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It’s maybe about half an hour earlier than they’d usually get up on a free Saturday, but Buck is simply too giddy with excitement to continue sleeping. He’s lying in bed next to Eddie, propped on one hand as his other draws gentle circles over Eddie’s chest, and, finally, Eddie slowly blinks his eyes open.
“Mmh— morning,” he mumbles sleepily with a tiny smile pulling up one corner of his mouth.
The smile on Buck’s lips is much wider, and he’s feeling his heartbeat a little faster in his chest. “Good morning, and happy anniversary,” he says before he leans in and brushes a soft kiss to Eddie’s lips.
Eddie returns the kiss, still a little drowsy, but when Buck leans back, he can see Eddie’s brow furrow slightly. “Oh… right. That was today.”
There’s something slightly odd in his tone, and Buck’s heart sinks a little. “Yeah. The anniversary of our first kiss. Don’t tell me you— You actually forgot?”
Eddie half shrugs, half shakes his head before he sits up and rubs at his eyes. “We’ve had a chaotic week. I didn’t even know what date it was yesterday.” There’s still something odd there, now in his tone as well, but Buck decides it must be Eddie feeling a little guilty.
“It’s the eighteenth,” Buck says as if Eddie hasn’t already surmised as much.
The past year with Eddie has been amazing. Buck has had to deal with a lot of insecurities throughout his life, and even at the beginning of his and Eddie’s romantic relationship, those hadn’t magically disappeared overnight. However, with each day spent together, every time Eddie kissed him, held him, told him he loved him, those insecurities had shrunk and shrunk far into the back of Buck’s mind until there was nothing left but a faint echo.
He can’t quite help that some of them feel a little louder again, now.
Eddie must have guessed his thoughts, because he lets out a soft sigh, reaching out to take Buck’s hand in his and caress it gently. “Buck, like I said, there was so much going on lately. What with the storm and then Pepa’s emergency gallbladder surgery. It just didn’t occur to me to mark it in the calendar or get you anything. But I do remember our first kiss. How could I ever forget?”
Buck’s feelings of insecurity are somewhat appeased, and he feels a small smile form on his lips now. “Yeah? You remember that?”
“Of course. It went a little like this,” Eddie says and then leans down, one hand caressing the side of Buck’s face — similar to the way he actually did back then — and kisses him gently. And yeah, when he’s being kissed like that, it’s a lot easier to tell those stupid insecurities to shut the hell up altogether.
“You didn’t plan anything big, though, did you?” Eddie asks then, as he leans back, and for a second Buck wonders if Eddie actually knows very well that Buck has.
“Um… actually,” Buck starts, letting out a sheepish little laugh, “I don’t know about ‘big’ but I have planned something, yeah.”
Eddie lets out a small, regretful and apologetic sound and then leans in to kiss Buck once more. “I’m really sorry. I’ll make it up to you, I promise,” he says gently, something warm and affectionate very clearly visible in his eyes and smile.
“I don’t need you to get me anything. I’m just really looking forward to this day,” Buck said, watching the smile on his boyfriend’s lips turn a little wider.
“Yeah? So what have you planned?”
Buck has planned a lot of things, actually. And he’s revealing each step as they go.
They start with a lavish breakfast — the three of them. Chris was actually in on this part of the plan, helping to set and decorate the dining table as Buck prepares pancakes and crisps up the baguette he bought at a fancy deli yesterday. There’s also smoked salmon and some fancy cream cheeses so they get to enjoy both savory and sweet foods for the breakfast that he hopes will last them until the next time he’s planned a meal into their schedule.
Maybe he’s gone a little overboard with all of the stuff he’s prepared, but the truth is, Buck has never been as happy in his entire life as he’s been ever since he and Eddie had finally crossed that line from friendship to more. With Chris between them, Buck has actually been feeling like a genuine part of their family and, even though he’s never referred to himself as such, almost like a stepdad. It’s everything he’s ever dreamed of — a loving partner, a kid, a nice and cozy home that is theirs and, hopefully, a lifetime ahead of the same. The part of him that wanted to think ‘enjoy this for as long as it lasts’ has gotten smaller and smaller over the past year, too.
So Buck doesn’t feel like it’s too excessive that he’s planned out a variety of activities for the whole day, the first half of which is going to include Chris. It’s what they both deserve for making him so happy, making him feel, for the first time in his life, that he’s truly found his home.
