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It’s been a weird day.
Eddie’s just going to put that out there. It has been a weird as hell day.
Nothing bad, really - the actual work day at the station had been slow. A few medical calls out, one kitchen fire, and a couple of ‘well, we thought it was an emergency…’ but nothing catastrophic.
Hell, a slow day like that? Probably why the idea to go out even got bounced around in the first place. They were all getting off roughly in the same time frame - Hen and Buck off in the first half of the day, the rest making it out that evening, and they hadn’t gone out as a team in a long time, so, after an easy day, why not?
And Eddie was fine with that. Going out for drinks sounded fantastic actually. Chris was with Pepa for the night, and if the choice was between an empty, quiet house, and a bit of fun for a couple of hours? Easy choice, no problem.
No, what was weird...was Buck.
As soon as they’d settled on where they were going for the night - some bar Eddie had only vaguely heard of - him and Hen had been whispering between the two of them whenever they got a free moment. They’d sent Chimney running, and just stared at Eddie whenever he got too close. Even Bobby had taken one look at them and just...walked away.
He wasn’t sure who was more relieved when those two finally left, something still going back and forth between them.
Now, there was that. There was also the fact that Buck had just been weird. For the last week. Period.
They’d always been...fine. Maybe a little too in each other’s space, sure - anyone with eyes could see that, and had taken the opportunity to point that out by now, thank you Hen. But that was just...them. It wasn’t weird that Buck spent as much time at Eddie’s place as at his own. Wasn’t odd that, given the chance, Eddie would rather spend his kid-free nights at Buck’s than in his own place. Hell, half the time he didn’t even need that excuse since Buck liked hanging out with Chris just as much as he liked hanging out with Eddie. More, probably, now that he thought about it.
Sure there were some...odd moments, here and there. Looks a little too heavy, hands on each other a little too long for a shove, a little too short for a grab, quiet moments stretched heavy and thin between them, smiles too small and sweet…
And Eddie had to stop himself and shake his head a little bit.
Sure, there’d been moments. But nothing...nothing concrete. Which...he kind of needed before he even entertained the idea of upsetting what they had. He’d never had a friend like Buck and like fuck was he going to cock that all up because he was maybe a little too invested in Buck’s smile. And that delighted, startled laugh he had, that was a little too sharp and off-beat to be anything but genuine. And those big, expressive eyes and fidgety hands that got everywhere. And his...well, his everything.
Right, stop. He shook his head again, with a light smack to his temple for good measure.
This week. This week had been weird. Buck had been...pulling away, almost. He didn’t crowd Eddie’s space on the couch up in the loft at the house anymore. Didn’t invite himself over without Eddie broaching the conversation first. Didn’t try and rough-house or tap his shoulder to get his attention, or...or...Well. He wasn’t there.
And it was weird.
And it took everything in him to not crowd Buck about it. Not to push. Not to ask...ask for their normal back. Because it wasn’t actually normal, was it?
So, that, plus whatever was going on with him and Hen today?
Yeah. Weird fucking day.
By the time they all make it to the bar - roughly an hour after everyone had gone their separate ways after their shift - Eddie realized why he knew the name, but didn’t actually know the place. A karaoke bar. The one Chim and Maddie were always talking about.
Wonderful.
But, hey, he was there to have fun. And, hell, as long as they had alcohol, he could deal with some ridiculous singing. As long as no one tried to drag him up there.
Buck and Hen were still doing their whole...scheming together thing. There really was no other description for it. But Buck had also gotten right in Eddie’s space as soon as he’d seen him, none of the week’s hesitation showing, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and clapping him on the chest to bring him in with a laugh when Eddie had been stuck outside staring at the sign in mild horror. So. He could deal.
There’s a round of drinks, and Chimney and Maddie are the first ones of the group to take the stage, with Karen and Hen cheering them on loudly from the group’s table. And, Eddie has to admit, those two make a pretty good pair up on stage. Both having too much fun to care about hitting every note right, yet both good enough singers that they’re not missing too many anyway, except when they break down to laugh at each other.
