Work Text:
“What?” Buck murmurs into his palm, tucking his feet under himself and folding his body into the corner of Eddie’s couch.
Eddie is sitting near the middle of the couch, his body turned towards Buck, he stretched his legs out so his feet lay next to Bucks.
He’s staring at Buck.
That’s not exactly uncommon, but right now he is actively ignoring the movie they have on, in favor of looking at Buck, with a gaze so searching it’s almost unnerving. Almost .
It is Eddie, after all.
Eddie shakes his head, “Nothing.”
“No,” Buck draws. “Not nothing, you’re staring into my soul, I should be allowed to know why.”
Eddie snorts, “Making demands now, are we?”
Buck huffs into the heel of his palm, the corner of his mouth ticking up against his better judgment. “Maybe,” and he laughs again when Eddie taps him on the thigh with his foot.
“Maybe-” Eddie parrots, moving closer by an inch or so. “Maybe, I just like looking at you.”
Buck smiles a little more now, moving his hand so he can rest his chin on his knuckles. “In a non-creepy way, right?”
Eddie has the nerve to pretend to be offended. “Wow, I can’t believe I’m being accused of being a pervert.”
A small burst of laughter forces its way out of Buck’s throat. “You’re words,” he says, still laughing, “not mine.”
Eddie shrugs, “Did you ever consider that I’m looking at you because I think you’re pretty?”
No. He most certainly did not consider that.
Since Buck has known Eddie, more so in the past couple of months, Eddie has looked at Buck like a puzzle, like he’s searching for a piece he’s missing. Again, it’s almost unnerving.
Again. Almost.
Buck can’t say that he knows that look as well as the others. Because when someone stares at him, he does his best not to stare back. It makes him feel weird.
So it’s safe to assume that if something in Eddie’s expression shifted from searching to admiring to loving, Buck probably wouldn’t have noticed. Not unless he paid attention to the subtle changes when Eddie is actively staring. And again, he doesn’t stare back.
“Buck,” Eddie mutters, sounding concerned as he nudges Buck’s leg with his foot. “You okay? You went a little quiet there man.”
Buck opens, closes, and then opens his mouth again, struggling. “No.” When Eddie’s worried expression gets worse Buck shakes his head rapidly, “No, I’m fine, really, I meant, no, I never considered it.”
“Oh,” Eddie breathes.
“Yeah, oh.” Buck concedes, letting the fingers of his left-hand splay over the back couch cushion near Eddie’s.
They’re silent for a moment, and when he looks at the ceiling, Buck is positive that Eddie moves again, barely a fraction of an inch this time. Mostly unnoticeable.
“Pretty?” is the first thing Buck finally decides to say.
Eddie makes a small humming noise, “Yeah, pretty.”
Buck leans into the couch, letting his head fall back onto the cushion. “I haven’t heard that one before, that’s why I never thought…” he whispers, letting his eyes focus on the way Eddie moves his fingers.
Eddie moves forward more, his arm that was pressed against the cushion moves to lay over the back, outstretched enough to easily reach Buck’s face. His other hand comes up to hold on to the side of Buck’s pant leg, fingers folding into the seam. “I should’ve told you a while ago.”
Buck watches as Eddie’s fingers grip his pant leg. “How long is ‘a while ago?’”
Eddie’s eyes are flitting across his face, searching for something. “Months,” he shrugs, “Years, maybe.”
Oh.
Oh.
“I love you ,” he hears himself say, rushed like someone is going to stop him if he takes too long. He feels Eddie’s hand curl completely around his leg, and his other hand moves gently against the side of Buck’s face, fingers bracket his ear and weave through the short hairs they can reach.
“I mean-” he croaks out. “I mean, I’m in love with you.”
Eddie’s eyes stop searching and seem to find something on the left side of Buck’s face, somewhere near his jaw. Eddie moves his hand down slightly to trace Buck’s skin with his thumb. “You have a scar right here,” he murmurs, swiping his thumb over a spot above Buck’s jaw.
He almost forgot about that one. Buck hums, “Fight,” he mutters, trying to remember. “When I was sixteen.”
Eddie hums, moving his hand back up to smooth over Buck’s hair. Buck leans his head back, following the gentle touch. “I love you, too, by the way, if it wasn’t obvious.”
Buck smiles, slightly crooked and fond. “Maybe just a little bit.” He presses his lips together for a moment. “But, it never hurts to hear.”
“Does this mean I can kiss you now? ‘Cause I wanted to do that too.” Eddie asks, scooting himself forward again, close enough to Buck that he has to let a leg fall off the couch so they can both fit.
“Yeah,” Buck breathes. “Yeah, you can.”
Eddie moves forward, leaning over to get a better angle as he gently takes Buck’s face into his hands. Buck moves back against the couch, fitting himself against Eddie, he makes a soft almost inaudible noise in the back of his throat when Eddie’s hands slide back and down to hold the back of his head and neck.
The kiss is soft and easy and Buck would think that their lips fit together like puzzle pieces but he’s smiling too much to really know. They probably do anyway.
Somehow, despite the slow movements on both sides, it still feels like Eddie put everything into it. All the time he spent not telling Buck, all his love, put into a single kiss.
It makes Buck feel floaty, and seen, and so , so in love with the man that’s holding him like he’s something to be cherished.
He holds Eddie right back, gripping on and the feeling of Eddie’s warm skin under his fingertips makes his skin buzz. “I love you,” he whispers into the small space between their lips.
Eddie smiles and their noses bump, “I know.” Buck tilts his head up slightly and presses his lips to the corner of Eddie’s, “I love you just as much.”