Archive of Our Own

“Rules!” Bobby says, using his serious captain voice. “Buck, at least pretend you're listening.”

Buck’s head snaps back to Bobby. He’d been goggling the outdoor pool with barely contained excitement while waiting for Bobby to give them the go ahead to explore. They’re all gathered round, just outside the entrance of the large fancy hotel they’re staying in, which is just a short walk from the conference they’ve been forced to attend.

Something about new protocol and higher standards, Bobby had said, but what Buck heard was free vacation in Miami.

Eddie’s next to him, rolling his eyes at Buck’s child-like excitement but smiling fondly.

“I always listen!” Buck says, but even he knows it’s a fat lie.

Chimney scoffs loudly and he shoots him a glare, but then does direct his attention back to their captain.

“Now, I know this seems like a free holiday,” Bobby starts. “But you are representing the LAFD, so please, for the love of god, behave yourself.”

Buck has to hold back his smile, and by the looks of it so does Hen, because it definitely sounds like they are a poorly-behaved school on a field trip.

“That means no shenanigans, no getting kicked out, and no bunking the conferences. We are here for a reason.”

“We won’t let you down, Cap.” Hen says, but she shoots Buck a sideways glance that says she already has so much mischief planned.

Bobby sighs. “Alright, well, you're all free to go.” Buck’s already stepping to the side. “As long, as none of you are late to the first talk. It’s at four in room 4C. Everyone clear?”

“Yes, Sir!” They all reply in unison, giving him a salute that Bobby does not find amusing.

“Go on then.” Bobby waves them off grumpily, but Buck catches his small smile when they all shout with excitement and race to their rooms.

All expenses have been paid for by the LAFD, so they are staying in a sweet five-star hotel, with badges that get them free food and access to all the available entertainment. They’re all pleased to find out that their rooms are all on the same floor, side by side, so the four of them waste no time in exploring their luxurious rooms and throwing on some fresh clothes.

“Of course you’d wear that.” Hen says to him as Buck comes out of his room.

And sure, okay, maybe, he got a bit carried away with the holiday vibes, since he’s wearing a brightly coloured flower shirt that just screams tourist, salmon shorts and a colourful bucket hat to match the shirt. He doesn’t care though, or feel an ounce of embarrassment, since he’s embracing this vacation, even if it is only going to last a few days.

The whole team deserves it after the year they’ve had. Finally, no one is in the hospital with a life-threatening injury or dealing with a past trauma, so he thinks they should be allowed to blow off some steam.

“Oh come on, Hen, the shirt brings out my eyes, don’t you think?”

Hen rolls her eyes affectionately, and as she passes Buck takes off his bucket hat and plonks it on her head. Surprisingly, she doesn’t take it off.

Eddie meets them out in the hallway next, and Buck’s mouth practically waters at the sight. He’s not wearing anything special, in fact, with his black shirt and grey shorts he looks extremely boring, but it’s all so Eddie that Buck has to stop himself from jumping his bones.

He also has to stop thinking like that, because most people don’t want to have sex with their best friends lots of times, in a row, in many different positions. Who can blame him though - the outfit might be plain, but those shorts hug his ass like they were made for him and the short-sleeves show off those thick, dreamy biceps.

Eddie catches sight of Buck’s attire and shakes his head with a smile, but before he can say anything Chimney bursts out of his room. He’s dressed similarly to Buck, he realises with a cheer, only he has a straw hat that he probably got in a fancy dress set.

“So, cocktails?” Buck says, once they’ve thoroughly explored the hotel.

“Bobby told us not to drink.” Eddie reminds him.

“Bobby’s not here.” Chimney says, smiling innocently.

They head to the outside bar without any further discussion.

Eddie wrinkles his nose, looking at the drinks menu with disdain. “Why can’t I just get a beer?”

“Seriously?” Hen says. “You’re at this extremely fancy, extremely expensive hotel where all the drinks are free, and you want to get a beer?”

“I like beer.”

Buck shuffles in closer to Eddie, pointing at the menu. “Here, you like coconut, get a Malibu Sunset.”

Eddie eyes it cautiously, looking at the long list of ingredients.

“You’ll like it. Trust me.”

Reluctantly, Eddie nods. Buck and Chimney go to the bar, chatting away to collect the drinks.

