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Buck stares alternatively at the two boxes in his hands, taking his sweet time deciding which pasta brand to buy. He and Eddie are getting groceries for the week, along with Christopher, who is happily seated in the cart and has very seriously accepted the task of organizing the items in categories. Eddie has left them in the pasta aisle to go look for Christopher’s favorite cereal and they have agreed to meet at the fruit and vegetable section in two minutes- Buck has to make a quick choice, or else, Eddie won’t get him his quinoa chips.
“What do you think, Superman?” He calls out for Christopher’s attention, showing him both boxes, “Fusilli or Farfalle?” Buck asks. The boy scrunches up his nose and rubs his chin between his fingers, thinking hard. It is a hard question, after all.
“I like the little bowties better,” Christopher answers in a serious tone, “I want that one.”
“Farfalle,” Buck corrects softly, handing him the box so he can place it between the bread and the tomato paste cans. “Alright, let’s get rolling.”
Christopher giggles as Buck pushes the cart and makes car noises, reaches out a hand to pat Buck's when they pass a shelf stocked with chocolate on sale. They share a knowing smile as they grab a couple of bags of M&M's.
They are reaching the fruit and veggie section, with Christopher babbling about wanting to get kiwis and tangerines when Buck spots Eddie, a beautiful looking woman standing next to him, facing Eddie so Buck can't see her face. She's sort of tall, slim, and tan, and her long dark curls cascade down her back, shiny and perfectly styled.
A strange feeling of uneasiness settles down in Buck's stomach- he's never been the jealous kind, but his relationship with Eddie is still kind of new (the romantic aspect to it, at least), and they haven't really announced it to the world yet, so he wouldn't blame him for getting hit on at the grocery store. Still, something's not right, and the feeling intensifies as they approach Eddie and Buck takes note of his tense shoulders and a tight smile. He's uncomfortable, eyes flicking from the woman in front of him and the end of the aisle. When Eddie finally sees them, he relaxes for a second before panic flashes in his eyes and he turns back to the woman, scratches his neck, and looks at his son and Buck again.
The woman turns around.
“Miss Flores!” Christopher exclaims, genuinely happy to see her, and she smiles wide, eyes crinkling cutely and all. Buck stops the cart a few steps before he crashes it against them.
“Hello Christopher,” she says, voice syrupy sweet and a little on the edge of childlike, and she crouches down to be on Christopher’s eye level, “long time no see.”
“Hey, Ana,” Eddie clears his throat, “you know Chris, and this is, uh, this is Buck. Buck, meet miss Ana Flores.” Ana directs her thousand-mega-watt smile at him now, and Buck tries not to cringe.
Eddie didn’t introduce Buck as his boyfriend, which, okay, fair, he can’t imagine how awkward it must be for Eddie to run into his ex-girlfriend who doesn’t know he swings both ways at the grocery store, but still. Buck has to pretend that his stomach isn’t tied in knots and slap a fake smile on his face, his mother’s ‘be nice, Evan’ echoing behind his thoughts. Buck takes a deep breath. He’s going to be nice; he can be polite and get out of this as fast as possible.
“Nice to meet you, I’ve heard a lot about you, Buck," she says, but there’s something wrong in the way she says her name, laced with something Buck doesn’t have the time to dissect right now.
"Likewise," he manages to choke out. His skin feels like it's being crawled by ants.
“Miss Flores,” Christopher interrupts, and the three adults turn to look at him in the shopping cart, “Buck is the one who saved me from the tsunami!”
Buck’s stomach drops, suddenly
“Sure, sweetie,” she replies lightly- and God should strike him with lightning if that dismissal didn't make his blood boil- then turns back to Eddie as if Buck wasn’t there, and asks “He’s your best friend, right?”
Eddie bites his lip, his eyes flicker to Buck. He nods, silently communicating that he’s okay with whatever Eddie comes up with to protect them. Buck knows Eddie is not ready to come out publicly, and they decided to keep it inside the family for now- Christopher knows they are together, but they also had a very extensive conversation about what that meant and about talking to other people about their relationship. Their kid is amazing, and they never ask him to lie about their family- but Christopher does understand that his dad needs to be the one to tell people, for now. Buck would never let Eddie hide anything from his son or make him believe that there is anything wrong with their relationship and that it is something to be ashamed of.
Buck trusts Eddie, and that’s all that matters.
“Yeah, no, actually, we’re together now,” Eddie says, twisting the plastic bag he’d been holding in his hands nervously, “Buck is my boyfriend.”
“Oh,” Ana’s face falls, and Buck’s heart speeds up. She looks nervously between the two of them, before settling in Buck again, only a trace of her fake smile left. “I’m happy for you, guys.”
“Thank you,” he utters, completely at lost for words- this is the last thing he expected. “We’re really happy.”
“Buck is the best!” Christopher says, tugging on Buck’s hand, so he lets go of the shopping cart handle to hold his small hand back. Looking down at the kid and his warm smile, every insecurity he has ever had vanishing and replaced by the overwhelming love he feels for him. The way Christopher loves him is something no one could ever take away.
He looks up, finding Eddie's eyes, giving him one of those looks, all soft and fond. It makes Buck feel seen, not just because Eddie had come out to his ex-girlfriend in the middle of a grocery store. They smile at each other, and for a second nothing else exists in their little bubble.
“Wow, yeah, I think- I think I better leave you to it,” Ana twists a curl behind her ear and clears her throat, breaking the spell.
“It was nice to see you, Ana,” Eddie replies with a relaxed smile, steps around the cart, and slides an arm around Buck’s waist. His chest swells with pride, he’s not ashamed to say he loves that Eddie feels comfortable enough to show not only Ana but everyone else around them that Buck is his partner. Buck leans into his boyfriend's hold, smiles brightly at the woman in front of him.
And, well, if he’s also enjoying the fact that Eddie is showing him off to his ex… well, that’s his business and no one else’s.
“You too, Edmundo. Take care,” and with one last smile and wave, she’s gone.
Buck lets out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, the last knots in his stomach dissolving. He turns to Eddie and what he sees is probably the most adorable thing ever- a blush spreads all the way from Eddie’s neck and cheeks, avoiding Buck’s eyes, checking out the label of Buck’s pasta.
“What was that?” he asks smugly, just to pick on Eddie. He’s so fucking proud of his boyfriend right now, but he’s going to take advantage of his flustered state, or his name isn’t Evan Buckley.
“Well, you’re my boyfriend, aren’t you?” Eddie retorts, still not looking up, and Buck shares a glance with Christopher, who has turned in his seat and is covering his mouth as he giggles, and winks. Sneaking a hand around Eddie’s neck, he pulls him closer and places a wet smooch on his flushed cheek, mwah sound included.
“Gross, daddy!” Chris laughs, and Buck exchanges a look with Eddie- both thinking the same, a mischievous glint in their eyes- and instantly lean down to attack their kid with kisses all over his face.
Right here, Buck decides he doesn’t want big, public declarations of love or expensive gifts. Just this, their family, the reassurance of his hand on his waist and spending time together in something as mundane as grocery shopping with Christopher. Taking small steps together- coming out one person at a time, making Eddie feel safe enough to do it, to even hold him and kiss him in public.
This is all he needs.