Work Text:
They're going on a vacation.
Well, not really a vacation per se, it has vacation in it, but it's actually a two day long conference about firefighting and key points of first aid that happens to take place in New York that Bobby's sending Buck and Eddie to.
So basically, it is a vacation in disguise, but Eddie won't admit that it is even though he's pretty sure Bobby also knows it's not even an important conference.
"It's just formality." Bobby says. It's the middle of their lunch break and they're in Bobby's office to hear the schedule and all the details and whatnot. "Chief wants to see firefighters from every department and him seeing you guys representing the 118 will be beneficial for us. It's only for two days."
Eddie nods, it doesn't sound bad. "Where are we going to stay?"
"The department arranged a hotel for you guys, it's also where the conference will be." Bobby smiles. "They covered all the costs. You just have to show up and you can do whatever you want with your remaining time. Think of it as a vacation."
"A workation." Buck's lips twist up with a cheeky grin and his eyes light up as if he just told the best pun in the world as he looks at Bobby and then Eddie.
Even though Eddie rolls his eyes at his boyfriend's not funny joke, his heart does this thing where it flips and rolls over and no matter what he does, he can't hide the glint in his eyes that screams love and fondness.
"Yes, a workation." Bobby smiles, handing them the brochures. "The flight is tomorrow at 12 pm so you'll get enough time to settle and rest. The conference starts the next day."
"Sounds nice."
"Great, I'll let the Chief know." Bobby says and rises to his feet, and all of them walk out of the door while they talk shortly before the bell rings.
The thing is, it's been some time since they both went on a vacation— especially as a couple, and their lives have been hectic for the last weeks, so yeah, it will be nice to spend some alone time with Buck.
It'll be fun, he's excited.
"What about Chris?" Eddie asks in the evening.
They are at home, folding laundry in the bedroom where Eddie is sitting on the mattress next to the basket with his legs crossed and Buck is standing near the bed, taking another linen, stretching it by the corners and tucking the fabric between his chin and chest. They haven't been able to talk about the details ever since the shift but now that they are home, it's a good time to bring it up.
The question makes him lift his eyes at Eddie's direction, brows wrinkled in confusion. "What about him?"
"Who's he gonna stay with?" Eddie says as he places the folded shirt on a stack of others, and briefly looks at Buck before grabbing another shirt from the basket. "You know Tia Pepa is in Texas this week."
"We can ask Hen, she wouldn't say no." Buck responds. "And it would be nice for Chris, too, you know, to spend time with Denny, right?"
Eddie digs his teeth to his lower lip and he listens to Buck, considering the options. "Yeah, I think so, too. He won't get bored." He quickly nods his head and continues: "I'll call Hen."
"And you know who else won't get bored?" Letting the sheet in his hand on the bed, Buck moves the basket further aside, climbs on the mattress in front of Eddie, his face painted with a teasing look, and stares at Eddie with those big, sparkly blues that makes his heart skip a beat.
Eddie arches his brows, and tilts his head to the side, lowering his voice. "Who else?"
"You. Me." Buck's plump lips brush against his for a short kiss before he pulls away and whispers, his face inches away from Eddie's. "It's been a while since we spent some alone time together."
With a teasing smile curving up his lips, Eddie leans in for another soft kiss, earning a quiet whine from the other man when he bites his lower lip, and wraps his hand on the side of Buck's neck. "Oh, really?"
"Mhm. We can do so much."
"Well…" He lifts the hood of Buck's sweatshirt and places it over his head, and his heart swells more when Buck breathes out a chuckle and his messy curls stick out from the front. "Now I'm interested."
The smile on Buck's face grows bigger and he kisses Eddie one more time, but before he can do anything else, suddenly Eddie pulls the strings of his hoodie just because, and the puckered fabric covers and squeezes half of Buck's face in such a stupid way that he can't stop the laugh escaping his lips, especially when Buck chokes out a baffled sound.
" Ow — you fucker." Buck almost squawks and shakes his head to get himself free from the hoodie, but Eddie hooks his arm around his neck and pulls him closer to his chest, and Buck stays completely pliant.
Wrapping his other arm around Buck, Eddie pushes the hoodie back, revealing Buck's face, and plants a kiss on top of his head. "You're cute."
"You're annoying." Buck huffs out with a fake annoyed voice, but his arms fold around Eddie and grasp the fabric of his shirt.
And instead of letting go immediately, Eddie just holds his boyfriend a little longer and soaks in the peaceful feeling blooming in his chest and the warmth of the body pressed to his own, until his back starts to ache from the weird position they are in.