Once they’re back, Buck watches as Eddie takes an experimental sip of his brightly coloured drink, complete with a pineapple slice and mini umbrella. His eyebrows raise, and Buck knows instantly that he likes it.

“Okay, fair enough. This isn’t so bad.” Eddie concedes, taking a larger gulp. “What did you get?”

“Sex on the Beach.” Buck smiles, taking a few long drinks.

“You guys ever done that?” Hen says, smirking. “Had sex on a beach?”

Chimney shrugs. “No, it doesn't really appeal to me, though. I think I’d feel too exposed.”

Hen nods, she looks at Buck. “I feel like I know the answer, but have you Buck?”

“You betcha, baby!” Buck winks.

Eddie coughs. “Really? Out of all the places, why would you choose a beach? What about all the sand and the –”

“Well, it’s not like we planned it.” Buck says, rolling his eyes. “The beach was empty and it just sort of… happened. I know spontaneity isn’t really your fortei, Eddie.”

“Hey, I can be spontaneous!

“Name on time.” Hen says.

He opens and closes his mouth, obviously wracking his brain.

“Hey, it’s okay.” Buck laughs, saving him. “It’s good to have a plan. Be prepared.”

“I can be spontaneous.” Eddie repeats.

Chimney cocks an eyebrow. “Prove it then. I dare you, for the rest of the trip, to be spontaneous.”

“Fine. Easy.”

Buck laughs, enjoying this competitive side of Eddie. “How are you gonna start, then?”

“By ordering us a round of shots.” Eddie says, planting his hands against the table and standing up. The others open their mouths in shock, but don’t protest, as they share a proud look between them. Eddie marches off, snatching Chimney’s straw hat on his way and popping it on his own head.

Two rounds of shots later, they’re all fairly tipsy, only to realise they’ve got fifteen minutes till that ‘very important’ conference starts. They would miss it, claim they got lost, but all know they couldn’t do that to Bobby.

By the time they burst through the doors to the quiet room, they realise they just made it, and Buck would have whooped with victory if it wasn’t for the serious, professional atmosphere of the hall. He also looks down at himself and the others to see that they are not in appropriate attire.

While most of the firefighters in attendance are in formal wear - suit and tie, the usual - they are still in their ridiculously obnoxious and bright floral shirts, par Eddie who’s still in his plain clothes and Hen who’s wearing a white flowy dress that she wears like a queen.

They spot Bobby sitting next to Athena, and his shoulders sag in relief as they shuffle into the empty seats next to him, muttering awkward apologies to the people they have to squeeze past. It’s a little embarrassing, and Bobby is definitely going to chew them out for their entrance later, but Buck’s still got his buzz on from the cocktails, so has to hold in a giggle.

The others are the same, Hen and Chimney's shoulders knocking together clumsily as they noisily rearrange themselves in the chairs.

“Really, guys?” Bobby whispers, leaning across the row to them.

“We made it, didn’t we?” Buck says. “Okay, sorry. We lost track of time.”

“Sorry, Cap.” Eddie adds.

Athena snorts at them, clearly not at all surprised by their behaviour. Then, the speaker takes their place at the stand and it begins. Buck doesn’t really listen, eyeing the bright sunshine outside the window and putting a hand on his knee so it stops restlessly jiggling.

After the talk, the group go back to the hotel and have a meal at a big table where they all drink too much champagne and order extra desserts because they’re on vacation.

“This is not a vacation.” Bobby reminds them as they are finishing up. “Or a school trip. It is a work conference.”

“Oh, baby, loosen up a bit.” Athena laughs. She slips her hand under his arm. “I think they all deserve this after the year we’ve all had.”

Bobby looks unsure, but does seem to give in. “I know, I know. I just want to make sure our station keeps a good reputation. You all deserve to be respected.”

“Eh,” Buck waves him off. “Reputation is overrated.”

“Of course you would say that.” Chimney snarks.

“Hey–”

“Anyway,” Bobby cuts in. “Athena’s right. Have fun, blow off some steam. I know I can trust you to remain professional when you have to be.”

“And besides,” Athena says, leaning into Bobby. “If they’re preoccupied, we can have some fun of our own.”

“Ew ew ew ew, Athena why would you say that?” Buck yelps, screwing his eyes shut.

