Chapter Text
Hen and Chim barely make it three steps into the station before Buck is on them.
“You guys are not gonna believe this,” he says, already halfway into their personal space, hands moving like he’s presenting evidence in a case no one asked to hear.
Chim sighs, “We just got back from a call—”
“I can communicate telepathically,” Buck announces.
Hen pauses mid-step.
Chim blinks, “You can… what now?”
Eddie leans back against the table, arms crossed, and watches it all unfold like it’s inevitable.
Because it is.
“With Bobby,” Buck clarifies, like that makes it better. “And probably other parental figures. We’re still testing the range.”
“Uh-huh,” Hen says slowly. “And how exactly did you come to this conclusion?”
“We got locked in the supply closet,” Eddie supplies flatly.
Chim immediately lights up, “Oh, I love where this is going.”
“And Buck called out to Bobby,” Eddie continues.
“Telepathically,” Buck cuts in.
“You yelled his name,” Eddie corrects.
“In my mind.”
“You said it out loud.”
“It was a backup signal—”
“Okay, okay,” Hen interrupts, holding up a hand. “So your theory is that you psychically summoned Bobby.”
“Yes,” Buck says, without hesitation.
Chim nods like he’s deeply considering it, “Solid. No notes.”
Eddie snorts despite himself.
Buck points at Chim, “Thank you.”
“And then what?” Hen asked, eyes flicking between Eddie and Buck, “You expanded the experiment?”
Buck grins, “Exactly. I reached out to Athena.”
Eddie drops his head back against the wall.
“Of course you did,” Chim mutters.
“I asked her to bring donuts,” Buck says. “For all of us.”
Hen hums, “And let me guess—”
The station doors open.
All of them turn.
And there she is, Athena Grant-Nash, walking in like she owns the place, holding a box.
A box that is very, very familiar.
Eddie feels something in his chest stutter.
Buck goes completely still.
Then—
“HOLY SHIT, EDDIE!” Buck explodes, grabbing Eddie by the shoulders and shaking him. “SEE?! IT WORKED! I TOLD YOU! I’M AMAZING.”
Eddie’s head rocks slightly with the force of it, but he barely notices.
Because—
Athena walks closer, smiling just a little too knowingly, and holds up the box, “Sure you are, baby. Got your telepathic message and figured I’d bring glazed donuts for all of you.”
She opens her jacket and pulls out a single paper bag, “And your second telepathic message was weaker… so I got you a filled chocolate donut with sprinkles.” Handing it to Buck as she places a sweet kiss on his cheek.
Bobby, standing off to the side, coughs into his hand.
Subtle. Real subtle.
Buck is beaming. Absolutely glowing. He looks like he just discovered superpowers and wants Eddie to admire it.
“I can’t believe it worked,” Buck says, still holding onto Eddie like he might float away. “Did you feel it? Like, was there a moment where you just knew—”
Eddie barely hears him.
Because three things happen all at once.
One—
He catches Bobby in his peripheral, giving Athena a small, grateful nod. Quiet. Easy. Like this is just another day.
Two—
Chim and Hen have already descended on the donuts. Chim’s got one halfway in his mouth, Hen’s laughing around a bite, both of them completely unbothered by the fact that Buck thinks he has psychic powers.
And three—
Buck.
Right in front of him.
Bright. Excited. Hands still on Eddie’s shoulders, eyes shining, smile so wide it almost hurts to look at.
Beautiful.
Dumb.
Amazing.
Buck.
Eddie doesn’t think.
That’s the thing.
There’s no careful consideration, no weighing the consequences, no maybe this will ruin everything.
There’s just… Finally.
Eddie grabs him.
Buck barely gets out a confused, “Whoa—” before Eddie hauls him in and kisses him.
And not a soft kiss.
It’s everything Eddie’s been holding back, everything he’s swallowed down and ignored and pretended wasn’t there, poured out all at once.
Buck makes a startled noise against his mouth and then he’s kissing back.
Just as hard.
Of course he does.
Somewhere, distantly, someone makes a noise, Chim choking, Hen definitely yelling something but it all blurs into the background.
Because Buck’s hands have shifted, gripping at Eddie’s shirt now, and Eddie—
Eddie feels like he can finally breathe.
When they finally break apart, it’s not graceful. It’s messy and breathless and a little stunned.
Buck stares at him.
Eddie stares back.
There’s a smear of glaze on Buck’s sleeve.
Eddie almost laughs.
“…hi,” Buck says.
Eddie huffs out a breath, “Hi.”
Buck blinks. Once. Twice.
“…did I do that telepathically,” he asks.
Eddie actually laughs then—full, helpless, gone.
“No,” Eddie says, and pulls him back in for another, shorter kiss, “That one was all me.”
Buck grins into it.
“FINALLY,” Hen shouts.
“Took you long enough,” Chim adds, muffled around another bite of donut.
Athena just shakes her head, amused.
And Bobby?
Bobby looks at them, something soft and satisfied in his expression.
“Guess the bond works both ways,” he mutters.
Buck, still a little dazed, turns back to Eddie, “Does this mean I get credit for the kiss?”
Eddie rolls his eyes, fond and wrecked and completely, hopelessly gone.
“Don’t push it,” he says.
But Buck doesn’t let go.