He calls Hen after they finish folding laundry and of course, she says yes, and they call it a night not so long after packing their suitcases and telling Chris about the plan.
Yeah, Eddie's really getting excited for tomorrow.
It's close to evening when they check in their hotel.
They drop Chris to school in the morning and kiss him goodbye before heading to the airport, make it just in time for the flight, and land without any problems.
And when they check in their hotel and arrive at their room, Eddie's mouth almost drops on the floor because holy fuck, the room is like a fucking mansion.
"Well, fuck me." Buck says in awe as they enter the room, his widened eyes wandering around and completely mesmerized by the beauty of the room.
It's not that it's big, it's that the room even smells rich and cozy and luxurious. The bed is bigger than Buck's and has a soft looking blanket draped on top, the walls are brightened by dim yellow lights, the bathroom is a whole nother story, but the most striking thing is the view that fills the window right next to their bed.
It's just perfect.
"That's the plan." Eddie murmurs to himself as he follows Buck behind and drops the suitcase on the floor, a cocky smile curving up his lips.
"You know what," Letting himself collapse on his back on the mattress, Buck lets out a squeak as he gives himself a big stretch, his eyes following Eddie, who is slowly moving around in the room, texting Chris. "I think Bobby knew what he was doing."
And, yeah, Eddie can see it very clearly.
Their lives have been intense to say the least for a while. First it was Buck's injury, then it was work, and then it was both of them getting their shit together and finally finding each other after countless mini crises on both ends. Now things are slowly falling back on track, and it looks like Bobby had been seeing everything very closely and if anything, the sentiment just warms Eddie's heart in the best way, he's glad Bobby is there for them even when Eddie thinks no one's around.
He breathes out a light hearted snort, locking his phone and putting it on the vanity mirror after he reads Chris' reply to his we're at the hotel text. "Yeah, I doubt he would choose this room for Hen and Chim."
Buck's eyes crinkle when he chuckles."Yeah." Draping his arm above his head and sighing as he turns his face to Eddie. "You hungry?"
"I'm starving." As if on cue, Eddie hears his stomach grumbling. Breakfast was the only meal they had and it was hours ago, and now that they are somewhat settled, Eddie can feel the tiredness and hunger creeping up on him all over. However—
"But…" He climbs on the mattress and crawls next to Buck, shiny eyes locked with the other man's, and leans closer so his forehead almost touches Buck's, his heart skipping a beat at the way Buck's breath hitches and the look on his face shifts into something lustful. "I think I was promised a fun time yesterday?"
"Oh." Buck mumbles, and his eyes flutter close when Eddie locks his lips with Buck's for a chaste kiss and drinks him in.
Brushing the tip of his nose against Eddie's, Buck's hands feel warm on his skin when he slides his hands under Eddie's shirt and rests them on his sides as he breathes out: "Yeah, we— we can have fun."
He kisses Buck one more time, and one more, he runs his hands over the other man's body and feels Buck's hands on him, his touch lighting up his skin like fireworks, until their long makeout session turns into a mind blowing sex.
Only after they clean themselves up and take a shower, Buck calls for the room service and they have themselves a nice dinner before they make calls, set an alarm for the next day and watch TV in bed until they pass out from exhaustion.
They wake up in time to catch the open buffet breakfast, or more so their alarm wakes them up because with the way the mattress feels like cotton underneath Eddie, he's pretty certain he could spend the whole day in bed with Buck but that would mean missing the whole thing they're here for in the first place.
Changing into their clothes, they make it to the dining hall for breakfast— Eddie opts for a simple cup of coffee and a nice omelet while Buck fills the whole plate with pastries and jams and…everything.
Once they're done sipping the last of their coffees, Eddie checks the time to see it's getting closer to the beginning of today's schedule, so they head downstairs where the conference rooms are.
The room is big, it fits a projection screen on the stage, a few long lines of tables and a corner for freebies, and people are already swarming in and seating in their places while some of them are chatting in the corners. There are familiar faces, that's for sure, but there are people who neither Eddie nor Buck has seen in their lives; when a group of people nod their heads at them from afar and smile, Eddie smiles back and waves a hand before finding an empty spot at the rear ends of the table and settling with Buck.
Not so long after, the conference starts, but it all goes down barely a few hours in.
A distant but strong sound of a gunshot echoes in the hallway, and Eddie startles hard, his heart picking up its pace within seconds.
"What was that?" He blurts out, sharing a suspicious look with Buck before turning his head to the door.