Buck’s sitting next to him, which is the only reason Eddie notices when Buck startles with a yelp, glaring at Hen, who’s still watching the stage. So they were back to the weird.
“Hey...everything okay, man?” Eddie asks, low enough to avoid most of the table overhearing, but loud enough to make it over the ending notes of Eye of the Tiger.
“Huh?” Buck looks over, blinking at him for a moment, before a wide smile splits his face. If Eddie didn’t know better, he’d say Buck was...nervous? “Oh, yeah, just kicked the bar.” He hesitates a moment then, eyeing Eddie with a suddenly intense look that Eddie can’t really...parse. Then, he’s turning to Hen, “Hey, Hen, come up with me for a sec.”
And they’re gone, heading over to the DJ.
And Eddie’s still just. So confused. About everything.
Athena, Bobby and Karen shooting him knowing looks is not helping, either.
Hen’s back a couple minutes later, looking proud of herself.
“You actually convinced him?” Athena asked, sounding both mildly surprised, and put out.
“Didn’t need to. ‘Thena, I barely said two words before he was off,” Hen says, grinning way too wide for Eddie’s comfort. That look generally involved money changing hands.
Sure enough, as soon as Buck took the stage and...something played its first two notes, Hen was holding out her hands, and he heard a handful of groans and a bit of shuffling while people tried to get at their wallets.
He wasn’t really paying attention at that point. Because by then, he’d actually placed the opening notes of the song. And Buck still looked nervous, standing up there in the light - his hands twitching and his smile lopsided, but still bright.
“Yo, I’ll tell you what I want, what I really, really want,” and he’s off, dancing along in his own little world and hitting every single note, about two octaves lower but otherwise perfectly.
And for a long couple of moments, all Eddie can do is just...stare. But then Buck opens his eyes again - and when the hell had he closed them? Maybe on that spin? - and finds Eddie’s in the crowd.
“If you want my future, forget my past, if you wanna get with me, better make it fast. Now don’t go wasting my precious time, get your act together, we could be just fine…” Eddie’s not entirely sure what his own face is doing, but whatever it is, it breaks Buck out of his concentration, for just a moment, and Eddie’s damn near blinded by the goofy, way too bright grin he shoots him before getting back into it.
He vaguely feels Hen reaching over to clap his shoulder with a laugh. Only knows it’s Hen, because a second later, she’s leaning against his shoulder absolutely losing it. Whatever, she’s on a completely different plane of existence, as far as Eddie’s concerned. Right now, an actual plane could probably crash into the bar and he wouldn’t notice a damn thing, not with Buck looking at him like that - all his focus is boring into Eddie, and if it wasn’t for the lopsided smile that Buck can’t quite school completely, Eddie would be burning up on the spot for all the heat in Buck’s gaze.
“Oh, what do you think about that? Now you know how I feel.” What the everloving hell, Buck? “Say, you can handle my love, are you for real? I won’t be hasty, I’ll give you a try, if you really bug me then I’ll say goodbye,” Eddie would honestly like to see Buck try, after this.
“If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends,” and there goes Karen and Hen and...Chimney, hooting and hollering along, and if Eddie wasn’t so goddamned focused, he’d probably be blushing by now. “Make it last forever, friendship never ends. If you wanna be my lover, you have got to give - taking is too easy, but that’s the way it is.”
And only then does Buck break eye contact, and Eddie feels himself take in a breath he didn’t even realize he was holding as Buck twirls off into another spin and slide of a dance that is way too smooth and loose to not have been practiced.
Eddie takes those few moments to just breathe, and he’s glad he does because then Buck’s looking at him again, intense and just there. “If you wanna be my lover, you gotta, you gotta, you gotta, slam, slam, slam - make it last forever,”
And Eddie maybe loses some time there before the music finally starts winding down, ending with a Buck just about breathing into the microphone, “If you wanna be my lover…”
And then he’s done. And there’s clapping and hollering, and he’s pretty sure their table is the loudest of all, and all Eddie can do is just. Stare.
