Work Text:
Buck nervously wiped his hands on his jeans and glanced out the window of the Jeep. This was the part he wasn’t good at. Well, there were a lot of parts about dating that he wasn’t good at, but this was one of the worst. He hadn’t realized until recently that a lot of that had to do with the fact he’d never felt like he was good enough for his own parents. So how could he ever be good enough for someone else’s?
As much as Buck had always wanted a serious relationship to settle into, he’d never really had a partner who wanted that as well. Which Buck always felt he couldn’t hold against them. Or Buck hadn’t been in a place where he felt the relationship would work long term and he had broken up with his partner. But it put him in the conundrum of realizing he’d never met someone else’s parents. Things were different this time. Lou seemed just as committed as Buck and as nervous as Buck was to meet Lou’s moms, he also knew they were important people to Lou. Buck took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and took a minute to do a breathing exercise Dr. Copeland had given him, before finally stepping out of the car.
Just as Buck raised his hand to knock, the door opened and Lou was smiling down at Buck.
“I was worried I was going to have to go searching for you in the dumpsters again,” Lou commented as Buck stepped inside.
“Well you know, I enjoy a good dumpster dive from time to time,” Buck responded, before leaning up to kiss his boyfriend. Lou circled his arms around Buck’s waist, holding him there for a moment, grounding Buck. They were interrupted when the hallway lights started flashing.
“Maaaa,” Lou groaned, staring up at the ceiling, while Buck’s curious eyes darted between his boyfriend and the woman at the end of the hallway.
“What?” She asked with an innocent voice.
“I’m not in high school anymore. You don’t have to flick the lights on me,” he said.
“Well the two of you were making out like a couple of high schoolers so I figured the same rules still applied,” she said. A slight blush rose up Buck’s cheeks and he cleared his throat.
“Uh, sorry about that,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Oh it’s not your fault. Ronnie’s love language has always been physical touch,” she said.
“Mama!” Lou protested.
“Ronnie, huh?” Buck asked with a smirk. Lou groaned and rolled his eyes heavenward, while the woman made her way to them and linked arms with Buck, pulling him into the kitchen.
“Don’t mind him, he’s always been a little dramatic, I’m Marcia,” she said.
“Oh, uh, Buck,” he said, throwing a glance over his shoulder at Lou who trailed after them.
As they walked into the kitchen, Lou’s other mom waved from the stove. Marcia unhooked her arm from Buck’s to go and wrap her arms around her waist.
“And this is my beautiful wife, Alice,” she said with a grin. Buck smiled, some nerves emerged again, until he felt Lou slipping his hand in Buck’s and looked up to see his soft smile.
“Is that for us?” Alice asked, nodding to Buck’s other hand that was holding a bottle of wine.
“Oh! Yes, my mom, well, pseudo mom, always tells me I should bring the host a gift. And my sister. But they were making entirely different points, and I didn’t need to bring a gift to Eddie’s because it’s Eddie. But Athena was helping me when I wanted to make sure I made a good impression and she taught me all about what different wines say and which ones are appropriate to give as gifts, and uh, sorry, I should stop rambling,” Buck said, a blush rising up his cheeks again as he set the wine on the counter. He felt Lou’s hand travel up his back before gently resting on the back of his neck and giving him a reassuring squeeze.
“Is that the night Bobby and I were watching the game?” Lou asked, while Buck swallowed, watching Alice and Marcia share a glance.
“Uh, yeah, and Hen came over,” Buck added absently.
“Mmm well these women seem like they know what they’re talking about,” Alice said appreciatively as she took the wine in hand, barely glancing at the label, as she dug through a drawer for a wine opener.
“Mom, you don’t know the difference between a Pinot Noir and Pinot Grigio,” Lou commented, as he took the wine and wine opener from her.
“My son, the wine snob,” Alice said affectionately, as she patted his cheek, “and one is red and one is white.”
“But which is which?” Marcia asked with a twinkle in her eye.
“Hush, you,” Alice said, “Now, you come over here and introduce yourself since these two seem to have forgotten their manners.” she said pointing to Buck.
Buck hurried to wipe the sweat off his hands again and follow behind Alice.