Bobby blushes but quickly stands, tucking in his chair. “I think we’re going to call it a night.”

Hen laughs loudly, smashing her hand against the table repeatedly in a way that gives away that she's had a lot to drink.

The rest go to the bar again and make their way through the menu of cocktails. Buck’s gutted to realise the pool is already closed, but is appeased when Eddie promises they can go tomorrow after their second talk.

Hen gasps, clapping her hands together excitedly. “They have a spa day tomorrow!”

“Oooh, that sounds great!” Buck says.

“You have to pay for it though. It’s not part of the package. There’s a couples session for half price, though.”

“”Damn.” Buck sighs, already knowing it will be expensive in a place like this.

“You and Eddie should sign up. Just pretend you're a couple.”

Buck laughs, because that is so completely ridiculous she must be joking.

“Let’s do it.” Eddie shrugs, casually, like he hasn’t just agreed to something monumental. Seriously, what is he thinking - they’re bros, buddies, pals.

Buck’s head whips to him. “Really? You’ll pretend to be my partner just to get a massage?”

“I’m trying to be spontaneous. Besides, it’s not like they’re going to ask us to fuck to prove it.”

Buck quite literally chokes on his drink, half of his gulpfull shooting out of his nose as he splutters. The fruity alcohol burns his nostrils. He knows it is a terible idea, because the thought of Eddie all oiled-up and half-naked is not going to help this little crush of his (because that’s all it is, a small, teeny-tiny crush - definitely not a huge, life-consuming gay crisis), yet for some reason he finds himself agreeing.

Before he knows it, Hen and Chimney have booked them a slot for after their second talk, and he’s dreading how much he’s going to enjoy it.

They finish the evening with karaoke. Buck performs a particularly spectacular rendition of Dancing Queen, and like everything else in life he gives it his all, throwing himself about on the stage and singing loudly even though he’s off key. He then bullies Eddie into singing Love Story by Taylor Swift, since he knows the man secretly knows all the words. The man claims it’s because Chris likes it, but Buck’s seen the song on his spotify workout playlist. Hen and Chimney then perform a duet of I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor, and everyone is surprised they actually have a small dance routine that goes with it.

Little do they know, Bobby and Athena hide at the back of the bar, filming every single performance as they giggle together.

—

Eddie’s already in his pyjamas when there’s a knock on his hotel door. It’s fast and loud, and after three years oh knowing him, Eddie knows it’s Buck.

He swings the door open and Buck grins. There’s a flush to his cheeks that tells him the man is still fairly tipsy, so Eddie’s sure he’s got a matching redness of his own.

“We should go swimming!” Buck says in a way of greeting.

“I thought it was closed?”

A mischievous smirk appears on Buck’s lips, and he leans casually against the doorframe. “It is, but… we’re firefighters. I reckon we can get ourselves over a gate.

Eddie’s not so sure. He’s never been great at breaking the rules. “Won’t we get caught?”

“Nah, ‘course not. I bet the workers don’t even care. Come on, I thought you were being spontaneous.”

Eddie looks back to his room, and realises he’d much rather spend the night with Buck than stay here on his own. Then again, he always wants to spend every moment he’s awake and asleep with Buck, so he shouldn’t be surprised he caves so easily. How is he supposed to resist when Buck is flashing him that beautiful smile that makes his knees week?

“I didn’t bring any swim shorts.”

Buck grins, because he knows he’s won him over. “I bought you a pair.” Then, he throws a pair of bright orange trunks at him that slap him in the face. “Meet me in the lobby!”

Then, he’s gone. Eddie smiles to himself in excitement as he changes into the shorts and slips on his flip-flops. It’s insane how well Buck knows everything about him when he keeps all his cards so close to his chest. He does as he’s told, and catches up with Buck in the lobby.

They sneak around the outside of the hotel, dodging any staff and acting like they’re in a James Bond movie, with Buck even doing the hand gestures. Eddie can tell he’s having the time of his life, so plays along.

The gate is higher than Eddier remembers it being, but they manage to get over it with only a few curse words and some sore spots that are sure to bruise over in the morning. It's dark, almost pitch black apart from the blue light of the pool.

Buck shucks off his shirt in one and dives in without another thought. He breaches the surface with a happy yell, but Eddie feels everything in his brain stop working.