They go to the zoo next. It’s not like Buck hasn’t already taken Chris there many times — sometimes alone and sometimes with Eddie — but he knows they’ll have a great time there again, and what they both don’t know is that there is a pair of newly born panda babies. Being a somewhat regular guest at the zoo and on a first-name basis with some of the handlers, he’s arranged for them to talk to the panda handler and get a backstage tour of the enclosure and the panda house.
They show them where they keep the second baby while the mom takes care of the other, and then, every few hours, they switch them out so mom doesn’t know she has two and is less likely to reject both of them. To see the delight on both Christopher’s and Eddie’s faces as the handler takes the little bear cub into her arms and presents it to them is all the reward Buck needs.
After the zoo, they go for ice cream to an Italian café that has the most amazing kind of gelato. This place also isn’t new to any of them, but they haven’t been in a while because it’s rather pricey. But today, nothing is too expensive.
Afterward, early in the afternoon, they drop Chris off at Isabel’s where he’ll be staying overnight, and Buck feels almost a little torn and guilty over it. He’s really looking forward to spending the rest of the day and night alone with Eddie, but he also loves that kid so much that he misses him a little, already.
“So, what are we doing next?” Eddie asks as Buck pulls out of Isabel’s driveway. As soon as he’s on the street again and only needs one hand to steer, Eddie reaches for Buck’s right and caresses it softly.
“Not telling you. It’s a surprise.”
“Okay then,” Eddie replies with a small shrug and puts on his sunglasses against the bright midday sun.
Buck is just very, very mildly miffed that Eddie is always so patient and not even a tiny bit curious. But well, he’s known that for years now.
As they drive out of Los Angeles and into the National Forest, they just chat about this and that, reliving some of the more fun and exciting calls they had and teasing each other about enjoying questionable songs on the radio and which station to pick. At long last, shortly past three and right on schedule, they reach the camping area from which it’s only a few more minutes to their final destination.
When they pass the sign at the entrance of the campground, Eddie lets out a snort. “ Buckhorn , really?”
Buck lets out a little sheepish chuckle. “Just a coincidence, I swear. I picked this destination for other reasons. And this is just where we park. Where we’re going, I’ll be the only Buck.”
“Good. Because I’m not sure I could handle more than one of you,” Eddie replies, and Buck knows he’s just teasing.
“Hey now. It’s our anniversary, and I’m doing nice things for you. No need to be mean. Besides, I’m pretty sure you could handle at least… say two of me?”
Eddie lets out another snort, but it’s aborted when his head snaps back towards Buck and, above the rim of the sunglasses, his brow furrows upward.
Buck just has to laugh, because he knows exactly what kinds of thoughts he’s now put into Eddie’s head.
As Buck pulls into a parking spot at the start of the trail, right next to a little building with toilets and a small shop for refreshments and souvenirs, Eddie lets out a slightly exaggerated, long-suffering sigh, shaking his head, and Buck still has to grin to himself.
“Why don’t you go ahead? I think I need a minute,” Eddie says, and Buck knows he’s not being serious.
Stopping the engine, Buck turns towards his boyfriend and puts a hand at the back of Eddie’s neck to pull him closer. “Hm, maybe I should get myself cloned for our next anniversary? Though it’s kinda unfair. What if I want two Eddies?”
The next snort of laughter from Eddie is muffled by Buck’s lips against his. It’s a gentle kiss, though it’s laced with a hint of desire neither of them can fully suppress. If the mood of the afternoon and evening continues anything like this, they sure will have a really amazing night.
Eddie exhales deeply as the kiss ends, just his hand still against the side of Buck’s neck, thumb gently caressing the skin under his ear and sending goosebumps down Buck’s back.
“Just so you know. One of you, the real you, is all I need,” he says with such tenderness in his tone that Buck can only pull him closer again, both arms coming around Eddie to hug him tight for a moment.
“I still want two Eddies though,” Buck says to gloss over the fact that his voice feels thick and his vision is getting slightly blurry from all the emotions he’s overflowing with.
Eddie just playfully shoves him back into his own seat, shakes his head, and opens the passenger door. In front of the car, however, he waits as Buck gets out, one hand outstretched for Buck to take it.