Buck shakes his head, brows knitting as he looks around. "I don't know."
It takes nothing for people in the room to lose their calm, worried questions, panicked sounds and screams start to fill the air of the once silent conference room while the sounds of people and what it sounds like the police grow louder in the hallway.
Everyone in the room including Buck and Eddie rise to their feet and suddenly the room is chaos, there are people pacing from one corner to the other, people talking to their phones and trying to get a hold of the situation, people quickly gathering their stuff.
"What the hell?"
"Do you think we should leave?" Buck asks.
Eddie shakes his head. "We don't know what's going on outside."
It's too risky. They don't know where the sound of the gunshot came from or if it's going to happen again, the crowd noise in the hallway is no longer distant but strong and loud as if the whole place is filled with people trying to run around— maybe it is, and no one is explaining them anything.
Staying here together until things seem to calm down or at least an authorized someone tells them what happened is the safest option there is.
Lowering his head, Buck lets out a long, distressed sigh and runs a hand down his face. "Fuck."
As they speak, Eddie notices that they're standing right in the middle, and that it's better if they should find somewhere near the wall.
He eyes the room for a relatively empty spot until a corner close to the door and near a table catches his eyes. "Let's go there."
They make their way through the crowd and stand in the corner, and then the door opens, a tall, bulky cop entering inside.
Just when people in the room raise their voice with unintelligible questions all at the same time, the cop's louder and firm voice fights all of theirs before leaving the room.
"We're trying to figure out what happened." He commands. "Until then no one leaves this room."
Okay, then.
Looks like they'll be staying here for a while.
The same cop visits them an hour later, but this time it doesn't go well.
The noise in the room has died down by then, some people sprawled on the chairs and some made themselves comfortable on the ground just like the two of them did, and play with their phones while they wait, but when the cop gets inside, Eddie can see the tension dripping all over his face, a mixture of anger, stress and something Eddie can't name but give him the chills whenever their eyes meet.
When he takes slow steps towards their side of the room, Buck lifts himself up from the ground— Eddie following him with his eyes, and the cop stands before him, his expression stone cold.
"Hey, uh, sorry to bother you," Buck clears his throat. “but do you know when we can leave?”
The cop stares at him, the vein on his forehead pulsing— Aaron, his name tag says. “No. You will not leave this room until we tell you to.”
“I know that." A nervous chuckle escapes Buck's lips. "I was just asking if you know when."
He doesn't know why, but something inside Eddie urges him to stand up and stay next to Buck, an urge too violently to ignore, so Eddie gets on his feet as well while Buck converses with the other man. Or tries to.
Because looks like Aaron isn't having any of it.
“I said no.”
“Okay.” Buck lets out a breath through his nose, and Eddie can see the irritation building up by the way Buck picks the skin of his lower lip with his teeth. “Do you— uh, do you know what happened? Should we be worried?”
Aaron furrows his brows and takes a step closer to Buck, causing Buck to falter back as he grits out: “Stop asking questions and let us do our jobs.”
Okay, fuck this.
Eddie slightly raises his hand to place it between Buck and Aaron, swallowing down the anger swirling in his chest and keeping his voice steady as he can. “Hey, calm down—”
“I just want to know what’s going on.” Buck insists without breaking eye contact, his fingers wrapping around Eddie’s wrist and lowering it. “It’s my right to know that.”
Aaron clenches his jaw and takes another step towards Buck. “Shut up or you’ll regret this.”
"Buck, come on."
Buck closes the distance between them. “What if I don’t?”
The glare Aaron shoots at Buck is cold, makes Eddie uncomfortable, and Buck doesn't run his gaze, either; but thankfully after a few seconds long wave of tension, the man rolls his eyes and turns around to leave.
"Asshole." Buck says in a mumble, and then—
Aaron turns around again, and his flushed face screws in pure anger as he paces towards them and all of a sudden his fingers are fisting Buck's hair and—
"Hey!"
Buck's eyes clench shut and he chokes out a scream and tries to pull away but fails as Aaron yanks him by the hair so hard that he stumbles and almost doubles over, and Eddie lurches himself forward to stop him but before he can do anything, Aaron tightens his white knuckled grip, bends Buck's head forward with a fast movement and a loud thud drills Eddie's ears when Aaron slams Buck's face against the table near them—
"You stupid—"
— Buck's head bounces back from the force of the impact and he loses his balance, swaying on his feet; he stumbles back a few steps and blindly tries to grasp something with a groan tearing his throat when Aaron lets go of his hair,
and Eddie's mind short circuits.