Look, he’s seen Buck without a shirt on. A lot. There isn’t much room for privacy in the locker rooms. But this - this is so different, because they’re not at work, and Buck’s muscles are rippling, skin glistening and dripping wet, and his mouth goes drier than the Sahara desert.

“What are you waiting for?” He splashes about, dunking his head back underneath the water.

Eddie finally manages to get his limbs to work and canon-balls into the water, definitely not as gracefully as Buck did. He’s only glad it’s too dark out for Buck to see the blush he’s sure must be riding up his neck and going all the way down his chest. Thirsting for Buck is tricky, okay?

They swim around for a while, laying on floats they found on the side and tackling each other like school boys. It’s great, perfect even, because it’s just the two of them.

Thoroughly tired out, they float in the shallow end, leaning against the side of the pool.

“See, breaking the rules can be fun, right?” Buck says.

Eddie’s acutely aware of how close they are. If he were to move an inch to the left, their elbows would be touching. Elbows have suddenly never been so sexy. “I guess so. I bet you were a nightmare in school.”

Buck chuckles. “College, yeah. But in High School, not so much.”

“How come?”

“I got bullied bad. I’m talking all the cliches - stuffed into lockers, tripped in the hallways, the list goes on.”

Eddie frowns. Looking at Buck, he can’t imagine it, and it makes him angry that anyone would ever treat him like that, no matter how long ago it was. “Oh. I kind of assumed you were one of the popular ones.”

“Nope.” He purses his lips. “I don’t know, I was pretty attention seeking and gullible, so it probably made me an easy target. Plus, I didn’t hit my growth spurt till I was, like, seventeen.”

“No way. I’m pressuring Maddie into showing me all the photos.”

Buck groans. “Oh god, I should have seen that coming. What about you? Were you popular?”

Eddie grimaces. “No - well, I wasn’t unpopular. I had some friends, but most people didn’t tend to notice me. I was pretty invisible.”

“I find that hard to believe.” Buck says thoughtfully.

Eddie looks at him, but Buck’s looking ahead. “Why?”

“I can’t believe you’d be invisible to anyone. I always see you. Always have, always will. In fact, sometimes, you’re all I see.”

Eddie feels his heart drop, but in a good way, because no one’s ever said anything like that to him - made him feel so special, and important and… and loved. Everything feels incredibly intimate all of a sudden, and when he looks back, Buck is looking straight at him.

His lips are slightly parted and they’re close, faces a few inches apart. He’s not sure if he moves of if Buck does, but they’re getting closer, closer and then –

Something clicks under his elbow and all at once there’s an explosion of colour that makes him yelp and jump back in shock, moment forgotten.

“What the –”

It’s only then that he realises he leant on a button that seems to control the pool lights, and now they’re flashing uncontrollably, switching colours rapidly like a rave party. It’s like the universe is mocking him with the rainbow colours, as he was seconds away from having his first gay kiss, and then this happens.

And shit he almost kissed Buck. That’s what was about to happen, right? He’s worried he’s misinterpreted everything, so he decides he is never going to bring it up again.

“Hey! Security!”

There’s a yell and Buck whispers a squeaky shit, and then they’re both clambering out of the pool frantically.

“Stop!” The voice sounds again, getting closer, and Eddie looks back to see two security guards bounding over to them on the other side of the space.

“Eddie, come on!” Buck shouts, grabbing his hand and sprinting along the poolside. Buck gives him a leg up over the gate, and then Eddie pulls him up over and they’re running, back into the hotel lobby,,

They’re wet feet slap against the marble floors and he’s sure they must be making a racket. They cannot get caught, not after Bobby said he trusted them and wants them to behave. Both make it into the elevator in record time, bashing the buttons.

As the doors slide shut, they catch a glimpse of the hotel guards with flashlights running round the corner after them, shouting things they don't catch.

Eddie falls back against the elevator door in exhaustion, slapping a hand against his forehead. “Holy shit. That was close.”

Buck puts a hand against his mouth and stifles a giggle. And then Eddie giggles too, a little hysterically, because they’re both soaking wet, in nothing but their swim shorts in an elevator, after getting chased by two security guards for accidentally setting off rainbow lights.

The doors slide back open on their floor and they walk out, shoulders bumping as they laugh tiredly. Only then, right before they round the corner, the other elevator dings.

