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Listen, Buck is– he’s actually fairly intelligent, most of the time. He’s always gotten decent grades- mostly B’s with a few scattered A’s or C’s. He understands the material in his classes. He’s good at figuring things out. The only problem is- he gets bored. A lot , okay?
So, yes , he’s at UCLA because- hey, his SAT scores were the best in his high school, alright? He’s a good tester. Yes , he’s a civil engineering major. Yes , he has a huge fucking test in two days. And yes, he’s currently upside down on top of a keg practically being waterboarded by beer. It’s like, a law of being in a frat, okay? Besides. He holds the record. He’s got a reputation to uphold.
The blood is rushing to his head and beer is dangerously close to ending up going out his nostrils, but the crowd is screaming chug chug chug! and Buck is nothing if not a people-pleaser. He steels himself and does as the people demand, almost lightheaded now.
Then- he splutters. Chokes. Topples over. But it’s not his fault, okay? It’s the- listen, this guy is really hot, alright? Like, look- like-he-just-stepped-out-of-some-stupid-2010’s-romcom hot. So- maybe Buck chokes on his beer a bit. Sue him.
He quickly jumps to his feet, then grabs his friend’s arm for stability as his head swims. He blinks a few times, laughing as he shakes his head and tries to reorient himself. A few hands clap him on the back and the friend he’s leaning on, Lucy (they’re a gender-inclusive frat, get with the times people), grabs his wrist and holds his hand up with a whoop. Guess he upheld his reputation, despite the whole ‘falling over cause he saw a hot guy’ thing. Which- speaking of…
Buck’s gaze darts around the room, back to where he last saw the guy. He’s still there, leaning against the doorframe with a small, amused smile on his lips. His eyes sparkle even from across the room and his hair looks soft as it spikes in every which way, like an abnormally cuddly hedgehog. Buck gently twists his wrist out of Lucy’s grasp, nodding subtly towards where the guy is standing. Lucy just winks at him and leans in to whisper-yell, “Go get him, tiger!” She also may or may not slap his ass as he walks away.
Buck pushes through the crowd of people, somehow acquiring a beer as he travels, until he’s right in front of the stranger. Which- that in and if itself is enough to pique his interest. Four months into the semester, there’s not a lot of people Buck doesn’t recognize at these parties.
“I’m Buck,” he yells over the music by way of greeting. “Well- Evan Buckley. But friends call me Buck. Hey, you don’t look familiar.”
The guy snorts, rolling his eyes slightly. “There’s 30,000 kids at this school, and you’re surprised I don’t look familiar?”
Buck lets his eyes drag over the other man, from his worn-out red converse to the tips of his hedgehog hair. He grins suggestively and leans back against the doorframe opposite him. “Pretty sure I’d remember you.”
“Wow,” the guy scoffs. “That’s- wow.”
“Speechless already, huh?”
“You’re a real piece of work, aren’t you?”
Buck grins, shrugging and taking a sip of his beer. “How about I get you a drink and you decide what I am?”
“Okay, I have to ask, do these lines actually work?”
Buck sighs, thumping his head back against the wood. “See, if you had the courtesy of being party-drunk like I am, then maybe.”
The man lets out a laugh at that- a real one, not mocking. “Alright, how about this: you’ve got approximately three drinks to convince me you’re better than your pickup lines.”
Another grin stretches across Buck’s face and he holds out his hand. The guy takes it and shakes it firmly, his eyes twinkling. “Deal.”
***
Eddie really is not the ‘ party’ type. He’s at UCLA for one reason: to get his degree so he can become a licensed psychologist. He’s the first member of his family to get this far, and the only reason he did is because he spent the last two and a half years in the army. So, no , thank you very much, he’s not about to waste the education he almost died for on beer and frat people.
But…
Listen, his roommate Ravi is very convincing. And there’s only so many times that Ravi can call him a “mopey hermit” before Eddie starts to take it to heart. So, when Ravi finds out from his friend Lucy that there’s a party at the Phi Kappa Psi house and insists that Eddie goes with hime, Eddie’s just about out of reasons to say no.
He still tries.
“I’m busy.”
“You’re reading.”
“Yeah, a textbook.”
“For like the third time.”
“I have a test tomorrow.”
“You spent the past three hours studying.”
“Exactly, so I’m tired.”
Ravi throws a red bull at Eddie’s head and that’s the end of that.
So that’s how Eddie ends up at a frat party watching a halfway drunken idiot do a handstand on a keg. Albeit, a very attractive halfway drunken idiot. And yeah, okay, maybe Eddie’s having a hard time tearing his eyes away from the stretch of tan skin exposed by the guy’s ridden up shirt. But that is between him and his fluttering chest as the frat boy locks eyes with him, tries to smile around the valve, and then promptly topples over.
