Work Text:
Hour one
Buck had a little hop to his step as he went to answer his phone, sliding onto his kitchen counter. It was early in the morning, just after six a.m., Buck already wide awake.
Maddie’s sing-songy voice greeted him, Buck smiling with a tilt of his head as she sang him the birthday song.
“So, what is my baby brother doing for his birthday today?”
Buck shared a private smile with himself, trying to sound casual as he answered his sister.
“Eddie’s um, he’s taking me…somewhere.”
Smooth Buck, real smooth.
There was a hint of a tease to Maddie’s tone as she answered, Buck rolling his eyes even though he knew she couldn’t see him.
“Oh, is he now? Where exactly is somewhere?
“He um, he didn’t really say, just that-that I should pack an overnight bag…”
Buck could practically see Maddie’s smug smile coming through the phone.
“Well just make sure you two use protection and—”
“Maddie!” Buck all but hissed through the speaker, ignoring his sisters giggle.
“Ok, ok. Just remember to have fun, yes? I love you Evan, Happy Birthday!”
“Yea, yea. Love you too Mads.”
There was another faint laugh before Maddie hung up, Buck sighing as he tossed his phone to the side. All Eddie had told him was that they were going somewhere, just the two of them, and that they would be staying the night wherever this said place was.
Buck had no idea why Eddie would invite him somewhere—alone, but he didn’t really have a reason to question it or say no. Eddie was his best friend, and had never stirred him wrong thus far. There was just the whole part about Buck being completely and irrevocably in love with said best friend, something he would have to keep from belting out to Eddie for the next twenty-four hours or so.
It wasn’t like he hadn’t been doing it for the last few years, but they were getting more difficult to hide, especially when Eddie presented him with overnight trips.
At the sound of his lock turning, Buck hopped off the counter just in time to greet Eddie who let himself in with his spare key.
“Hey Birthday boy.”
Buck ducked his head as he tried to hide his blush, grinning over to Eddie.
“Hi.”
Eddie stepped toward him, reaching his hand out to place over Buck’s shoulder, tilting his head down just like he did whenever he was trying to gain Buck’s attention.
“All ready to go?”
“Yea, just uh, let me grab my bag.”
Eddie squeezed his shoulder before pulling away, moving to grab his bag.
“Nope, it’s your birthday. No heavy lifting for you today.”
Buck thought about arguing, though he knew it was useless. If Eddie wanted to wine and dine him, then who was he to say no?
He followed Eddie out to his truck, climbing into the passenger seat while Eddie loaded his bag into the back beside his own. As Eddie came to take his seat, firing the truck up, he glanced over to Buck.
“I should warn you that this is like an eight-hour trip, so get comfortable bud.”
Eight hours, alone…in a car…with Eddie?
Yea, this was fine, everything was good.
Buck simply nodded, rolling his window down as Eddie took off, letting the cool breeze refresh him.
He lasted until they hit the freeway before he started to fidget with his fingers, his knees bouncing up and down in sync.
Eddie looked to him out of the corner of his eyes, Buck willing himself to sit still.
“Hey, wanna play a game?”
Oh yea. Buck was good at those.
“Like the license plate game?”
“I was thinking more like twenty questions.”
Buck’s face lit up in an eager smile as he turned toward Eddie, rubbing his hands together. Before he could get a word out, Eddie looked over to him with raised brows.
“Not about where we’re going either. So just—get that out of your mind right now.”
Buck sighed heavily. Damn Eddie for always knowing exactly what he was thinking.
What to ask that Buck didn’t already know about Eddie? They spent so much time together, it was difficult to think of something he didn’t already know, or hadn’t already asked over the years.
“Ok, do you…like cheese?”
Eddie glared over to him.
Buck threw his hands out. “Flow is flow.”
“Buck, I am not spending the next eight hours quoting She’s The Man with you….no matter how much you pout.”
Buck tucked his lip back in, sighing once more. Who didn’t love Channing Tatum?
“Fine, fine. How about—what’s the worst date you’ve ever been on?”
Eddie deadpanned. “Probably the one where I re-proposed and Shannon asked for a divorce. You?”
Yea, this was off to a great start.
“Um, probably the one with Veronica. She didn’t find anything I had to say interesting, then I found out she lived in the same complex.”
“Yea, I remember that. Her loss Buck. I love listening to your random facts. Keeps things interesting, you know?”
Buck cleared his throat awkwardly, nodding over to Eddie in thanks. How the hell was he supposed to survive seven more hours of this? Oh well. Onto the next question.