"You fucking son of a bitch!" Frustration drips through someone's loud voice as Eddie shoves Aaron away from Buck but the blood rushing through his ears and the way his heart kicks against its cage almost prevent him from realizing that it's his own voice. "Get off of him!" He shouts and immediately wraps his fingers around Buck's bicep to steady him when his boyfriend keeps swaying and chokes out another whimper.
People rush to their side, and the next thing Eddie knows they are crowded with too many people, some keeping Aaron away from them while some staying next to Buck and asking are you okay does it hurt let us take a look how are you feeling all at once, but Eddie wants them gone so he can take a look at Buck himself.
"None of you are leaving this room!" Aaron shouts while a handful of people force him outside. "That'll teach him."
At that moment, Eddie physically has to restrain himself to not go after him right there, and he has to ignore the rage and the heavy feeling weighing down his chest, snatching the air out of his lungs.
"Fuck off."
Aaron leaves, Eddie finally gives all his attention to Buck.
"Hey." Keeping his voice gentle, he folds his arm around Buck's waist and helps him sit on one of the chairs, crouching down before him. "Hey." He says again, taking Buck's pale face between his hands and tilting his head to see the other man clearly. "Let me see."
Buck's eyes flutter close and his brows gather as he lets out a whimper, swaying forward and pressing his forehead to the crook of Eddie's neck, his curls tickling Eddie's skin. " 's too loud."
Eddie automatically wraps his arm around Buck's back and holds his shaking form as if it'll keep him safe, and looks at the people forming an unnecessary crowd next to them. They mean well, he knows that, each one of them has a worried look crossing their face and Eddie couldn't be more grateful to see his fellow firefighters desperately wanting to help, but it doesn't do any good for Buck, he needs somewhere quiet and calm. Both of them.
"Does he need help?" A woman asks.
His face twisted in concern, Eddie shakes his head and breathes out a sharp huff of air. "I need to take a look but it's too loud and crowded."
"We'll give you some space." Some other guy gives his shoulder a firm squeeze. "Let us know if you need something, right? We're here."
A faint but thankful smile curves up Eddie's lips, his heart clenching for many reasons. "Thank you."
Now that there aren't many people around them, Eddie places one hand on the nape of Buck's neck and the other on his arm, slowly disentangling Buck from himself and straightening him up despite his weak protests.
Holding Buck’s chin with his thumb and forefinger, Eddie lifts Buck’s head and leans closer. "Buck, hey, look at me."
Buck winces as he slits his eyes open and reveals his glazed blues, but his lips twist down immediately, his voice croaked. “My head hurts.”
“I know, baby.” Eddie mumbles as soft as he can, but god, does it pain him to see him like this. “I know, but I need to take a look.”
“My head hurts.” Buck lets out another quiet groan, but thankfully doesn’t pull away this time.
“I’ll be quick, yeah?” Eddie squints his eyes as he examines Buck’s face.
Buck’s pupils are responsive and there's no blood on his head which is relieving, the kick of his heart feels erratic beneath his fingertips when he presses two fingers to Buck’s pulse point, but it’s nothing alarming considering what happened only moments ago.
After he’s done, Eddie holds his finger before Buck’s eyes while keeping his head still with his hold on the other man’s chin. “Can you follow my finger?”
Buck doesn’t answer, not that Eddie expects him to, so he moves his finger from left to right slowly and watches Buck very carefully.
When Buck visibly struggles to follow along and he grimaces every time his eyes try to move, Eddie lets out a long sigh and drops his hand. Great.
"You have a concussion."
Buck's eyes flutter close as he mumbles something Eddie doesn't understand, and he lets out a tiny mewl as he bends forward to sag into Eddie's chest in a way that twists his heart. "Can we go upstairs?"
Eddie buries his fingers into the short strands above Buck's neck and plants a kiss on his temple. "I don't think so." Scratching his scalp. "You wanna lie down?"
A shaky breath leaves Buck's lips, and he manages a shrug. "No."
Their previous corner is still empty, Eddie sees as he looks around, and it would be more comfortable if Buck leans against him as support, so he rises to his feet and drapes his arm over Buck's back while holding his forearm with the other hand, nudging him to stand up. "Let's go over there."
He carries half of Buck's weight as they make it to the corner and lets Buck lean heavily against him while he keeps a firm hold around his boyfriend's waist. Although it's a short distance, Eddie takes slow steps in case Buck gets dizzy and when they reach the spot, Buck carefully lowers himself on the ground and Eddie sits next to him.