Stare as Buck breaks eye contact to actually register the rest of the room, his smile going bright and goofy, even as red stains his cheeks in the harsh spotlight. He gives an awkward little wave before jumping off the stage, and if Eddie’s heart wasn’t already going a mile a minute as it was, it probably would’ve skipped a beat.
He’s moving before he even really has a chance to think about it, completely ignoring the catcalls behind him, catching Buck before he can make it back to their table and dragging him out the door. Like hell was he going to do this - whatever this was - in front of his team. He loved them, but no.
Luckily for him, Buck just laughs when Eddie grabs his arm and lets himself be manhandled outside. He’s pretty sure Buck salutes back to the table, but he can’t be sure.
Once they’re outside, he whirls back on Buck. Feels his words die in his throat as he actually looks at Buck, leaning back against the wall, hands in his pockets, and looking so damn pleased with himself, he’s just about glowing, his eyes glittering and his smile lopsided and Eddie really, really just wants to kiss him, then and there.
But he has to ask. He has to, or he just might go insane.
“What the hell was...was that?” he asks, gesturing weakly back inside. He’s still not sure what his face is doing. Whatever it is, it has Buck laughing, dissolving into giggles as his arms wrap around his stomach.
And Eddie...Eddie can’t help it. He ends up laughing right along with him - helpless little giggles that steal his breath and bubble up inside him because he just can’t with Evan Buckley.
It takes them both a long couple of minutes to calm down, both of them sitting on the ground and leaning back against the wall and into each other’s shoulders by that point.
Eddie scrubs his hand down his face as he’s finally able to take in enough air that’s not immediately turned into hiccuping laughs. Buck takes a moment longer, his face pressed into Eddie’s shoulder and his own shaking slightly still.
Eddie knows his grin is stupid. Can’t really find it in him to care. “So...what was that?”
And Buck takes another moment, his face still buried in Eddie’s shirt, but Eddie can see the corner of a smile when he gets up the energy to answer, “What do you think it was?”
“Well it sounded like you were asking me out. But all of that… Why couldn’t you just ask?” Not that he didn’t like Buck’s approach. Hell no. That was fucking delightful. But after this whole week? Of Buck pulling away, and Eddie having to stop himself from straight up chasing after him? He kind of wanted to know.
“Mm…” Buck finally seems to have his breath back, and he shifts enough to get his chin on Eddie’s shoulder, looking at him with those big eyes, focused only on him, only a few inches away, and Eddie feels something in his chest clench hard. “Why couldn’t you?” h asks. And Eddie would be...offended? Annoyed? Maybe. Feels like he should be. But it’s...it’s an honest question.
“I was…” And Eddie pauses. Wants to look away - not really sure if he can take Buck looking at him like that, so close, while he says this. Realizes he can’t not, either. “I was scared…” he murmurs, and something softens in Buck’s look.
“You weren’t the only one. This seemed...fun. You know? A way to...to get over that. Make it goofy, make it silly, maybe it wouldn’t hurt so much if you said...no…” And that softness is melting into something wary and sour and Eddie can’t have that.
He’s moving before he’s thinking about it, closing the bare two inches between them to press a soft kiss to Buck’s lips. It’s little more than the bare press of skin to skin, but it’s sweet and soft, and Eddie wants to drown in that moment.
“Ha! Told you! Pay up!”
He startles back slightly, blinking at an equally confused Buck, before both of them turn to look at...Hen. Who isn’t even looking at them anymore, but back towards the door, where Chimney, Maddie and Karen are peeking out, looks ranging from disappointed to giddy. “And tell Bobby he owes me too!”
And Eddie looks back at Buck. Finds Buck already looking at him.
And all they can do is laugh, pressing their foreheads together and tuning out the world again as their shoulders shake together and their smiles can’t help but meet in the middle.