“Tell me about your first kiss.”
Eddie kept his eyes on the road, though Buck saw the sharp pause he took.
“It was with Shannon. I um, I haven’t really kissed that many people. I have to-to really know someone before I get that feeling, you know?”
Buck didn’t, though he nodded anyway. He’d used sex to escape things for so long that kisses eventually became just that—kisses; they were just another way to distract himself.
“What about you?”
Oh, right, he was supposed to answer the question too.
“I can’t really remember honestly, but probably Bella, or Tony, in like—the first grade?”
Eddie turned his attention on Buck, looking him over curiously. Should he have upped it to fourth grade?
“Tony, huh?”
Oh.
“Yea, I’ve um, I’ve kissed lots of girls…and guys.”
Well look at that. Apparently, there were things they hadn’t talked about before.
“Have you—ever been with a guy?”
Eddie looked away from him then, focusing back on the road ahead.
“No, no not yet.”
Well Buck would just be filing that little piece of information away for later then.
It was Eddie who asked the next question, Buck thankful to have the pressure off him for the moment.
“Have you—been with a guy. I mean like, had uh, had—”
“Sex with a guy?” Buck finished for him.
Eddie nodded his head in answer, still not looking to Buck.
“Yea sure, plenty of times.”
When Eddie didn’t say anything, Buck couldn’t help but to ask the question that popped into his head.
“Do you think you’d be a top or a bottom?”
Eddie did look to him then, a somewhat terrified expression covering his face.
“I um, don’t know. Guess it’d depend on the person and all.”
“Well, I’m versatile, just so you know.”
Why the hell had his mouth just spewed out those words?
“Ok, good to know.”
Good to know? What the hell did that mean?
“So, what’s your favorite telenovela?”
It was time Buck steered their conversation back to safter grounds. He couldn’t take all the sexual tension, not for the next seven plus hours.
~
Hour Two
Buck fiddled with the radio dial as he tried to find a station, finally pulling out his phone. He brought up their playlist, the one he’d titled ‘Rides with Eds 🛻😜’ the familiar music filling the truck as they went.
Eddie hummed along while Buck tapped out the beat with his fingers, watching all the billboards as they drove by.
“Whoa, look at that waterfall Eds!”
Eddie glanced over to the sign just as they passed it, smiling over to Buck.
“Yea, looks beautiful.”
With the way Eddie looked at Buck, those browns so soft and warm, Buck wasn’t sure if Eddie was referring to the waterfall, or him.
Buck tried to shake the flush out of his cheeks as he picked up his phone, pulling up his favorite app—Wikipedia.
“Did you know that it’s a steep 1.7-mile hike to get to the waterfall? It’s like 700 feet up to the falls.”
“That sounds nice actually.”
It did, didn’t it?
“It was only discovered like eight years ago. It used to be an old logging sight.”
Eddie nodded his head as Buck continued his scrolling, saying aloud anything of particular interest. He held his phone out to show Eddie all the gorgeous pictures of the fall, Eddie turning to look at them when it was safe to do so.
Buck saved a few of the pictures, opening his notes file to add to his list.
“Gonna add that to your bucket list?”
Buck had both told and shown Eddie his list several times, though it still made him giddy every time Eddie remembered some small detail about him.
“Yea. I’ve always wanted to visit a waterfall. I’ll have to make a trip up there one day.”
“Maybe I can go with you?”
Buck tried to hide his excitement as he smiled over to Eddie.
“Yea I’d um—that would be fun Eds.”
~
Hour Three
Buck turned to Eddie with raised brows as he exited off the freeway, some other unknown destination in mind.
“Coffee break?”
Buck never turned one of those down.
Eddie pulled into the parking lot and up to the drive thru window, Buck’s blues roaming over the menu.
When the gal came over to take their order, Eddie ordered his usual black coffee with cream, hitching his thumb toward Buck after. “What does the birthday boy want?”
Buck’s entire brain fizzled at that; he suddenly forgot what words were or how to order.
Eddie only gave him a soft smile before ordering for him, Buck not having a care in the world what it was. When he reached into his wallet for a bill, Eddie waived him off.
“My treat. Can’t let you pay for things on your own birthday.”
No, no they wouldn’t want that.
When they pulled up to the next window, Eddie paid, happily taking their drinks, handing one off to Buck that was filled to the top with whipped cream and sprinkles, ‘Happy Birthday’ scrawled along the cup.