“We still need something,” Buck says though, and goes to open the trunk, taking out the two small rucksacks he’s packed the night before and the shoes — no proper hiking boots but sturdier sneakers. “Put these on.”
Eddie doesn’t ask and does as he’s being told. Buck already picked suitable footwear, and so he jogs over to the walk-up window of the shop to get two bottles of fresh, cool water.
“Just a few hikers up there,” Ron, the guy at the shop, tells him, “but they’re probably on their way back already. So you might be lucky.”
“Great, thank you, Ronny. And… for later?” he asks, keeping it vague and his voice low so Eddie doesn’t catch anything he’s not supposed to hear.
“All prepared. I’ll bring the rest up at six,” the guy replies. Then his gaze drifts to where Eddie is tying his shoes, and he smirks at Buck. “That your man, huh?”
“Yeah.” Buck can’t help the smile on his face turning into a wide and, as he knows, rather dreamy smile. “He’s the love of my life.”
Sometimes, Buck really just wants to shout it out to the whole world to hear, but for now, he’s content with how he gets to brag to this one person.
The hike to Cooper Canyon is rather short, an easy trail between conifers and leafy trees that let some of the warm summer sun through but provide enough shade to be pleasant. As before on their drive here, Buck and Eddie chat and also walk some stretches with companionable silence, their shoulders bumping against each other.
They meet a group of three hikers coming down the trail who inform them that they’re lucky to be the last and have the place all to themselves. The woman’s long hair is wet, and Buck can see Eddie’s eyes narrowing quizzically as he probably tries to piece together where exactly they’re going.
At long last, they hear the sounds of rushing water, and then, descending from the main trail around some larger rocks, the little pool at the bottom of the small waterfall comes into view. It’s prettier in reality than in the photos Buck found online. surrounded by still rich greens of early summer, the narrow curtain of water pools in the shallow basin, crystal clear.
“Wow, that’s nice,” Eddie says next to him, taking off his rucksack to get his water bottle. “Like straight from some kind of fairy tale.”
“Right?” Buck asks, happy that Eddie likes the spot he’s picked. It’s probably not the most spectacular water hole in the area, but Buck wanted to find something that was a little secluded and easy to get to without having to start their hike early in the morning. It was a really lucky coincidence that he was still in touch with Ron who’d been Buck’s roommate for a while when he first came to LA. Ron had only started working here on the weekends to earn some extra money a while ago, so Buck had never been here before.
“I mean, it’s not a tropical lagoon or anything,” Buck says then, a little self-deprecatingly, “and I bet it’s really cold—”
“You want us to go swimming in there?” Eddie asks as he screws his water bottle shut again.
Buck shrugs. “I’m not sure about swimming. It’s just around three feet deep at the deepest spot, but… It’s a hot day and I thought some refreshment might be nice. Only if you want to, though.”
“No, it’s a great idea,” Eddie replies quickly, “It’s just that— Oh wait, let me guess. You packed swimwear and towels?” he asks as he already starts rummaging through his rucksack, bringing out a fluffy beach towel and a pair of swim trunks. He laughs softly, amazed. “That’s definitely better than skinny dipping. Although, those guys did say they were the last up here.”
“You don’t have to wear them,” Buck replies with a slightly crooked grin as he picks out his own towel and shorts.
Eddie briefly looks over his shoulder as if to make sure that, really, nobody is close by before he starts undressing, pulling his t-shirt over his head and laying it neatly on top of the rucksack, kicking off his shoes and opening his jeans.
And damn, no matter that Buck had seen his boyfriend in various states of undress, including completely naked, many times before, he cannot help but look, biting his lower lip before he, too, pulls off his t-shirt. Not even fully out of his own pants, Buck sees Eddie stand there entirely unclothed. He really does hope the water is cold.
It is. Both dressed in their swimming shorts, Eddie is the first to wade into the pool, wincing and groaning around a laugh as he takes a few careful steps over the rocky ground of the pool.
When Buck follows, his own reaction is rather similar. “Oh fuck, that’s really cold.”
Eddie turns back around and laughs. “Yeah, it is. But we’re not chickening out now. Let’s do this.”
“Okay, okay,” Buck replies, trying to focus on the refreshing aspect of the water as he wades in deeper, following Eddie.