“Hey!” One of the guards shouts again, and they both leap into a sprint again, running through the maze of hotel corridors like two maniacs.

Eddie thanks the stars he left his door unlocked as he barrels into his room, pulling Buck roughly with him.

“Shit, shit, shit, what do we do?” Eddie says, both terrified of being caught and amused at the situation. “I’m pretty sure they saw us come in here.”

“I have an idea.” Buck rushes out.

“I’m not climbing out the window with you.”

Buck shakes his head, and moves to the bed. “This’ll be weird but just got with it, okay?”

“What –”

“Just trust me!”

And then he starts rocking the double bed up against the wall so it makes a steady thump thump thump. Eddie’s about to question what the fuck he’s doing and how this is supposed to help them, when there is a urgent and angry knock at their door and Eddie jolts.

The security staff shout at them through the door to open up, that they are to be escorted out. Eddie looks to Buck helplessly, who is still rocking the bed back and forth.

Then, with no warning Buck opens his mouth and moans. He fucking moans like they’re in a porn video and then starts making these little “Ah ah ah noises that have a warm feeling pool in the pit of Eddie’s stomach.

He’s not stupid, but the sheer absurdity of it all makes him take a second to get with the program. Buck obviously making it sund like some rowdy sex is going on in here, so the staff give up and assume they got the wrong room.

Buck reaches forward and pinches him, hard, and Eddie shouts.

“Make some noises!” He whispers. Then he groans, loudly, before tailing off into some high and needy whimpers.

Eddie’s response is a moan of his own, which he doesn’t have to completely fake, since the sound of Buck’s bedroom noises are so incredibly hot, he’s finding it hard to function. Buck’s eyes go wide like he wasn’t actually expecting Eddie to participate.

Then, Eddie gets an idea and starts slapping his thigh, which is still wet with pool water, a split second before Buck rocks the bed frame into the wall. It all sounds obscene, and Eddie has to adjust himself in his swim shorts which stick to his skin and do nothing to hide his excitement. He just prays Buck hasn’t noticed.

It’s not as awkward as it should be. It’s hilarious and ridiculous and little - okay a lot - erotic. And it works, the knocking at the door stops. They keep going for a little while longer, just in case and then taper off.

They both pant, looking at each other, neither seeming able to process what they just engaged in. Then, both of them burst into a fit of uncontrollable laughter. They fall onto the bed in a heap, trying to catch their breath, but the thrill of not being caught just makes things funnier, and they clutch their stomachs.

In hindsight, they probably shouldn’t have raided both Eddie’s and Buck’s fridges for the alcohol, but they were happy and free, so they did. And got very.

Very.

Drunk.

—

Opening his eyes feels like someone is pressing a steaming-hot iron poker to both his eyeballs.

Logically, Buck knows he had a great night, the best he’s had in a while, but right now, he regrets everything. The drinks, specifically. He groans, dreading the hangover he’s going to have for the next couple of hours, and looks around the room in a daze.

It’s morning, light streaming through the curtains, and there’s a weight on his stomach. He’s laid flat out on top of the sheets, in nothing but his trunks, and there’s an arm slung over his stomach and curling round his side. He looks to his side and sees Eddie, face squished against his left shoulder and mouth hanging open as he snores, drool pooling onto his skin.

“Say cheese!”

His head snaps up, just in time to see Hen standing at the foot of the bed, her phone held out to them. The sound of the shutter goes off, and then she cackles an evil laugh before speeding out of the room.

The slam of the door has Eddie jolting awake, lifting his head blearily. Buck’s not sure what to do, frozen in position, because this is new for them.

They’ve definitely never slept in the same bed, no matter how drunk they’ve gotten, and definitely never slept sprawled against each other. This is uncharted territory.

“Whaaaat.” Eddie breathes, leaning away from Buck’s shoulder, retracting his arm. He misses the warmth, despite the drool, and almost hugs Eddie back.

“I think.” Buck croaks, testing his voice. “I think we might have had too much to drink last night.”

“Uh huh.” Eddie nods, wiping sleep away from his eyes. “I’m still in my trunks.”

“Same, buddy. Did we get popsicles last night?”

There’s a large patch of melted blue liquid making the sheets beneath them sticky and gross. Buck winces, peeling his legs away and sitting up.