Buck licked at his lips, moving his tongue to swipe the whip cream off that was bubbling over the top.
“This tastes amazing. Thanks Eds.”
Eddie’s cheeks flushed a tinge as he looked to Buck; it must’ve been from the cool breeze blowing in through the open window.
As they came to the stoplight, Eddie scanned Buck over, pulling in his lower lip.
“You’ve um, you’ve got a little whip cream on your face.”
Buck reached his hand up to swipe at it, though apparently missed judging by the look on Eddies’ face.
“Here, let-let me.”
Eddie lifted his hand to Buck’s face, his thumb swiping just below his lips ever so gently. Buck was so lost on the specks of green in Eddie’s eyes that he forgot where they were; apparently Eddie did too, the person behind them honking to signal the light had turned green.
To keep himself from gazing at Eddie any longer, Buck lifted his phone up to scroll through his notifications, replying to as many ‘happy birthday’ posts sent to him as he could.
When they came to another stop, Buck looked over to Eddie, only hesitating a second before holding his phone up in front of them, his birthday drink on display.
“Birthday pic?”
Eddie leaned in closer, their beaming smiles hitting the camera as Buck clicked the capture button. He made himself post it before he could think about it too much, tagging Eddie, adding the caption ‘your best friend < my best friend’
~
Hour Four
As Eddie pulled off the side of the rode, he glanced over to Buck with a tired smile, stifling a yawn as he went.
“Wanna drive for a bit?”
Buck easily agreed, hopping out of the truck to move round to the driver’s side. Eddie was stood there stretching, his sweatshirt lifting just enough for Buck to see his bare skin, giving him a hint of that solid eight-pack that he knew laid just beneath.
“Eyes on the road bud.”
Buck all but jumped out of his skin, though Eddie only winked as he made his way to the passenger side.
Four more hours to go. Get it together Buckley.
Buck maneuvered the truck back onto the road, watching out of the corner of his eye as Eddie got comfortable, slouching in the seat, resting his head on the window frame.
“Just keep going straight, we don’t need to get off anywhere for a while.”
Buck gave a quick nod of his head, Eddie apparently taking that as his signal, passing out within minutes. Buck kept the truck steady, trying his damndest to keep his eyes on the road, and not on the sleeping beauty that was sat next to him.
He desperately wanted to know where they were going, though he also liked the element of a surprise. Eddie had surprised him plenty in the past, little trips to the space museum here, his favorite breakfast order there, but never anything quite of this magnitude.
This was probably his—fourth? birthday that he’d be celebrating with Eddie, and none had ever led them out of town on an ominous road trip.
A lot of his birthdays as a kid had been unmemorable, his parents often forgetting what day it even was. Maddie always made them special though; she never let anyone forget about him. As for his adult birthday’s, well, Buck hadn’t been sober for many of them. And after meeting Eddie they’d all been spent with the team, ending the night with his Diaz boys, the three of them gathering on the couch to eat copious amounts of cake and ice-cream. He smiled for the memory, wishing Chris was here with them now.
Eddie let out an adorable little snore, his pretty face all but smushed into the window frame. Buck wanted to take a picture to capture the moment forever, maybe to tease him with later, though he needed to keep his attention on the road; the image would just have to live rent-free in his head next to all the others of Eddie doing adorable things.
As far as birthday’s went, this one was already turning out to be one of his favorites. Any time spent with Eddie automatically went on the list of his favorite memories.
~
Hour Five
Buck was humming along to the music, rocking from side to side as he kept one foot on the gas, his hand on the steering wheel.
“Shit!”
A loud ‘pop’ suddenly sounded, Buck trying to keep the truck steady as Eddie bolted upright, letting out the shrillest scream Buck had ever heard from him. He managed to get the truck safely off to the side, putting it into park and shutting off the engine before turning to Eddie.
“Are you ok?”
Eddie furrowed his brows together, clearing his throat as he sat up straighter.
“Fine. You?”
“Yea I’m good.”
They silently agreed to get out of the truck to assess the damage, quickly spotting which tire had blown.
“You got a spare?”
Eddie nodded his head. “Yea, let me go grab the kit.”
Once Eddie came back with everything, they worked together seamlessly, just as they did at work; they were always in sync, no matter the scenario.
“I didn’t know your voice could go that high.”
Eddie stopped what he was doing, glaring over to Buck.
“It was a yelp. I was just startled.”
“You screamed.”
“I did not.”
Buck waggled the wrench out in front of him, Eddie sitting unamused as he looked back to him.
