sleeping after a busy shift.
He didn’t need to clean. Buck had seen his house in all states. He didn’t need to clean because everything was already clean. But his hands itched for something to do.
He couldn’t quite believe that Buck was really on his way over. That they were going to be together. That they were going to kiss.
Heart pattering a rapid dance within his chest, a grin tugged the edges of Eddie’s mouth. Buck wanted him.
Buck actually, really, truly wanted him.
Eddie wasn’t blind to the concerns and fears holding Buck back. But for the first time since he had asked Buck out, Eddie felt like they were on the same page. That they understood each other. That they had the information, the tools, to work on it together.
He got lost for a moment inside his musings, and jolted violently when a resounding knock rapped against his front door.
Jerking into movement, Eddie rushed to the entryway to answer it.
Soft-eyed and smiling, Buck was there.
Without thinking, Eddie moved. His hands found Buck’s skin, one circling his back as the other slid along the warm, smooth skin of his neck and up into his hair. He pulled Buck to him, put his face to Buck’s cheek, and held him.
Letting out a long, slow breath, Buck relaxed against Eddie’s chest and hooped both arms around him. For a long moment, they stood in the doorway, holding each other, and then Buck whispered, “This feels right.”
‘I know’, Eddie wanted to say, and, ‘you’re right’. But his voice would not obey him, and he merely grunted slightly and burrowed his face against Buck’s throat.
Buck snuggled against him and spoke again, his voice a hesitant murmur. “I love you, Eddie. I’m sorry. About all of it.”
Twirling his fingers through Buck’s hair, Eddie sighed softly. “You don’t have to be sorry, Buck.”
Arms tightening around Eddie, Buck shuffled a little closer, their legs pressing together. They swayed on the spot, struggling to balance in their nearness, and then Buck’s lips found Eddie’s skin, the soft and delicate skin beneath his ear, and pressed there, softly. “I thought you were going to kiss me,” he breathed. “When’s that happening?”
Shifting, Eddie slid his cheek against Buck’s neck, closed his teeth gently on Buck’s earlobe and sighed, “Whenever you want.”
“I want it now,” Buck grinned, leaning back just far enough to stare for a moment into Eddie’s eyes before they moved, together, and kissed.