Where the pool is deepest, close to the waterfall, Eddie takes a deep breath and then lets himself fall backward to submerge himself up to his neck. He pants, almost yelps as he moves his arms to not sink any deeper.
“God, I regret everything I just said.”
Buck has to laugh. But yes, the water is really close to painfully cold when he, lest he wants to feel cowardly, copies Eddie and lowers himself entirely into the basin.
“Shit, that’s really cold.”
“Told you,” Eddie replies as he stands up again, shaking himself a little before he goes to get closer to the waterfall. “Come on. While we’re already here, wet and freezing, we might as well kiss under the waterfall,” he says, a hand outstretched towards Buck. “I mean, that is what you had in mind, or not?”
Buck could have felt a tiny bit embarrassed, because, yes, that is what he had imagined, and yes, it is ridiculously cheesy, but the bigger part of him is once more amazed at how well Eddie knows him and is willing, even enthusiastic, to indulge him.
With a few more steps, Buck is at Eddie’s side, feeling the cold spray of water pelt down onto his skin. He could almost forget that feeling as soon as Eddie’s arms are around him and his lips on his, kissing him deeply.
As one hand roams down Buck’s back, he grins against the contact of their lips. “Hmm, I wonder where this is going.”
“Buck, no offense,” Eddie starts as he pulls away a little, “you’re hot as hell, but the water’s so cold nothing could go anywhere even if you had cloned yourself five times.”
“Well, six of me could try to keep you warm,” Buck replies and catches Eddie’s soft laugh with his lips.
Just a few moments later, however, Eddie pulls away and lets his arms sink from Buck’s body, the warmth of his contact lost.
“Alright, before my dick actually does snap off, let’s get out of here.”
Buck can only agree, cringing but laughing at Eddie’s words.
After they’ve dried themselves off and gotten back into their clothes, Eddie takes out his phone to snap a few pictures — of the falls and of Buck, and then, a selfie of both of them together with the waterfall in the back.
“We should’ve done that back in the water,” Buck remarks, a tiny bit regretfully that they haven’t thought of it before.
“Yeah. But there’s no way I’m getting back in there, so this’ll have to do,” Eddie replies, and Buck can’t really argue with that.
“So what’s next? We head back again?”
“Actually,” Buck starts as he shoulders his rucksack, “there’s more. Just a little hike down the creek. But we can take our time,” he says, as he checks his phone and sends a quick text to Ronny.
‘On my way up, right now. If you get there in 30 it’ll all be set,’ comes the reply a moment later, and then a second one, ‘from the falls it’s about 10-15 minutes.’
So they just sit on a flat boulder for a while, watching the scenery, and Eddie isn’t asking any questions, obviously happy to follow Buck’s lead and let him be surprised. It’s rather convenient in this instance that Eddie is so patient and relaxed.
When they finally continue with the afternoon sun ahead already sinking a bit lower, Buck soon spots the red band tied to one of the trees framing the creek. They’re not on the main trail any longer, and so Buck is grateful for the pointer Ronny has left him.
He leads Eddie up the slope to a hill overlooking the creek. The trees grow more sparsely here, and they have to climb up a somewhat rocky path to the hilltop. Buck is the first to peek over onto the small, flat plateau. The ground is mostly dirt, but there’s a bit of grass too, and one big pine tree throwing shade onto it. Underneath, the picnic area Ronny has set up for them blows Buck’s mind a little.
There’s a huge, yellow picnic blanket spread out, two cushions on either corner. A cooling box stands somewhere in the middle, next to a basket with various items for them to unpack — all packed in individual boxes, as Buck knows, to not attract the wildlife too quickly.
“Wow. Okay… Wow,” Eddie just says as he joins Buck at the hilltop, and Buck can only grin to himself, satisfied. “How did you—”
“Ronny,” he replies, “the guy working down at the visitor’s center. He used to be a roommate of mine, and we’ve kept in touch over Insta occasionally. So when he started posting pictures from up here, I got curious and asked if it was possible to arrange something like this.”
Eddie shakes his head softly, his brown eyes fixed on Buck with a gaze so tender but intense that it makes Buck a little weak in the knees.
“You’re amazing, you know that?” Eddie asks before he pulls Buck close and kisses him, letting their foreheads rest against each other for a moment after. “Seriously, thank you, Buck. Nobody’s ever done anything like this for me. Definitely not for just the anniversary of our first kiss. What are you gonna do when we’re—” But Eddie stops there, inhaling a little deeper and putting on a smile that is certainly concealing something, just that Buck can’t tell what.