“Ok Eds, whatever you say.”
Eddie grabbed for the wrench, his fingers covering over Bucks’.
“If I ever scream, you’d be the first to know.”
Buck swallowed thickly as Eddie removed his hand, getting right back to work.
Once the spare was on and they’d cleaned everything up, Buck made for the driver’s side, though was quickly stopped by Eddie who held his hands out for the keys.
“I think it’s best if I do the rest of the driving.”
Buck rolled his eyes, though he placed the keys in Eddie’s hand, not pulling back right away.
“Fine. At least you won’t have to worry about me screaming at the top of my lungs if we pop another tire.”
“I didn’t scream!”
As Buck rounded to the other side of the truck, he hollered back, “did to!”
They of course kept this banter up all the way to the repair shop, even going so far as to stick their tongues out; yes, they were very mature.
~
Hour Six
They’d finally gotten back on the road, new tire in place, food in their bellies from the restaurant that had been nearby.
Eddie was suddenly very interested in his GPS, constantly looking over at his phone.
“Are we almost there?”
Eddie gave him a glare that said, ‘we’re not starting that, are we?’
Buck simply shrugged. “You just keep checking your phone.”
Eddie looked to his phone once more, then over to Buck.
“Can you look up the best way to drive through snow for me, please?”
Finally, a hint!
“Yea sure.”
Buck busied himself with his phone, completely getting lost in it, reading off all the best ways to drive through snow, when chains were required, and the tires best suited for it. It wasn’t until Eddie called out to him that Buck realized they’d stopped, a meadow-like scenery sat in front of them. He risked asking the question he’d voiced only minutes ago.
“Uh, are we-are we here?”
Eddie shrugged his shoulders, his lips curving up into a smile.
“This is our pre-stop. Look at the sign.”
Buck followed Eddie’s finger, his blues widening as he looked from the sign, back over to Eddie.
“The waterfall—from the billboard?”
“Yep. I looked it up while we were at the shop and saw it was on the way. We can keep going if you don’t want to stop though.”
Buck lunged toward Eddie, pressing his hand back from the gear shift.
“No, no, no. I want to go!”
Eddie chuckled as he slid his hand out from under Bucks’, moving to open his door.
“Alright then birthday boy, let’s go.”
Buck all but scrambled out of the truck to follow Eddie, falling right into step with him. They grabbed a light duffle Eddie always kept in the back, filling it with water and a few snacks.
Eddie pulled at the hem of his sweatshirt, nodding over to Buck.
“You might wanna grab one, in case it gets cold closer to the falls.”
Buck just shrugged. “I’ll be fine.”
He was way too excited to get to the waterfall to even care about the temperature outside.
Eddie gave him the ‘dad look,’ the one he reserved for Christopher, though he didn’t say anything.
They walked side by side, bumping shoulders as they went.
“It’s 1.7 miles up, so we’ll have to do 1.7 to get back. That’ll give us a grand total of 3.4 miles!”
Eddie stopped, bringing Buck to a halt as well, his best friend staring at him unblinking.
“What?”
“You don’t know math.”
And that was—true; numbers generally confused him.
“I um, I’m good at fun math.”
Eddie shook his head with a soft chuckle.
“You’re such a dork.”
“Yea, but I’m a cute dork.”
“That you are.”
It was Buck who stopped this time, staring to Eddie who was just ahead of him now.
“You coming birthday boy?”
God, Buck was never going to get tired of Eddie saying that.”
He used his long legs to catch up to Eddie in one stride, the two of them easily falling back into sync.
As advertised, the trail was fairly steep, though they barely noticed, keeping a steady pace as they went. They constantly trained for things like this, neither of them finding the hike difficult in the least.
There were several views as they walked along the trail, the two of them pointing out sights along the way, Buck snapping pictures as they went. They crossed a few bridges, Buck bounding across them excitedly, Eddie giving him that fond eyeroll that he seemed to reserve only for Buck.
“Oo, oo I see it Eds!”
Buck leaned all the way up on the tips of his feet as he pointed over toward the waterfall that was just coming into view. He was so caught up on it that he nearly missed the step down, Eddie reaching a hand out to steady him, not letting go as he helped Buck down. Buck smiled sheepishly, squeezing Eddie’s hand in thanks. They continued forward then, not stopping until the falls were right in front of them, the view absolutely breathtaking.
The waterfall trialed down the hillside, falling into several divots before reaching the bottom, pooling into the rest of the water below.