And very, very much despite himself, Eddie finds himself extremely endeared with this sparkly-eyed, curly haired human golden retriever. Endeared enough to agree to let the guy- Buck - get him a drink. Which is how he’s now nursing his second beer on a second floor hallway with the party raging on below him and drunken college students stumbling past every few minutes.
“So,” Buck says, leaning against the wall opposite him and grinning at Eddie. “Buzzed enough to tell me your name yet?”
“Hmm,” Eddie pretends to consider, propping himself up with an elbow on the railing behind him. “I’m considering it.”
“Oh come on ,” Buck whines and no that doesn’t send something electric spiking through Eddie, not at all. His pink lips turn down in a pout and Eddie is so fucked. “Please? I can’t keep just calling you Hot Guy in my head.”
“How about you tell me about that first?” Eddie dodges, gesturing with his beer at the discolored mark on Buck’s temple. Buck’s face flushes, his cheeks turning a similar color. He ducks his head down, as if to hide his face, and Eddie feels a strange mixture of guilt and fondness. He pushes off the railing and steps closer to Buck.
“Hey.” His voice comes out low and rough, somewhat surprising himself. He sets a hand on Buck’s shoulder, his thumb pressing into his neck lightly. “That wasn’t meant to be rude. It’s cute- I’m just curious where it came from.”
Buck chuckles quietly, glancing up but not meeting Eddie’s gaze. “Born with it. Birthmark.”
Eddie leans in close enough so his lips brush the shell of Buck’s ear and he feels the other man shiver. “You turn the same color as it when you blush.”
“Alright, seriously,” Buck says when Eddie steps back. “You gotta tell me who you are, man. Anyone that makes me blush this much owes me a name.”
“Eddie,” he grins, lifting his beer bottle to his lips and watching as Buck’s eyes track the movement. His tongue darts out to wet his lips and Eddie clenches his jaw tightly, gripping the railing. “Eddie Diaz.”
“Nice to meet you, Eddie Diaz.” Buck’s lips turn up in a lopsided grin and he nods at Eddie’s beer. “You ready for another?”
“Buckley, are you tryna get me drunk?”
Buck shrugs one shoulder, grin not slipping, eyes twinkling. “Just tryna get you to relax a bit.”
“Hey, I told you from the start that I don’t make a habit of this.”
“More like you’ve never actually done this,” Buck snorts.
Eddie’s gaze slides away and he takes a deep swig of his beer in lieu of answering.
“Oh my god,” Buck says. “You’ve never done this.”
“Listen-”
“You’re a total nerd, aren’t you?”
“Excuse me?”
“Like a stays-in-all-night-studying, doesn’t-go-to-parties, my-best-friend-is-a-textbook nerd.”
“I am not ,” Eddie insists. “I just- I don’t get out a lot, okay?”
“You’re a hot guy in college, there’s literally no excuse.”
Eddie feels himself grin. “You think I’m hot?”
“I- well- I mean-” Buck’s face reddens as he stammers. “Have you seen yourself?”
Eddie shrugs. “Once or twice.”
Buck lets out a laugh. “God, you’re not funny, Eddie Diaz.”
“Then why’re you laughing?”
“Because a hot guy told me a bad joke, so the sensible thing to do is laugh.”
“You really are quite a flirt, Buck.”
Buck shrugs, smirking. “Better than my lines though?”
“Maybe just a bit,” Eddie concedes, sipping the last of his beer. Buck lets out a whoop and pumps his fist and Eddie’s so fucking endeared .
“Told you I’d convince you.”
“You did indeed. But you also said you’d get me three drinks and, would you look at that, just finished my second.”
“Then let's go get you a third,” Buck practically giggles, pushing off the wall and heading toward the stairs. He stumbles on the second step and almost pitches down the entire flight before Eddie’s hands dart out and steady him, one hand going to his waist and his other gripping his elbow, fingers curling around his forearm.
“Better idea– let’s get you some fresh air.”
Buck laughs tipsily. “Okay that might not be the worst idea. I’m like…” He holds his hand out in front of him and ticks down fingers, “four ahead of you, not counting the keg stand.”
“Yeah, okay, you definitely need some air.”
“Hey! I’m fun when I’m tipsy!” Buck defends as Eddie steers him down the stairs, still holding onto his waist and elbow. Buck’s arm comes up to sling over Eddie’s shoulder. “I’m a lot bolder.”
“Well, given that you’ve been blatantly hitting on me for the past half hour, I would definitely hope so.”
