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Eddie parks his truck beside Buck’s Jeep in his driveway after his date with Ana. Why is Buck here? Is everything okay?
He quickly makes his way to the door and unlocks it, stepping inside.
“Buck?” He frowns when he sees Buck.
Buck’s sprawled out on the couch, passed out with one arm hanging off the edge. Buck stirs, blinking himself awake.
“Hmm?”
“What are you doing here?” Eddie asks, coming over to him after kicking his shoes off.
“Carla called me and asked me to drop Christopher off at school, she wasn’t feeling very well.”
“Why didn’t she call me?” Eddie asks, frowning. “Is she okay?”
“She didn’t want to disturb your date, and yeah, she’s okay. Just a migraine. So I got Christopher from her house and dropped him off at school. Was feeling sleepy so I came here since it’s closer. Hope you don’t mind?” Buck says sleepily, turning his head to look up at Eddie looming over him.
“Of course not, Buck. You’re always welcome here,” Eddie says, running a hand through Buck’s messy curls.
Buck smiles at him softly. He pulls his legs up so Eddie can collapse beside him. Once Eddie is sitting Buck straightens his legs back out, placing them in Eddie’s lap. One of Eddie’s hands comes to rest on Buck’s ankle.
They sit in silence for a bit until Eddie’s stomach makes a loud rumbling noise.
“Eddie, what the fuck? Didn’t you eat at your date?” Buck asks, startling at the loud noise.
Eddie sighs. “No. It was a coffee date, so she had already eaten and I didn’t want to be eating by myself.”
Buck shakes his head as he gets up. “You need to take better care of yourself. It’s been twelve hours and you haven’t eaten anything.”
He gets up and makes his way to the kitchen, and Eddie follows. Buck pulls out eggs and bacon from the fridge and gets to work.
“What are you doing?” Eddie asks.
“Making breakfast.”
“Thought you ate with Bobby, Chim, and Hen?” Eddie frowns.
“Yes, but you haven’t.” He places everything on the counter and turns around to grab a plate but bumps into Eddie’s chest instead. Eddie’s arms come around him to keep him steady. Buck looks at him and clears his throat.
“You can let go of me now.”
Eddie’s heart flutters in his chest. What the fuck? He let’s go and takes a step back.
He watches Buck work, helping where he can. He passes Buck the spatula and looks over his shoulder. He tries his best not to lean into Buck too much and make it weird, but he’s not going to lie and say he doesn’t like the warmth of Buck’s back against his chest. He can feel Buck leaning back into him.
Buck nudges Eddie out of the way with his shoulder, moving him back, as he moves around Eddie’s kitchen.
“Eddie, sit down, I got this,” Buck says after he bumps into Eddie for the fifth time.
Eddie rolls his eyes and goes over to the bar stool to sit down. “Fine, kick me out of my own kitchen.”
“So how was your coffee date this morning?” Buck asks.
“It was… it was good?” Eddie answers hesitantly.
“You telling me or asking me?” Buck asks, turning around to face him.
“Telling you… I don’t know. It was good, I had a good time but it didn’t seem right… felt like something was missing.” Eddie frowns as he fiddles with his fingers.
“Oh? Like the spark?” Buck asks, waving the spatula around in his hand.
Eddie rolls his eyes again. “C’mon, Buck, there’s no such thing as a spark.”
“Hey, you’re the one that said there was something missing.”
“But a spark? Really? You’ve ever felt that before? ‘Cause I sure haven’t.”
“Once, a long time ago. Never again,” Buck says.
Eddie peers at the back of Buck’s head intently.
“Quit staring at me. I can feel your eyes.”
“You gonna elaborate?” Eddie asks.
“No.”
Eddie can see the tensing of Buck’s shoulders so he doesn’t press.
“Fine.”
Buck turns back around with a plate with eggs and bacon on it and places it in front of Eddie on the counter.
“Here.”
“Thank you, Buck.”
Eddie immediately digs in, realizing just how hungry he actually is when he takes the first bite.
“Fuck, this is so good. Marry me,” he groans out around a mouthful of food.
Eddie curses himself in his head. He didn’t mean to say that.
Buck laughs but it sounds strained. Eddie looks up at Buck, who has an unreadable expression on his face.
“I don’t think Ana would appreciate that.”
“We’re not that serious, it was one date. I don’t even know if it’s gonna progress into anything.” He doesn’t know why he’s saying any of this.
“Seriously? You seemed so smitten with her when you first met her…” Buck says.
“I just… I’ve been reflecting a lot recently.”
“Then why even bother going on a date with her?” Buck asks.