“Yeah.” Eddie huffs a laugh. “Pretty sure it was around the same time that we got the hot chocolate.”

“Ohhh.” Buck sighs, remembering. His whole body aches, but he’s not going to puke - he didn’t have enough for that. “Definitely a night to remember.”

Eddie opens his mouth to respond, when their door swings open again - god they need to lock that thing.

Chimney pops his head in, laughing hysterically and wiping tears away at the sight of them. “Fifteen minutes till the next talk. Bobby says if you’re late, he’ll put you on toilet duty for a month.”

That has them jumping out of bed, clumsily. They hop about the room, and Buck slips back into his own room to have a shower and get into some more presentable clothes.

They make it to the conference room, the two of them looking a little scruffy but both feeling a lot better after the shower. Bobby gives them a side glance that says he knows exactly what they’ve been up to, but doesn’t have time to say anything since the speaker is already at the stand.

The talk was early, so it’s only about ten when they head back to the hotel and sit down together for the breakfast buffet. Buck gets an enormous pile of food - the whole fry up, including an array of pastries, since he eats to starve away his hungover, while Eddie, the complete opposite, sits with his bread and butter, nibbling at it with a grimace.

Bobby’s looking between the two of them, while Hen and Chimney keep exchanging whispers.

“You know,” Athena says, casually. “Spoke to some of the hotel security earlier today, before the talk.”

Eddie chokes on a piece of bread that gets lodged in his throat, while a large piece of bacon and eggs falls off Buck’s fork with a splat.

“What did they say?” Bobby says, but it's clear they’ve already had this conversation.

“Apparently, last night, they saw a couple of ‘delinquents’, as they put it, trespassing in the outdoor pool, who then proceeded to rampage through the hotel at one in the morning.”

Buck gulps, and Eddie remains completely still.

“They told me to keep an eye out, you know, because I’m a sergeant, and all. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”

Hen snorts, and Bobby glares at the both of them.

“Buck? Eddie?”

Buck clears his throat. “Nope. Didn’t see anything.”

Eddie shakes his head in agreement.

Athena hums. She knows it was them, the whole table knows it was them.

“Hope you catch them.” Chimney says through barely suppressed laughter.

“Me too.” Eddie murmurs under his breath, eyes fixed on his coffee. He couldn’t look more guilty.

Once the rest of the brunch is finished, they all head off into their separate rooms and get ready for a day by the pool, since they have no more talks to attend till tomorrow.

Buck is just meeting up with Eddie in the hallway, when Hen and Chimney barrel into them, ushering them back inside Eddie’s room and slamming the door shut.

“What are you doing?” Buck says. “I thought we were all going to the pool?”

“We are.” Hen crosses her arms, guarding the door. Chimney mirrors her. “Spill.”

Buck and Eddie share a look, brows furrowing. Eddie speaks up first. “We’re gonna need more than that.”

“Last night!” Chimney says in a squeaky voice. They must be talking about their midnight pool escapades.

“Fine.” Buck says, rolling his eyes. “Yes, it was us. We snuck into the pool, accidentally triggered the lights. But we didn’t get caught - and don’t you dare tell Bobby, he’ll never trust us again.

Hen waves her hands in the air chaotically. “No, not that. We obviously know that was you - we’re talking about the other thing.”

“The other thing?” Eddie has this confused, tried expression and Buck can’t help but find it adorable.

“You don’t really think we are that dense, do you?” Chimney questions.

Buck and Eddie just give them a blank stare. He honestly has no idea what they’re talking about. After the pool, sure, they got very drunk, but then they passed out. It actually has him a little worried - what if they did something else and both were too intoxicated to remember? He shakes the thought away, he knows what it’s like to get black out drunk, and yesterday was not that.

“Oh my god.” Hen sighs, shaking her head. “You fucking slept together.”

Buck’s head rears back in shock. “No, we didn’t!”

Eddie’s mouth hangs open. “That’s why you’ve been so weird and fidgety all morning? Because you thought we slept together?”

Hen and Chimney share another look. Hen says, “Look, if you didn’t want us to know, then you should have thought about that before moaning loud enough so that the whole of Miami could hear you.”