“Most people call me a flirt no matter what.”
“Are you flirting or are you just hot and talking to them?”
“I-” Eddie risks a glance at Buck and finds him pouting in confusion. “There’s a difference?”
Eddie laughs as they head toward the back of the house, Buck occasionally calling out a greeting to people they pass. His arm doesn’t leave Eddie’s shoulders, sitting comfortably with their height difference and Jesus , this is a big man and why does Eddie find that so fucking attractive?
They push out the back door and into the crisp night air and Buck instinctively takes a deep breath, one Eddie feels against his own ribs. Buck tugs on Eddie’s shoulders, directing them towards a bench in the grass. The backyard is dimly lit with string lights and shockingly empty. There’s only a few students hanging around, and none near the bench.
Buck and Eddie- BuckandEddie , Eddie thinks- sit on the bench, directly beside one another despite there being plenty of space. Eddie is acutely aware of every point of contact between them- Buck’s knee knocking against his, Buck’s warm, solid thigh pressed against his, Buck’s arm still slung over his shoulders.
“So,” Buck huffs out, settling back against the bench. “You like guys right?”
Eddie nearly chokes on his own tongue, spluttering. “I- yeah- I mean- yeah? Why would you-? Huh?”
Buck blinks at him, tilting his head. “Well… I’ve kinda been hitting on you all night, and you just- you don’t seem all that interested?”
“I-”
“I mean- not that you can’t be into guys and not into me- it’s not like- I’m not that conceited I swear- I just meant-”
“Buck ,” Eddie interrupts, grabbing his knee and squeezing to cut him off. “Yes I like guys. And yes , I like you. But I, uh… it’s embarrassing okay? But it’s not you.”
“Well now you have to tell me,” Buck insists, shifting so his body is angled towards Eddie, his eyes sparkling.
“Absolutely not .”
“Come on, otherwise I’m just gonna go on being offended.”
Eddie sighs heavily, tilting his head back. “I’ve never kissed a guy,” Eddie mutters.
Buck coughs beside him, probably choking on his own tongue as Eddie had just minutes before. I’d rather choke on his tongue , Eddie thinks.
“What? ” Buck demands.
“I’ve never. Kissed. A guy,” Eddie repeats through gritted teeth.
“I- huh?”
“Listen,” he sighs, “I didn’t come out until Senior year of high school, then I was in the army and had a lot of other things to worry about. Now I’m where and, well, in your words “a total nerd.” Though, I gotta say I prefer my roommate’s term for it, which I never thought I’d say.”
“What’s his term for it?”
“Mopey hermit.”
“Fitting.” Eddie scoffs, shaking his head. “But, seriously, you’ve never kissed a guy?”
“Nope.”
“Like… never ?”
“Nope.”
“Have you kissed anyone ?”
Eddie shrugs. “Couple girls in high school but I’m entirely gay, so I don’t totally count them.”
“I am… so sorry. You’re missing out.”
“Oh am I?”
“Yep,” Buck affirms, popping the P , grinning and oh god , his lips are like really, really fucking kissable.
“Interesting,” Eddie murmurs, unashamedly looking at Buck’s lips now.
“I could uh, I could show you, if you’d like,” Buck says as they drift closer. “Just for… practice.”
“For practice,” Eddie echoes. “Of course.”
“Yeah, just for-” and then Eddie’s closing the distance completely, sealing his lips against Buck and holy fuck , yeah Eddie’s been missing out. Buck’s lips are soft- softer than Eddie remembers the girls’ being, and warm and firm and insistent against Eddie’s, and the arm over Eddie’s shoulders wraps around his neck and pulls him closer and Eddie lifts his hand to cup the side of Buck’s face and god , Eddie’s ruined.
Buck’s tongue prods his lower lip, coaxing Eddie’s mouth open and Eddie complies happily, relishing in the slide of their tongues and the press of their mouths, in Buck’s other hand coming up to tangle in his hair and he’s leaning into Eddie and he’s warm and solid and everywhere .
They break apart a few moments later, after what feels like a lifetime and no time at all, and Eddie stares at him, searching blue eyes, panting slightly. Buck looks dazed, his lips redder than usual and his eyes shining as he grins.
“Buck,” Eddie says carefully, “do you wanna come back to my place?”
“Fuck yeah,” Buck breathes, stroking the back of Eddie’s neck. “Thought you’d never ask.”
They pass Ravi on their way out, flirting with a cute guy and raising an eyebrow at Eddie as Buck briskly pulls him along through the house.
“Don’t come home,” Eddie hisses as they hurry past. In response, he gets a clap on the back and a whoop .