“I thought it was worth a shot at the very least.” Eddie shoves some more eggs into his mouth.
“Ah, well, that’s fair. I also have a date this evening,” he mentions casually as he leans over and places his elbows on the counter in front of Eddie.
Eddie’s fork clatters onto the plate loudly as he looks up at Buck.
“What?”
Why doesn’t he like the thought of Buck being on a date?
“Yeah, everyone around me seems to be moving on, thought I should, too,” Buck says, looking away from Eddie.
“Oh… that’s good.” Eddie looks down at his half eaten eggs and bacon, no longer hungry.
“Yeah?” Buck raises an eyebrow as he tries to meet Eddie’s gaze.
“Yeah, of course. If you think you’re ready you should,” Eddie says, finally looking back up at him. Get a grip, Eddie, Buck deserves to be happy too.
Buck hums. Eddie notices he doesn’t seem very excited.
“You sure you want to do this? You don’t seem very happy.”
“I… I think I’m just nervous.” Buck runs a hand through his hair. “I haven’t been on a date in a while.”
“Who’s the person?” Eddie asks.
“Her name is Veronica.”
“How did you meet her?”
“Dating app. Albert talked me into it.”
“I’m sure it will be fine,” Eddie says.
“What if it’s not?” Buck asks, starting to panic as he thinks of everything that could go wrong.
“Wow, hey, calm down, Buck. C’mere.” Eddie holds out a hand and Buck walks around the counter to him. “Sit.”
Buck sits down on the stool beside him and looks at him.
“I’ve never seen you this anxious about something. You sure it’s just the date on your mind, or is it something else?” Eddie asks.
Buck looks at him. Maybe it’s the fact that everyone else around me is moving on and I feel like I need to move on too. Maybe it’s the fact the actual person I want to date doesn’t want to date me. Maybe it’s the fact that I really don’t want to go on this date, but I can’t back out now without seeming like a jerk.
“Just the date,” he sighs.
“Ok, look, how about I’ll be on standby?” Eddie says.
“What do you mean?” Buck asks.
“If you feel like your date isn’t going well, or you don’t want to be there any longer just send me a random text and I’ll save you with a call. Okay?”
“You would do that for me?” Buck asks.
“Of course. You’re my best friend, my partner. I’ll always have your back.”
Buck’s eyes tear up.
“Are you crying?” Eddie asks, incredulous, a small smirk playing on his lips.
“Shut up, it’s been a long day and I haven’t slept. Leave me alone,” Buck says, shoving Eddie’s shoulder with one hand and using the other to swipe at his eyes.
Eddie lets out a small chuckle and finishes the rest of his breakfast while Buck cleans around in the kitchen.
*
They spend the rest of the day together. They nap for a bit before Buck gets up and makes them lunch. They lounge around on the couch playing video games before it’s time for Eddie to get Christopher from school.
“I guess I should head out too. Chris gonna be home tonight?” Buck asks.
“No, we have an early shift tomorrow morning so I’m dropping him off with Abuela tonight.”
Buck nods. “Okay, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow at work, then.”
“Good luck, and remember, don’t put out on your first date,” Eddie says.
“Ha ha, very funny.” Buck rolls his eyes as they both leave the house together.
*
His date with Veronica is going horribly. Everything he says, she puts a twist to it to make him seem like the bad guy. He’s just trying to be friendly and funny, but Veronica doesn’t get his sense of humour. Not like Eddie gets his sense of humour. Fuck, he misses Eddie.
He glances down at his phone every couple of minutes, debating if he wants to send Eddie the ‘come save me text’.
The final straw is the body shaming comment. He picks up his phone from his lap and unlocks, sending Eddie one random word hoping that he’ll get a call within a couple minutes. No call comes; however, fifteen minutes later he sees Eddie storming towards them over Veronica’s shoulder. His eyes widen when the manager tries to stop Eddie from entering. Eddie just shoves past him right towards Buck.
He stops at their table and looks down at Buck.
“Let’s go,” he says firmly.
Veronica startles when she sees the strange man standing at their table demanding for Buck to go with him.
“Uh, who are you?” She asks.
“None of your business,” he says.
Damn, when he asked for Eddie to save him with a call he wasn’t expecting Eddie to get this serious with it.
“Where are we going?” Buck asks. “What’s going on?”
“What’s going on? Maybe the fact that my boyfriend is on a fucking date with some random girl,” Eddie growls.
“Excuse me, what?” Veronica asks, looking at Buck in shock.