He’s got no time to contemplate it, as Eddie already pulls him closer to the picnic blanket. “Alright, what’s in there? I’m kinda starving.”
The cooler and basket contain various cold snacks - bread and dips, taquitos, some fancy deli meats, cream cheese-filled peppers, bacon-wrapped dates and a bit of fresh fruit. For drinks, Buck briefly considered getting champagne, but they’re both more of beer drinkers, so he’s happy to find six bottles of IPA by a small craft brewery they both discovered recently.
They sit and eat as the late afternoon sun paints patterns over the blanket through the shade of the oak. They still got plenty of time to get back down the trail in the daylight, and Buck really wants to savor every moment they have here.
With their busy everyday lives, there isn’t much room for such adventures. Buck’s definitely not complaining, because he loves his job, and so does Eddie. They both love working together, enjoying their family life — and part of Buck still can’t believe he gets to call it that — together. But sometimes, doing something special like this is a nice change.
They could have gone for some fancy dinner down in the city, but at the end of the day, fancy restaurants and getting dressed up isn’t really them. This, doing something outdoors and just being alone together somewhere nice is much more their thing. Or at least Buck hopes Eddie feels the same way.
“What are you thinking?” Eddie asks as he plays with the greens he’s plucked from the last strawberry.
Buck shrugs softly. “Just wondering if you like this as much as I do.”
Eddie huffs out a soft little chuckle, his eyes warm and gentle as he gazes up at Buck. “Seriously, Buck. I told you nobody’s ever done anything like this for me. I mean I knew you’d come up with something amazing but—”
“Wait, you knew?” Buck asks in confused surprise and watches Eddie’s eyes go wider for a tiny second. Or maybe he’s just imagined that.
“This morning,” Eddie explains, “When you said you’d made plans.”
“Ah.”
Eddie pushes himself up on one hand and brings the other to Buck’s shoulder, wandering even higher to the collar of his shirt, fingertips trailing along its edge and gaze locked on Buck’s lips for a moment before he brings it up to Buck’s eyes. “I wouldn’t have come up with this, but it was perfect. Still is. So thank you.”
Buck can still taste the sweet strawberry on Eddie’s lips when they kiss. They’ve already packed most of the dishes and leftovers back into the cooler and basket, and so there’s nothing in the way when Buck lets Eddie pull him down to lie half on top of them as their lips move against each other.
It’s still a slow kiss, at first, and Buck can feel the gratitude and happiness Eddie is pouring into it, but he can also feel his own breathing speed up a little as the kisses and touches continue. Instinctively, Buck pushes closer, one leg sliding between Eddie’s thighs, and he can feel and hear his boyfriend’s breathing getting deeper too, turning into little sighs soon after.
The next sound Eddie lets out is a little regretful, though there’s still a smile on his lips when he gently pushes against Buck’s chest to bring a bit of distance between them. “Later, okay? At home. We still have to get back down that trail.”
Buck heaves a slightly exaggerated sigh, but he knows Eddie is right. As appealing as the thought of making love with the sun setting over the beautiful landscape is, they really need to get back to their car while it’s still light out.
“Yeah, you’re right. It’s just gonna be another two and a half to three hours before I can finally get in your pants.”
Eddie snorts out a chuckle. “You can always take another plunge in that pool on our way back if it gets too hard.”
“Did you have to use that word?” Buck accuses him, getting another, slightly louder laugh from Eddie. “You could’ve just said ‘difficult’.
They continue their banter as they pack up the picnic. Both the cooler and the basket have back straps, and so they’re easy to carry back down the trail. As agreed, Buck leaves both in the still open men’s room when they get back down, as Ronny has already finished his shift and closed up for the day.
They make it to their car just as the sun fully sets and back onto the highway with the last bit of twilight, seeing the night lights of the Los Angeles area in the distance sometime later.
Eddie’s a little quiet on their drive back home, but Buck isn’t worried. There are smiles and touches every now and then, their fingers entwining naturally over the center console. Eddie’s always been more tactile in their interactions, even long before they got together, but at the very beginning of their romantic relationship, Buck can remember how, well, shy they both were about those small gestures of affection. It was still so new to them, a little fragile and uncertain although Buck knew — had known for much longer — that he loved Eddie in every way possible.