“Do you have any experience cooking?” she asked, turning back to the stove.
“Uh, a little. My fire captain taught me some, I’ve picked up a little from YouTube and cooking shows,” he offered.
“Don’t let him fool you,” Lou called over his shoulder from where he and Marcia were choosing wine glasses, “he’s an amazing cook.”
“Well then, I will definitely put you to work,” Alice said with a grin.
“What about our Ronnie?” Marcia asked, “has he shown you his talents in the kitchen?”
“You can cook?” Buck asked.
“Ronnie!” Alice chided, smacking at Lou’s hand that was sneaking to taste the sauce.
“You have this delightful boy cooking for you,” Marcia said, also rounding on her son, “and haven’t returned the favor?
“I’ve been busy,” Lou said, trying to defend himself.
“Mhhmm,” Alice said, eyeing her son, “and your boyfriend, a firefighter, the man you’re always telling us is busy helping his best friend with his son, babysitting the other firefighters kids, helping his friends, isn’t busy?”
“I,” Lou started.
“He makes a mean chicken nugget,” Buck offered with a grin. Lou gave him a look that told him that was absolutely of no help.
“Ronnie!” Marcia chided this time, “I at least taught you how to make a good mac n cheese.”
“Sometimes you just want the boxed kind, Ma,” Lou grumbled, and a slight pout made its way to his face. Buck stood there staring. His stoic, serious, detective boyfriend was standing there in his moms’ kitchen, honest to god pouting, puppy eyes included.
Buck shook himself slightly, tuning back into the conversation and back to the bread he was slicing.
“He makes a good spaghetti and sauce,” he said, finally trying to help.
“You better not be using jarred instead of your Grandmama’s recipe,” Alice said, pointing a spatula at Lou, who was hoisting himself up on the counter.
“Depends on your definition of jarred,” Buck said. Alice raised a brown and turned to him. Buck grinned, watching his boyfriend squirm a little. “It usually comes from a mason jar in his fridge. No label.”
“You use your Mom’s that she sends you home with?!” Marcia asked, turning on his son.
“I wanted to impress my boyfriend!” Lou said, gesturing to Buck.
“And he was very impressed,” Buck said with a grin, “Don’t ever tell Bobby, but it definitely rivals his.”
“I can’t believe you tried to pass off your Mom’s sauce as your own,” Marcia tutted.
“I didn’t!” Lou argued, “I was very straight with him when I said my Mom made it and it was a family recipe.”
“No, I don’t think you’ve ever been straight with me,” Buck offered, “But that’s a good thing. There were no mixed signals when we got together.”
“Wha-” Lou started, before his moms started laughing and Marcia was circling and arm around Buck’s waist for a hug.
“I like him,” Marcia said. Lou pinched the bridge of his nose and hung his head.
Buck finally took pity on his boyfriend and abandoned his bread slicing, to make his way over to stand between Lou’s legs.
“Sorry,” Buck murmured with a slight smile, ducking down to make sure he made eye contact with Lou. He was surprised to find Lou grinning, before he was being pulled in for a kiss. At first he didn’t respond, a little startled that Lou was kissing him in front of his moms, but Buck had never been able to resist Lou’s kisses. Eventually, one of the women cleared their throat and Buck broke the kiss with a slight blush.
“You want the olive oil?” Lou asked, without missing a beat.
“And a cooking sheet,” Buck said, turning back to the bread.
It wasn’t long before Buck and Lou were working along one another, brushing oil and a light dusting of spices over the bread. Lou gathered the sheet and put it in the oven, while Marcia started pouring the wine.
“He makes a good sous chef,” Buck said, “But, now that I know he can cook, I think I’ll demote myself to sous chef.”
“No one is demoting any one,” Lou said, raising his eyebrows, the man Buck was more familiar with making an appearance.
“I’d say he owes you more than one meal,” Alice said, handing off wine glasses to each of the men.
“Which, I will pay in full,” Lou said as he accepted the glass.
“I’ll even do the shopping for you,” Buck said.
“Oh no,” Lou said, “When I cook, I do my own shopping.”