Buck’s eyes don’t leave Eddie’s face, and he notices the small smirk playing at the corner of Eddie’s mouth. He winks at Buck when he sees that Veronica isn’t paying attention to him.
Oh, this bastard. Two can play at this game.
“Boyfriend? If I recall correctly, you’re the one who broke up with me . Not the other way around,” Buck says angrily.
This has Eddie pausing and frantically thinking of something else to say.
“Now you think it’s okay to come here and demand I come with you? Did you finally realize that I mean something to you? Were you getting jealous thinking I was on a date with someone else?” Buck asks, playing along.
Eddie stares at Buck and something just clicks, seeing him there surrounded by ambient lights, looking angelic, his blue eyes piercing into Eddie’s.
“You’ve always meant something to me,” Eddie starts softly. “And I’m sorry that it took me so damn long to realize. You’re amazing and wonderful and you deserve the world. I’m sorry for ever hurting you, for making it seem like I don’t care. I do. I promise I do, Buck. I know I suck at showing my emotions and I’m difficult to deal with but I’ll do better,” Eddie says, eyes filling with tears.
Buck quickly catches on that Eddie is no longer acting. That he really means this. That he feels awful for everything that’s happened with the lawsuit and everything else. That he’s finally realized something that Buck, himself, has known for a while. Buck’s eyes widen when Eddie drops down on one knee next to Buck’s chair.
“I am so sorry for everything, Buck. Please give me another chance to do better, to be better. I won’t let you down. I can’t promise you I won’t hurt you again, but I promise I’ll do my best. I promise that I’ll always be by your side, for as long as you’ll have me. Evan ‘Buck’ Buckley, will you please give me a chance to make this right?” Eddie asks, holding his hand out.
Buck’s own eyes have filled with tears at this point. He takes Eddie’s hand and nods.
“Yes, yeah, Eddie,” Buck chokes out.
Eddie gives him a watery smile. Buck leans forward on his chair cupping Eddie’s face and gently pulls him into a kiss, giving Eddie time to back out in case this isn’t exactly what he wants.
Eddie leans in the final distance and kisses him.
The only thing Eddie can think of is spark until the cheering around them pulls them out of their kiss. Eddie stands slowly.
Buck looks at Veronica, who is actually smiling at them softly.
“I’m sorry, Veronica,” Buck starts.
“Even if we didn’t click, I’m glad you have someone to be your person. Don’t apologize for that,” Veronica says before turning to look at Eddie. “If you break up with him again, I will find you and rip your balls off.”
Eddie’s eyes widen, and he moves his hands in front of his crotch. Buck hides his laugh behind his hand.
“Hope we can still be friends,” Veronica says, standing up. She places some money on the table and leaves.
Buck watches her go, and Eddie places a hand on his shoulder. He looks up at him.
“Should we get out of here?” Eddie asks.
Buck nods. They clear up the bill and Buck slips his hand into Eddie’s on the way out.
“Did you drive?” Eddie asks, gripping Buck’s hand tightly.
Buck shakes his head. “Uber.”
“Okay, let’s go home.”
Buck smiles at him, and Eddie can’t help but shove him against the side of his truck and kiss him senseless.
Buck moans in surprise as Eddie grabs him tightly around the waist. Eddie’s lips make their way down Buck’s jaw and to his neck. He sucks on the pulse point there, and Buck’s hips thrust against Eddie’s.
Buck threads his hands through Eddie’s hair and grabs a fistful, pulling him away from Buck’s neck.
“I thought you told me not to put out on the first date?” Buck asks, grinning and slightly out of breath.
“Fuck what I said,” Eddie says as he tries to go back to sucking the soft flesh of Buck’s neck.
Buck tugs him by the hair again. Eddie’s pupils are dilated and he’s breathing heavily.
“Seriously, Buck?”
Buck smirks.
“Fine, you tease, let’s go home,” Eddie says, forcing himself to take a step away from Buck.
Buck laughs and gets into the truck. On the way home Eddie places a hand on Buck’s thigh, face up. Buck threads his fingers through Eddie’s and keeps their joined hands in his lap.
“You know…” Eddie starts.
Buck looks at him, waiting for some smartass remark that he knows is coming.
“We would technically be having makeup sex, if you were to put out tonight,” he says, looking at Buck and waggling his eyebrows.
“Oh my god, Eddie!” Buck laughs, letting go of Eddie’s hand.
“What?! You know I’m right.” He reaches for Buck’s hand again, and Buck gives it to him. Eddie brings it up to his mouth and places a soft kiss to it before resting it in his lap.
Buck, in fact, does put out on the first date. Eddie still calls it makeup sex.