Now, a year later, everything simply feels so beautifully natural. Like they were always meant to exist with each other in this exact way.
Buck can’t deny that he does feel a little tired as soon as they get home late in the evening, but he definitely doesn’t want it to end with both of them just falling into bed. Or, well, falling into bed to sleep, that is. Buck has got a few other things on his mind, in fact, and he starts to set the mood by gently pushing Eddie against the wall of the hallway, kissing him deeply.
Although Eddie sighs into the kiss with relish, he soon places a hand on Buck’s chest, bringing distance between them again. Biting his lower lip, Eddie looks at Buck with something apologetic in his eyes that makes Buck wonder if Eddie actually wants to go to sleep.
“I’ve got a confession to make,” Eddie says then, and Buck leans back a little, his brows furrowing quizzically.
“I didn’t forget about today. And I’ve got something for you, too.”
Mild confusion turns into genuine surprise, and something warm and excited spreads in Buck’s chest, pulling up the corners of his mouth and making his eyes grow wider. Any bit of tiredness entirely forgotten.
“What— What do you have?”
Eddie lets out a somewhat sheepish little laugh, gaze lowered before he takes a step to the side, out of Buck’s personal space. “Sit down on the couch. I’ll be right back, okay?” he asks and then, just very quickly, leans in and brushes a kiss to Buck’s cheek.
Buck has no idea what Eddie might have gotten for him, but he certainly is excited. A tiny bit affronted, too (but not seriously), that Eddie has been lying to him all day and pretended to not having thought much of their anniversary.
He’s still pondering what it is that Eddie could have gotten him and why he waited with the reveal until the evening when he hears Eddie’s footsteps down the hall and then sees him come back. There’s nothing in his hands, though, no wrapped gift that Buck can see, and he’s just utterly clueless as to what this could be about.
Eddie sits down next to him on the couch, a bit of a distance between them. He takes a somewhat deeper breath, and for some reason, he seems… nervous?
“Buck, what you did for me today was utterly amazing,” Eddie starts then as his hand reaches out, gently taking Buck’s and lacing their fingers together, “It’s shown me again just how lucky I am to have you in my life. And in Christopher’s.”
Buck feels emotion bubble up his throat at Eddie’s words, and he lets out a small, shaking little chuckle. “Yeah well, I’m really lucky to have you both in my life.”
Eddie nods, his gaze going down to their clasping hands as he seems to collect his words.
“I’m not really great with words,” Eddie laughs out softly, “This past year with you, and even before when we were just friends — though that’s not technically true, because it already was so much more than friendship for a long time.”
He bites his lip again, but he looks at Buck, looks him in the eyes with an intensity and affection in his gaze that takes Buck’s breath away. And yet, there’s something almost uncharacteristically shy there in the way Eddie fumbles for words and has to take moments to collect them.
“I didn’t forget the anniversary of the day we got together because I’ve been thinking about it for weeks, thinking I can’t believe it’s already been a year. But at the same time, it feels like it’s been much longer.”
Buck feels a small, breathy chuckle come over his lips. “I think I know what you mean.”
Eddie nods again, but then he shifts, his hand leaving Buck’s and going into the pocket of his jeans. “I didn’t think I’d ever have something like this. Not after Shannon, and even then—”
He trails off again, and Buck knows this is a difficult topic for him to touch. He knows Eddie and Shannon’s relationship was complicated, flawed in some ways, but he also knows Eddie genuinely and deeply loved her, and Buck doesn’t want to take any of that away, to elevate himself above her. But he’s also so damn glad that he and Eddie seem to be more on the same wavelength, and better at communicating, and maybe that’s just because they’re both several years older than Eddie and Shannon were when they got together.
“Crap,” Eddie breathes out another chuckle, looking up in the air. “I had this whole speech planned.”
“Speech?” Buck asks, confused. His body seems to be reacting to the words faster than his brain, somehow, because there’s a tingling feeling in the pit of his stomach, bubbling up through his chest and hitching in his throat.
Eddie looks at him again, and now he pulls out something from the pocket of his pants. It’s a small, flat case, black lacquer with a silver rim, smooth and cool in Buck’s hand as he takes it.