Opening his arm, Eddie watches Buck as the other man scoots closer and settles against his side, resting his chin on top of Buck's head when Buck slides down a little and hides his face in the hollow of Eddie's throat, his lashes tickling Eddie's skin every time he blinks slowly.
"Don't sleep, okay?" Eddie whispers into Buck's curls.
Buck mumbles a sound of protest and frowns. "Why?"
"Just until we make it to a hospital and make sure."
Even though Eddie's certain it's a concussion, he can't risk anything.
Buck lets out a sigh and gives Eddie a nod, grimacing at the sudden movement. " 'kay."
"How are you feeling?" For the second time, Eddie presses his fingers to the side of Buck's neck as he speaks.
Buck closes his eyes and nuzzles into Eddie deeper. "I feel like my brain's gonna explode."
Buck's face is paler than normal when Eddie lowers his eyes to look at him, curls messy and face tense with pain, his baby blues look misty when Buck manages to open them only halfway, and even like that Eddie can see the hurt shining through.
It's something Eddie will never be able to get used to, seeing Buck hurt, and right now there is nothing more he wants to do than to go upstairs and put the other man to bed and watch him without blinking, but he can't. They'll be staying here for god knows how long, and Eddie hates every second.
"I'm sorry." Eddie whispers, and brings his hand to run it up and down Buck's arm, hoping it will bring some comfort.
Buck doesn't sleep— Eddie can tell by the way his lashes drag across his skin, and Eddie holds him close, as they wait for any news, they sit in the corner and do nothing more.
Buck screwing his eyes shut and choking out a groan behind his clenched jaw is what grasps all of Eddie's attention and makes all his senses dial up to eleven.
"You okay?" He pulls away from Buck to take a look and his face falls in a frown, hand still on Buck's shoulder.
Buck lowers his head with a shake and swallows down another groan, blindly reaching for Eddie's hand to cling to it tight and Eddie immediately holds it back; he bites his lower lip and his face twists in agony, his skin going ghost pale as he lets out a heaving breath once, twice, before his body doubles forward and he starts throwing up on the floor.
"Whoa, whoa, hey."
Resting his one hand on Buck's back and holding him steady by his bicep with the other one, Eddie stays close to his boyfriend and the heavy weight on his chest grows bigger, his heart shattering in millions of pieces as he watches the veins on Buck's neck visibly pop while he retches and vomits everything in his stomach— which isn't a lot to begin with.
"You're okay." Eddie mumbles and draws soothing circles on Buck's clothed skin. "It's okay, baby."
Buck's whole form convulses as he keeps throwing up until tears dwell in his eyes and he has nothing but bile coming out, and Eddie keeps his hands on him through all of this, after Buck retches one last time and then a cough— which turns into a dry heave, his shoulders hunch down and it's like Eddie can see the last piece of strength in Buck's bones fading away just like that.
Buck breathes out a heart wrenching whimper and drops his head, his pale face twisted in agony; he almost sways in his place but before he can, Eddie tightens his hold around the man, feeling Buck's trembles beneath his arms.
There is someone standing next to them with her arm stretched, offering a napkin, and Eddie couldn't be more grateful because really, really doesn't want to leave Buck alone even if it's only for a few seconds.
"Thank you." He takes the paper cloth from her hand and gives her a quick nod before gently wiping off Buck's lips.
Brushing the other man's curls away from his forehead, Eddie lowers his head to see Buck, his face in a concerned frown. "Hey."
Buck stares at him with his glazed, half lidded eyes— or stares through him, his chest rising and falling uneven as he tries to calm himself, he buries his face in his shaky hands, covering his eyes, and croaks out: "Hurts."
"What hurts?" Eddie asks, trying his damn best to sound calm.
"My eyes." Buck winces and looks even smaller when he hunches down more, chewing the inside of his cheeks. "The light's too bright."
Eddie's eyes fall on the small mess on the floor and he lets out a sigh. He can't leave the floor like this, but he has to be quick.
"Give me one second." He says, and runs his fingers through Buck's curls one more time before getting up to clean the floor.
When he's done, Eddie takes off his jacket, sits on the floor and gives his back to the wall and tugs him towards himself by the arm.
"Come here."
Buck's brows furrow and his eyes squint, confused and maybe even slightly disoriented. "What?"
Eddie pats his thigh. "Lay your head."