“Wow, it’s beautiful.”
Eddie hummed in agreement, though he wasn’t even looking at the waterfall, Buck the only other thing in sight.
“C’mon, let’s get closer.”
Eddie stuck his hand out, Buck only hesitating for a moment before placing his hand into Eddie’s, the two of them moving closer to the falls.
They stood admiring it for a few minutes, Buck taking several pictures from various angles, snapping a few of Eddie when he wasn’t looking; yes, the view was stunning indeed.
“Take a picture with me?”
Eddie turned with a smile already splayed across his face, moving closer to Buck. They twisted to face away from the waterfall, Buck placing the phone out in front of them so that the waterfall made up the background. Just as Buck was clicking the capture button, Eddie’s foot slipped on a piece of rubble, knocking their bodies closer together, their faces turned toward the other. Buck didn’t have the guts to ask for a retake and Eddie didn’t say anything either. It was instantly one of Buck’s favorite pictures.
They sat in the grassy area, pressed together from their shoulders down to their thighs, sharing a few of the snacks and slugging back some water to keep hydrated. Buck couldn’t help but to shiver as the wind picked up, leaning unconsciously closer into Eddie’s space.
“Told you you’d need a sweatshirt.”
Buck stuck his tongue out, though he only pressed closer into Eddie’s space, frowning when Eddie pulled away.
“Here, take mine.”
Eddie pressed the hoodie he’d just peeled off his body out toward Buck, beckoning him to take it.
“Then you’ll be cold.”
Eddie simply shrugged as he dropped the sweatshirt into Buck’s lap.
“Yea, but at least you’ll be warm.”
And well, Buck didn’t have anything to say about that.
He took Eddie’s sweatshirt, placing his arms into the sleeves before pulling the hood over his head, basking in the comforting scent of Eddie, notes of his cedar shampoo and laundry detergent filling his nose.
“Thanks.”
Eddie leaned in closer to him, their warmth blending together. It was these moments for Buck, the ones that no camera could ever capture that he cherished the most.
They eventually made their way back down, Eddie cranking up the heater when they hopped into the truck.
“So, are we going somewhere where there’s snow, or were you just trying to distract me?”
Eddie gave him a cheeky smile, not denying any of it.
“Both.”
Buck shivered again, though not for the temperature in the air.
The detour had set them back an hour, not that you’d find Buck complaining. If it were up to him, he’d never want this road trip to end.
~
Hour Seven
Shortly after they’d gotten back on the road, Buck had fallen asleep, waking when Eddie gently shook his shoulder.
“Hey, sorry to wake you, but I’m stopping to get gas if you need to stretch or anything.”
Buck let out a yawn as he stretched his arms out in front of him, his tummy growling in protest. Well, he could use a few snacks in his life if nothing else.
As he exited the truck, Eddie had come round to his side to open the gas gap, his hand outstretched with a wad of cash.
“Here, snacks on me. Get whatever you want.”
Buck couldn’t hide the blush that crept up his cheeks, nor the smile that was threating to spread over his face. He reached for the money, letting their fingers brush together for longer than was necessary.
“Thanks Eds.”
Eddie gave him a dopey smile, one that had Buck grinning from ear to ear as he all but skipped into the convenient store.
He walked down each of the aisles, grabbing little packages of cookies, chips, and candy along the way, stopping at the coolers last. Since they couldn’t have beers while driving, Buck settled on the next best thing, grabbing them each a slushie cup, filling one with blue raspberry for himself, the other with cherry for Eddie.
After paying for everything, Buck gathered all the goodies into his arms, juggling them as he went. Eddie gave him that fond eyeroll as he approached the truck, though immediately stepped forward to help Buck with everything.
“Did you clear out the whole store birthday boy?”
Buck smiled sheepishly. “Only half.”
Eddie chuckled as he placed the items onto the backseat, pausing as he sifted through them.
“Buck?”
“Uh, yea?”
If he’d spent too much money, he could pay Eddie back. He hated taking the man’s money anyway.
“These are all of my favorite snacks?”
Oh. Were they?
Buck leaned forward to peer over Eddie, practically resting his chin onto Eddie’s shoulder. Sure enough, there was a bag of Doritos, a canister of Pringles, the regular blend of Chex Mix—the caramel one was the best, thanks—and two large Snickers bars. Yep, it checked out. Those were indeed all of Eddie’s favorite snacks. Oops.