“Open it,” Eddie prompts as he finally looks back at Buck, his gaze fixed on him, expectant.
And so Buck does, still confused and none the wiser when the little case snaps open to reveal—
“A business card of a jeweler’s?”
As he looks at Eddie again, he can see his gaze trail off again as he inhales deeply. Then, Eddie moves from the couch to the narrow space between it and the coffee table, takes Buck’s hand, and — as Buck realizes now with a thundering heartbeat in his chest — gets down on one knee.
“I love you so much,” he starts, something blazing in his voice, strong and sure but also trembling with emotion. “I’m not gonna go anywhere, and I don’t want you to go anywhere either. You’re my home, my and Christopher’s family, and the love of my life, Evan, and I want to spend every day of it with you until I die. Will you marry me?”
Buck doesn’t know how to speak. A part of him feels like he also forgot how to breathe because — as much as he will realize later that they signs were all there — he had not seen this coming. Only in his wildest dreams has he imagined something like this, and even then he thought it would take longer, take much more to reach this point.
He’s barely aware of the sound of his breathing — ragged and hitching, tears welling in his eyes. A mix of a sob and a laugh comes over his smiling lips. “Oh my God,” are the first words he gets out in barely more than a whisper.
Eddie’s expectant gaze turned into one of affectionate amusement, his eyes narrowing a fraction and a tiny, crooked smirk pulling up one corner of his mouth. “Is that a yes?”
And Buck just has to laugh out again, not caring that happy tears are falling from his eyes now as he just pulls Eddie up into his arms. “Yes. That’s a yes.”
Eddie softly laughs against Buck’s ear as well as he returns the tight embrace until Buck leans back and brings both hands to Eddie’s cheeks and kisses him, lips firmly pressed against his boyfriend’s— his fiance’s.
“I really did not see this coming,” he confesses, his voice thick with emotion as he reluctantly pulls away.
Eddie follows Buck’s gaze to the card still in his hand. “I thought it was kinda weird if just one of us wears an engagement ring. So I thought I’d give you this,” Eddie explains.
“So we can pick our wedding rings together?” Buck asks, his breath again hitching in his throat with how fast and excited his heart is beating at him having uttered the words ‘wedding rings’ in this context.
Eddie nods, one arm now around Buck’s back, holding him close to his side, their foreheads almost touching. “It’s not a proper gift though.”
“Stop. It’s the best gift I’ve ever gotten in my entire life,” Buck says and turns his head to chase Eddie’s lips for another tender kiss.
“Does… does Christopher know already?” he has to ask. He’s not exactly worried. Christopher has been fully on board of them going from best friends to boyfriends, and Buck knows the kid loves having him around, too. But still, marriage is a big step.
Eddie lets out a small chuckle. “Yeah. He does. And he’s really amazing at keeping secrets.”
Buck knows he’s not Christopher’s dad. Eddie has several years on him to be entitled to feel any pride in his kid, but Buck can’t help to feel it too, feel happiness and gratitude that he hasn’t only won his dad’s heart but the boy’s as well. Buck has found the family he never dared dream of having.
Or maybe he hasn’t found it. He suddenly has to think of what Thomas, the old man who lost his husband and died just a few moments later, once told him. You don’t find it, son, you make it . He’s never forgotten those words, but he’s also never fully trusted that something so perfect and wonderful was something that he could actually work towards and make for himself. Maybe, in the end, it was a mix of both, of finding something, some one and then not giving up.
“So…” Eddie starts after a moment, his thumb caressing the back of Buck’s hand in gentle circles. “We were kinda looking forward to having the house all to ourselves.”
Buck huffs out a chuckle, turning a little and pushing himself closer to Eddie. “You mean we should practice for our wedding night?” And again, his heart does that funny little thump in his chest at any mention of said wedding. God, Buck still can’t fully believe it.
There’s a smirk on Eddie’s lips before he licks them, his gaze going to Buck’s. “That was the plan.”
“You do know you didn’t have to propose just to get in my pants, right?” Buck replies, feeling confident enough, elated enough to joke about this and challenge Eddie to follow up with something sassy and teasing.
Whatever it’ll be — tonight, tomorrow, next month, in twenty years and more — Buck knows he’ll love it, will love Eddie for every little thing he says or does to make him smile and make him happy.
There’s still so much of it to discover. Together.