“He has a whole process when he cooks,” Marcia said with an indulgent smile.
“Which is why,” Lou said with a pointed look at his moms, “I haven’t had time to cook for Buck.” Alice raised her hands and stepped back to finish dinner.
“Come on, Buck, come tell me all about what my son gets into when he isn’t home,” Marcia said, pulling him to the dining room, while Lou started pulling dishes down and helping Alice finish dinner.
“Don’t burn my crostini!” Buck called.
“Wouldn't dream of it,” Lou returned.
Eventually, they got dinner on the table and Buck slowly relaxed as he got to know the most important women in Lou’s life. He enjoyed watching Lou relax and laugh. He was open in a way that Buck had never seen or really felt himself he realized. It was clear Lou was comfortable. There were still traces of his serious boyfriend, but he was more relaxed, he smiled more easily and teased his moms as much as they teased him. As Buck sat there, he realized it was like what he’d seen with Bobby and Athena and their family. There was an open love that was shared between them. An open love that Buck had never known but always longed for and it always took him a moment when he realized what he was witnessing.
“Excuse me,” Buck said quickly, darting away and down the hall, until he realized he had no clue where the bathroom was.
“Third door on the left,” Alice’s voice said behind him. He turned, biting his lip. “If you need the bathroom. If you just need a moment for yourself, feel free to sit anywhere. Lou got up to come after you. But I volunteered.” Buck nodded and edged his way to sit on the couch. To his surprise, Alice joined him, but didn’t say anything. Instead she just sat back, clasped her hands over her stomach and closed her eyes. It took Buck a moment to get comfortable, but when he realized Alice was taking her own moment in the quiet, he relaxed and glanced around taking in the room. At one point, Lou appeared in the doorway, checking on them, but after Buck gave a reassuring smile, he disappeared.
Alice finally spoke when they heard the telling sign of running water and the clatter of dishes.
“Thank you,” she murmured.
“Sorry?” Buck said, glancing over to the woman. But she sat there, eyes still closed. She let the moment sit, before opening her eyes and looking at Buck.
“I said thank you,” Alice repeated, “we haven’t seen Ronnie this happy in a long time. Or light. He carries a lot with him in his job. He’s always had a big heart, but not everyone sees it. He and I… we hold our thoughts and emotions close. Which can be good. But we also need our Marcias and Bucks to bring them out and remind us it’s okay to be silly and happy too.”
“I..” Buck hesitated and bit his lip, Alice sat and waited him out, “You don’t think I’m too young for him?” he asked.
“Do you think you’re too young?” Alice asked.
“I don’t… I don’t feel like I am, most of the time. But, other people…” he trailed off.
“As long as you and Ronnie are happy, it doesn’t matter what the others say,” Alice told him.
“But I’m…” he hesitated, not sure what to say. He was interrupted when Alice reached out to rest her hand on top of his.
“You are perfect for Ronnie. You make him happy. That’s all Marcia and I have ever wanted for him,” she said. Buck gave her a wobbly smile.
“Oh good, I haven’t missed the baby pictures!” Marcia said, clapping her hands together and running in.
“Baby pictures?” Buck asked with a grin. Lou just gave a resigned sigh and leaned against the doorway, while Alice placed a photo album in his lap.
“He was always a serious baby. I knew he had the detective gene in him from when he could open his eyes. He always studied everything around him,” Alice said, pointing to a photo of baby Lou, carefully studying the face of a mall Santa from Marcia’s arms.
“I tried to keep the imagination alive in this one, but he informed me by age 4 that Santa made no sense,” Marcia said with a sigh.
“He would have stopped believing by age 3 if we hadn’t had some creative explanations,” Alice added.
“I always liked our family traditions more,” Lou said, stepping into the room.
“I might need a copy of this one,” Buck said, pointing to a photo of baby Lou in a diaper and looking grumpy about the Santa hat sliding over his eyes.
“That’s always been one of my favorites,” Alice agreed. Buck glanced up and caught the soft look Lou was gazing at him with and winked. Then Marcia was pointing out another photo of toddler Lou on a tricycle.