“Yeah, and what about the banging of the bed frame? You both must have been really going at it. Bobby’s on this floor too - he’s probably traumatised.” Chimney adds.

“That was not what you think it was.” Eddie says.

“Oh, really.” She gives them a dead-pan expression. “Then, why did we find you both, half-naked and sprawled over each other in the morning?”

“Look,” Buck says, “After the whole pool incident, a couple of security staff were chasing us - and in order to, well, lose them, we pretended to have sex. Loudly.”

“And it worked.” Eddie says proudly, crossing his arms.

“Okay.” Hen laughs, not believing a single word. But when Eddie and Buck’s expressions don’t change, hers slowly sobers. “You’re being serious.”

“Yes!”

Chimney blows out a long breath. “You guys have the strangest, most complicated relationship I have ever seen.”

“We’re not in a relationship.” Eddie reminds him.

“Sure you’re not.” Hen says. “Have fun at your couples massage!” She says brightly, and then her and Chimney leave for the pool.

“We will!” Buck calls out to them. He looks to Eddie and they both shrug, before trailing off after them.

—

The pool day was great, but it’s got nothing on the spa session they book.

Seriously, Eddie’s not sure he’s ever been so relaxed. And surprisingly, it doesn’t feel that weird. It’s not like they had to prove to the staff that they were a couple for the discount, just being together was enough.

It’s when they’re led into another room that things take a turn. Kirsty, who’s been leading them through each relaxation activity, is truly lovely.

“So, when did you guys get married?” She says, a warm smile on her face, as she’s gathering supplies.

Eddie blanches, terrified of being caught. They hadn’t discussed any back story.

“Only a couple of months, actually.” Buck supplies easily. It scares him a little how good Buck is at lying when it comes to this stuff.

Kirsty claps her hands. “Newly weds! That’s so exciting. How was the big day?”

“Perfect.” Buck smiles, as if he’s thinking back to it. “It was small - just immediate family. Though, there were lots of complaints over our choice of coffee flavour for the wedding cake. It’s Eddie’s favourite, though, so worth it.”

For a moment Eddie’s speechless, because coffee cake is his favourite, but he doesn’t remember telling anyone. He does often buy it as a treat after a tough shift. The thought that Buck noticed warms his heart.

“That’s so wonderful.” Kirsty preens. She sounds genuinely enthralled by their relationship - fake relationship Eddie amends in his head.

“I’ve never been happier.” It slips past Eddie’s lips like liquid. He hears himself say it, and realises it’s true. Him and Buck may not be officially together, but they’ve still been closer than ever before, and it’s made him a better person.

Buck looks at him, like looks him, with this soft expression he usually reserves for Christopher. Maybe he can sense that Eddie is telling the truth.

“I’m so pleased for both of you.” Kirsty says, and it shakes them both out of their trance. “Well, I’ll give you some privacy. Take your time, and do give me a shout if there’s anything you need!”

“Are we not - what?” Buck asks, confused.

“Since it’s a couples package, we let the partners massage each other.” She says. Eddie feels himself stop breathing. A hundred images flash before his eyes. “If you would prefer, we can get someone else –”

“No.” Eddie speaks without thinking. “It’s fine.”

He curses himself, because why the hell did he say that? Buck must think he is an absolute weirdo.

Kirsty leaves with a smile, and he looks to Buck, who has wide eyes. He’s suddenly extremely aware of how they are both in only a towel. Then he spots the oil on the side and the massage table, and he regrets every single life choice that has led up to this moment. Seriously, he didn’t ask to be born.

“So..” Buck starts. It’s awkward. This is weird.

“I’m sorry.” Eddie blurts. “If you think this is weird, we can just –”

“No, no. It’s all good. Do you… should I, uh?”

“You go first.” He’s suddenly horrified at the thought he might pop a boner on the table - having Buck’s hands all over him, that's sure to lead to some bodily reactions.

Buck nodes, and climbs onto the table face down, making sure his towel is tightly secured. Eddie nears the table, cautiously, trying to be clinical. He squirts some oil on his hands and rubs them together to warm it up, but as soon as he puts his hands on Buck’s back, he realises he’s made a massive mistake.

This is - he has to bite his lips from moaning at the feel of Buck’s skin, those firm muscles beneath his hands. Buck tenses beneath him. It doesn’t seem like he’s enjoying it at all.