He hadn’t meant to get all the things Eddie loved, it was just something he’d done naturally, not even thinking of himself when he’d been hunting down snacks. Besides, Eddie was already doing so much for him today; he definitely deserved some of his favorite treats.
“Yea well, I thought that, you know, you deserved something nice for everything you’ve done for me today.”
Buck wasn’t about to tell him all of this had been and unconscious decision.
“Buck.”
Eddie said his name softer this time, Buck turning toward him when Eddie didn’t say anything else. He’d forgotten where his head had been resting over Eddie’s shoulder, Buck now staring right into those big browns, the ones laced with green.
“I-I um, if you uh, don’t want—I can uh—”
“You’re adorable when you’re flustered.”
Eddie leaned in closer, moving his head slowly from side to side as he brushed their noses together, Buck all but forgetting how to breathe.
He hadn’t realized he’d closed his eyes, opening them to darkened browns, Eddie all but swimming in his blues. One of Eddie’s hands came up to cup his cheek, the other taking Buck at the waist.
“I could um, I could give you your present now? Or maybe-maybe later?”
Buck was breathless as he pushed closer into Eddie’s space.
“Now Eds, please now!”
There was a faint chuckle from Eddie, though it was quickly lost as he pressed his lips to Buck, capturing them wholly. Eddie’s kisses were soft and tender, yet heated at the same time, just as the rest of Eddie was. Eddie’s kisses were anything but just a kiss; they were everything Buck had been missing, everything he’d been yearning for.
Buck’s hands moved to Eddie’s hips as he pressed impossibly closer into his space, tripping over their tangle of feet, sending Eddie backwards and across the back seat, Buck falling right atop him.
They let out the most ridiculous giggles as they continued to kiss one another, pressing their smiles into each other.
“Gosh Eds, you didn’t have to take me on an eight-hour road trip just to do that.”
Eddie laughed with a shake of his head as he pushed Buck so he could move them both to a sitting position.
“Trust me, I’ve been wanting to do that since I pulled into your drive this morning, and even before then.”
Eddie had been wanting to kiss him, all this time?
There was a gentle hand on his face again, Eddie reeling him back in.
“Hey, of course I’ve been wanting to kiss you. I sort of like you, you know?”
Yea, Buck was starting to get the hint.
“I uh, sort of—love you.”
Eddie’s lips were crashing back into his in an instant, Buck just as giddy as he’d been moments ago.
“And I love you, birthday boy.”
Buck committed those words to memory, letting them play out over and over in his head as they got back onto the road, Eddie’s free hand tightly squeezed into his own.
~
Hour Eight
It was the last hour of the trip, Buck a ball of nerves and anxiety, the only thing keeping him in his seat being Eddie’s hand firmly pressed over his thigh, squeezing and rubbing assurances every so often.
“Just-just tell me how much longer till we’re there?”
Eddie took Buck’s hand in his, bringing it up to his lips before softly peppering kisses across his knuckles.
“Nope.”
Buck threw his head back dramatically, sighing as it thudded against the headrest.
“Can’t I even get a hint of where we’re going?”
“Not a chance birthday boy.”
Buck was not ashamed of what he did next.
He pulled his hand away from Eddie as he crossed his arms over his chest, pouting his lip outward.
“Fine then. No more kisses…or-or holding my hand.”
Eddie huffed out a laugh, though he didn’t give in.
“Fine. We’ll see who lasts longer.”
“You’re on Diaz.”
Buck pressed himself closer to the door as he slid further away from Eddie, smushing the side of his face into the cool glass to watch the road as they went. Eddie stayed where he was, unmoving, though Buck could feel those browns wandering over to him every now and then. Clasping his fingers together, Buck tried to keep the itch at bay, focusing his attention on the exits as they passed them; he counted five before desire took over.
He all but threw himself across the seat, moving to the middle so he could fully mold himself to Eddie, wrapping his hands around Eddie’s free arm.
“Please Eds. Give me something, a hint or—just anything!”
Eddie tilted his head to the side, pressing his lips over Buck’s birthmark, brushing his lips over the spot after.
“Soon baby, promise.”
And that? That kept Buck quiet for the rest of the drive, his mind spinning about a hundred miles an hour.
When Eddie finally pulled off the freeway and main road, Buck untangled himself enough to sit up, hand still tightly clasped with Eddie’s.
They were on some unbeaten path, the wind blowing around them in swirls as a white substance dropped from the sky; it was snowing!
“Wait, you really needed that snow information?”
Eddie shrugged innocently. “That, and I just love listening to your voice.”