Two photo albums later, a yawning Alice, and leftovers being handed to the men, Lou and Buck started to make their way out of the house. Buck paused and looked back to watch Lou lean down to place a kiss on each woman’s cheek, Alice gave him a lingering hug, and Marcia held Lou’s hand until he stepped off the porch. Lou gave one last wave, before turning to Buck and joining hands for the brief walk to the Jeep. Lou held Buck’s door for him, before walking around to get in himself. Buck glanced up and saw Alice holding Marcia, her chin on Marcia’s shoulder as the two watched them. Lou gave one last wave, before Buck was pulling out of the driveway.
Buck was silent on the ride back and Lou didn’t push him. When he pulled into the parking lot of his complex, Buck blinked, seeming to realize he’d driven home.
“Oh, uh, sorry, did you need to go home?” Buck asked.
“Only if you need me to,” Lou said.
“No, no, you’re welcome to stay. Always,” Buck said. Lou smiled back and hopped out, waiting for Buck to join him, taking his hand when he did.
Neither said anything as they stepped into Buck’s apartment. Lou put the leftovers in the fridge, while Buck walked around making sure everything was put away for the night, before they made their way to the stairs. Lou’s knees popped as he stepped up.
“I’m getting old,” he said with a shake of his head as he walked up. Buck paused midstep. When Lou reached the top of the stairs, he glanced back.
“Buck?” He called.
“I- coming,” Buck said, quickly running up the rest of the stairs.
“Hey, everything okay?” Lou asked, reaching and hand out and gently caressing Buck’s face.
“I, yeah, but… our age, it doesn’t bother you, does it?” Buck finally said.
“Not once,” Lou said, studying Buck carefully, “Did…did Mom say something?”
“No, no,” Buck hurried to reassure, “the opposite actually. But, I hear people talk. People at the station have said things before. Not us specifically, but, about my taste in partners. And, I’m used to being short term. I’ve never been brought home to be introduced to the parents. I’m just the guy people want to have a fun time with for a night or two.”
“Evan,” Lou said lowly, carefully,, “You are much more than that to me.” Buck gave him a week smile and nod.
“I’m gonna get ready for bed,” he murmured, before leaning forward to quickly kiss Lou and disappearing into the bathroom.
Buck took his time brushing his teeth and washing his face. Trying to drag out the moments. But he finally had nothing left to do and made his way back to his bed, where Lou waited. Buck quickly settled into the bed, prepared to pull his tablet or phone out, but Lou gently pulled him into his side and played with his hair.
“You remember last week, when we were talking about dreams?” Lou asked.
“When you said yours had always been to be a detective and I told you I was living the dream I never knew I wanted until I had it?” Buck asked.
“Yes,” Lou said, pausing. Then he continued, “But there was something I didn’t say. Since you came into my life, about to dive into that dumpster for evidence, I’ve realized you’ve become a part of that dream. I did the whole dating thing in college but I never clicked with anyone. Mom and Mama pushed for a while and would set me up, but I was focused on my dream, on my career. When I finally got somewhere comfortable to really start something with anyone, I didn’t feel like I could bring someone else into a life where they could be exposed to what I dealt with. I’ve always been serious, but seeing what I see every day, it takes a little part of you. I didn’t want to watch my work and my life take that from someone I loved too. And then I met you. I tried to keep my distance. But I kept seeing you exposed to those dark things in life too and I was amazed at how happy and sunny you remained. And selfishly, I couldn’t help but want some of that sunshine in my life. And without really noticing it myself, you became a part of my dream. My life without you in it wouldn’t be my dream anymore. My dream wouldn't be complete without you in it, Evan.”
“Lou,” Buck whispered, his eyes watery and Lou gave him that soft smile he reserved for Buck.
“I love you, Evan. You are the man I wanted to take home to meet my Mama and Mom. You are the man I want to have a committed relationship with. You are the man of my dreams,” Lou whispered.
“Fuck. How are you gonna top this when you propose?” Buck asked. Lou grinned.
“I’ll think about it,” Lou said, while Buck gave a small chuckle.
“I love you too, Lou,” Buck whispered, before Lou leaned over to kiss him.