“Is this - is this okay?” Eddie asks, tentatively.

For a moment Buck says nothing. Then, “I can’t do this.”

Eddie feels his stomach drop. He knew, he knew this was weird, a step too far. He immediately feels guilty for putting him in this position and retracts his hands quickly. He wishes he could say something, apologise, but it all gets stuck in his throat and he kind of wants to cry.

Buck twists round onto his back, looking up at Eddie. They stare at each other. Too close yet too far.

“Can I just..” Buck starts, then seems to second-guess himself. His fingers twitch at his sides. “You know what, fuck it.”

Eddie yelps as Buck’s hand goes round the back of his neck and yanks him down fiercely, any sounds getting cut off by a deep, searing kiss that steals his breath away. He leans into it immediately - the butterflies soar and he can’t help but grin against the kiss. As they pull away, Buck is laughing softly and tracking the lines of his face.

“Holy shit.” Eddie breathes. “We just - we just –”

“Stop speaking.”

They latch onto each other, Buck hooking a leg around Eddie’s waist to tug him closer, not caring that the towel is starting to slip away, and they go back in - and it’s hungrier this time, more desperate, and it’s all so thrilling Eddie never wants it to end. He can’t remember the last time he made out like a horny teenager. It’s exciting.

Of course, it ends all too soon. As when Kirsty comes to check on them, only to get an eyeful, she yelps, covering her eyes with a horrified giggle. They spring apart.

When they get escorted out of the spa centre, Eddie can’t say he’s disappointed, because they waltz out together, hand in hand.

“Wait.” Buck says. He stops in his tracks, so Eddie turns around to face him. “I need to ask you something. Before we go back to the others.”

“Yeah?”

“I know that was pretty sudden. I just need to - this isn’t part of your spontaneity thing, is it?”

Eddie nearly laughs, but Buck looks worried and adorable, so he doesn’t. “No, Buck no. I mean, I definitely didn’t plan to fall in love with you, and I definitely was not prepared for how much it would take over my life, but I can confidently say that there is nothing spontaneous about my love for you.”

Buck looks like he just hit him with a semi-truck. A semi-truck of love, anyway. “You love me?”

“Yes, you idiot.”

“I guess that's pretty convenient.” Buck says, trying to be casual. There’s a massive grin on his face though, so he doesn’t really pull it off. “Since I’m in love with you too.”

Eddie’s pretty sure he can hear angels singing. “That’s good.”

“Yep.”

Eddie sticks his hand out. Buck takes it, gladly.

—

The third talk of the conference is equally as boring as the first two, but at least they aren’t hungover for this one.

When Hen and Chimney grill them for details on their couples spa day, they give each other sideways glances and smile mischievously, refusing to spill anything. It’s fun watching them squirm. While Buck may be sad their vacation is over, he’s secretly excited to go back home and be with Eddie in every possible way.

“Right.” Bobby says, before they get on the coach. He looks relieved, probably just glad that they didn’t completely ruin the 118s reputation. “Buck, Eddie, when we get back, there are a few forms you need to sign.”

“Forms?” Buck says.

Bobby’s face scrunches. “I think the cats out the bag, boys. As awkward as it is for me to say it, we all heard you the other night.”

Buck goes bright red, and Eddie stares at his shoes.

Chimney waves them off. “Don’t worry, Cap. That’s what we thought - but, unsurprisingly, they have a ridiculous explanation for that.”

“Seriously, it’s sitcom worthy stuff.” Hen agrees.

“Actually…” Eddie says, looking to Buck for permission, who nods in return. “We might need those forms after all.”

Hen and Chimney burst into uproar at once.

They’re still fighting for details, poking them continuously in the coach and trying to bribe them for the whole story, when Eddie turns to Buck in his seat.

“Trips over.”

“Sad?” Buck asks.

He shrugs, smiling. “Nah, excited to see Chris.”

“Me too. You think he’ll be okay with us?”

“Oh, yeah.” Eddie laughs. “He’ll have planned our wedding by the end of the day.”

“As long as there’s coffee cake, I’m easy.”

“You know it.” He smiles. “I can stop being spontaneous now, right?”

Buck scoffs. “Yeah, buddy, you can relax now.”

Eddie sags in his chair. “Oh thank fuck.”