Buck’s entire face spread into a grin as he beamed over to Eddie, only looking away when he caught twinkling lights in the corner of his eye.
There in front of them, was this vast lodge, one covered in golden twinkly lights, the banister dusted with a light pattering of snow, the porch wrapping all around it. It sat up off the ground, the driveway vast with plenty of nature surrounding it.
Buck just—he had no words.
“Eds this is, it’s—”
Eddie squeezed Buck’s hand, tugging him closer.
“Wanna take a look at the inside?”
All Buck could do was nod his head up and down excitedly, barely able to wait for Eddie to meet him on the other side. He followed Eddie up to the door, trying to contain his excitement as Eddie placed the key he’d been hiding into the lock, turning to Buck before pushing it open.
“Ready birthday boy?”
Buck shook his head as he all but pushed Eddie in through the doorway, stopping dead in his tracks when the lights suddenly flickered on, bringing the room to light. Stood there in front of him, were all of his friends and family, shouting ‘SURPRISE!’
Buck was so overwhelmed and excited that he ignored the tears in his eyes, taking Eddie’s face in his hands instead, kissing his—well kissing his Eddie senseless.
“God, I love you so fucking much!”
At the clearing of throats, Buck suddenly remembered they weren’t alone, and that he probably wasn’t supposed to kiss Eddie in front of everyone. Oops.
Chris was stood next to him then, Buck bending to take the boy in his arms, crutches and all as he spun around a giggling Christopher.
Next was Maddie who all but leapt into his arms, Buck spinning her around just as easily.
“Did you really think I wouldn’t come see you on your birthday?”
Buck had hoped, though the phone call this morning had sufficed.”
Everyone came up to wish him happy birthday then, all of them bringing him in for tight hugs. There was Hen and Karen with Denny, Carla had come with Chris, then there was of course Bobby and Athena with May and Harry, Chimney with Maddie, and his adorable niece, Michael and his fiancé’ David joining in as well.
“Come to uncle Buck Jee!”
Oh yes, Albert was there too, reluctantly handing off Jee-Yun to him.
As Buck held his niece in his arms, he looked around to everyone, the brightest smile plastered over his face. The festivities hadn’t even begun, and already Buck knew this was going to be the best night ever. It really was turning out to be his favorite birthday.
~
When Maddie finally pried Buck away from Eddie’s side, she handed over Jee as they got comfortable on the large and cozy couch.
“So uh, Eddie might’ve mentioned this wasn’t completely his idea?”
Maddie gave him a soft smile, though there was a sadness behind it.
“I just thought you deserved something nice.” She waived her hands to the space surrounding them. “This belongs to our family actually. Mom and dad haven’t used it in years though, or ever really.”
Buck had always hated how his parents threw money around like it was nothing, not even utilizing half the shit they bought.
Seeming to read his mind, Maddie cut him off before he could respond.
“I know, I know, you hate mom and dad’s money, but just—enjoy this for what it is…for me?”
Buck could never say no to his sister, not when she’d done so much for him over the years.
“Ok Mads. And just for the record, I was only gonna thank you. This has seriously been the best birthday ever. I can’t believe you guys did all this for me.”
“Of course we would. We love you Evan.”
At about that time, Buck caught sight of Eddie in the kitchen, looking down to Chris, the two of them giggling about something.
Maddie’s foot pressed into his leg, Buck focusing his attention back on her to see her raised brows.
“Anything you wanna share with me brother?”
His lips tingled just for the memory of Eddie’s mouth pressed to his, Buck reaching up to absently brush a finger over his lips.
“Nope, nothing uh, nothing comes to mind sis.”
“Mmhmm. Well get out of here, go enjoy your Eddie and the rest of your party.”
Buck stood from the couch, keeping Jee safely pressed between them as he bent to hug Maddie, kissing her lightly over her head.
“Thanks Mads, you’re the best.”
~
He spent the rest of the night all but attached to Chris and Eddie’s hips, smiling over to Maddie in-between.
Everyone showered him in food, cake, and presents, Buck ecstatic for it all, thanking everyone with another round of hugs.
With the breeze whipping through the air, Buck found himself out on the back deck, tucking himself further into Eddie’s hoodie he still wore as he leaned against the railing.
Warm hands were soon wrapping around his waist as Eddie tucked in behind him, resting his head over Buck’s shoulder.
“Sorry for kissing you in front of everyone.”
“Buck, you don’t ever need to apologize for kissing me. We can deal with Hen and Chimney’s bet later.”
Buck turned in Eddie’s arms, Eddie sliding right up into his space once more.
“There’s a bet?”
“Mmmhmm.”
Suddenly, Buck didn’t care about any silly bets, pressing closer until his lips found Eddie’s, kissing him soft and slow.
When Eddie eventually pulled away, he stayed close, breath ghosting over Buck.
“You know, there is something I forgot to give you the tour of.”
“Yea? What’s that?”
Eddie reached for Buck’s hand, tugging him along as he went.
“C’mon birthday boy, I’ll show you.”
Buck let himself be pulled by Eddie, the two of them quickly stopping to say goodnight to everyone along the way, tucking Christopher in with kisses to the head as they went.
When they reached the end of the vast hallway, Eddie tugged him down another cordier, stopping when they reached two French doors.
Eddie waggled his brows playfully as he turned to Buck.
“The master suite.”
As the doors opened, Buck took in the wide windows that opened up to a personal balcony, a cozy bed big enough for about four of Buck sitting in the middle.
“Eddie, are you—trying to get me into my birthday suit?”
“Oh, I’m way past trying.”
With that, Eddie dragged Buck over to the bed, climbing atop him, those browns filled with desire as they looked down on him.
Several minutes later found them both in their birthday suits, the two of them breathing heavily as they laid next to each other, Buck draped over Eddie.
He glanced over to the clock on the side table, sighing heavily.
“What’s wrong love?”
“Just, my birthday’s almost over.”
Eddie rubbed his hand over Buck’s back soothingly, pressing kisses to the top of his head.
“I’ll still love you tomorrow, and every day after that.”
A smiled crept up Buck’s face, though he didn’t quite let it show.
“It’s not that.”
“Ok, what is it then? You can tell me anything Buck.”
Buck twisted in Eddie’s hold so that he could look up to him, though at the last second, he looked down, absently moving his fingers over Eddie’s bare chest.
“It’s just that, it won’t be my birthday anymore, so you won’t’-won’t call me the ‘birthday boy’.”
Eddie’s fingers came under his chin then, gently tilting it back up so their eyes met.
“I can call you by that name anytime you want. All you have to do is ask.”
Buck let himself fall to Eddie then, covering him with his entire weight, Eddie’s hands wrapping around him. He nuzzled into the spaced between Eddie’s neck and shoulder, pressing feather-light kisses there.
“Thanks for today, Eds. It was the best birthday ever, just ‘cause I got to spend it with you.”
Eddie placed a chaste kiss to the side of his head, tucking them both into the blanket.
“Every day I get to spend with you is the best day.”
How did Buck get so truly lucky?
He snuggled closer into Eddie, letting himself drift off to the sound of Eddie’s steady breathing.
“Goodnight Eds, love you.”
“Goodnight birthday boy, sweet dreams.”
~
They ended up spending the rest of the weekend there with all their friends, all of them fitting inside the vast lodge comfortably.
If he and Eddie spent every night in their birthday suits, well, that was no one’s business but theirs—hopefully. As it turned out, Eddie did scream, just for him.
When it was finally time for them to pack up and leave, Buck insisted that Christopher come along with them this time, Carla taking up Hen and Karen’s invite to ride along with them so that the boys could have their space.
Buck and Chris chattered the whole way, Eddie simply smiling to them both, throwing in a few fond eyerolls along the way.
When they got home, they all tucked in together, Chris more than happy to be squished between the two of them.
A year later found Buck in their—yes, their—bedroom, glancing over the bulletin board that held their memories from all their years together. There were ticket stubs from zoo trips, wristbands from family trips, cut out photos making up the rest.
Buck’s eyes caught on one in particular, the first one they’d added to the board. It was the one of the two of them, looking right to each other, the gorgeous waterfall from their non-first official date sat behind them.
Warm lips were pressed to his cheek as Eddie sidled up behind him, wrapping his strong arms around Buck’s waist.
“That one’s still my favorite.”
“Mm,” Buck agreed, placing his hands over Eddie’s, squeezing lightly.
“You know what happens tomorrow?”
Buck turned in Eddie’s hold, raising his brows in question. They had plans to spend the day at the space museum with Chris, and meet up with their family later to celebrate his birthday, but that was about it.
“Um, no?”
Eddie leaned in close, brushing his lips over Buck’s, whispering softly.
“You’ll be the birthday boy again.”
Oh that; yea, Buck hadn’t forgotten about that, he just hoped Eddie hadn’t either.