It doesn't take a lot to convince Buck, his eyes look down at Eddie's lap and then move back up to his face to give him the most miserable expression Eddie has ever seen that pulls the strings of Eddie's heart, and when Eddie pulls Buck closer one more time, he's pliant under Eddie's hold, slowly moving towards the other man.
After Buck lowers himself on the ground and rests his head on Eddie's thigh, turning on his side so his face almost presses Eddie's stomach, Eddie drapes his jacket over his boyfriend's head, hiding his face.
It looks weird from the outside, a six foot two long man curled on his side with a jacket covering above his neck, but at least it blocks all the light and that's what matters the most to Eddie.
Resting his arm over Buck's side, Eddie lightly scratches his back up and down, left and right and watches the tension squeezing Buck's whole form disappearing little by little as he visibly loosens up under the tip of Eddie's fingers, slumping into Eddie's hip more.
"Don't sleep, okay?" Eddie reminds him again while drawing circles on the small of Buck's back.
Instead of an answer, Buck lifts his hand to wrap it around Eddie's bicep and gives his muscles a light squeeze, stroking his thumb back and forth before lowering it back on the ground, and the warmth of his touch is enough to bring a soft smile on Eddie's face for the first time in hours.
He lifts the edge of the jacket and checks up on Buck in periods to see if he's feeling okay, if he drifted off or not; he slides his hand under the jacket, places his fingers on the nape of Buck's back and gently rubs those tense muscles, and watches the way the other man slightly rock with each gentle movement and his eyes flutter, a quiet sigh leaving his lips.
With his glassy, unfocused baby blues, he looks in this weird state of half awake half asleep, like he'd snap out of it if Eddie were to call out to him, but Eddie doesn't. Instead, he watches his boyfriend relax as he can given the circumstances, and tries to force the tightness sitting in his throat out of his system.
In the end, they let them go.
It's close to evening when they make it back to their hotel room, Eddie drives to the hospital before that once they're free to leave, and like he was suspecting, it turns out to be a concussion.
Thank fucking god.
He's been feeling lighter since they've talked with the doctors, at least his thoughts aren't eating his brains and creating worst case scenarios, and now that they also talked with the police and filed a complaint, all they have to do is to get the painkillers on Buck's prescription and go to the hotel.
When they finally get everything done and make it to their room, Eddie slides the card through the lock and switches off the lights, only leaving one lamp turned on that fills the room with its dim, yellow hue.
Buck slowly beelines towards the bed and lets himself slump on the edge of the mattress with his elbows resting on his kneecaps, and drops his head in his hands with a groan.
With his messy curls, wrinkled face and pale skin, he looks like a train ran him over, and Eddie's heart physically stings whenever he looks at the man.
"What a day." Buck's voice comes out muffled because of his hands covering his lips.
Eddie takes out his jacket and throws it on the armchair across the bed, and takes steps closer to Buck, a sympathetic smile on his face.
Standing next to his boyfriend, Eddie places his hand on the back of Buck's head, fingers buried in his curls, and pulls him into his chest, lowering his eyes to look at the other man with softness glistening through. "How are you feeling?"
Buck lifts his head up to Eddie and closes his eyes, his temple pressed to Eddie's ribcage, and a tiny sound vibrates his throat when Eddie starts scratching his scalp. "Okay." He swallows, voice raspy. "Tired."
Eddie plants a kiss on top of his curls, then on his temple. "You should get some sleep."
"Yeah." Buck gives him a tiny nod but ends up hissing again, brows knitting.
Buck's teeth dig his lower lip as he presses the tip of his fingers on his eyes and rubs them, and he slowly pulls away from Eddie before lowering his head and letting out a shaky breath, hand still covering his eyes. "Can you— can you get me a painkiller or something?" He manages out, but it's barely in a whisper.
Eddie quickly takes out the bottle from the bag and gets a bottle of water from the minibar, and sits next to Buck.
He pops out two pills into Buck's hand and unscrews the plastic. "Here."
"Thank you."
After Buck takes his meds, he wraps his fingers around his shirt's buttons to undo them, but not even halfway in his face tightens with frustration.
Eddie's hesitant when he asks: "Do you wan—"
"I got it." Gritting his teeth.
He doesn't push, it will end to nothing, but watches Buck as he slowly takes off his shirt, pants, and leaves them on the floor.
When Buck finally lies on the made bed after wearing his sweatpants and a loose shirt, turning onto his stomach, a groan that's a mixture of relief and pain leaves his lips.
Eddie sits on the empty space between Buck and the end of the bed, and gently cards his curls away from his forehead, warmth blooming in his stomach when Buck leans into his touch. "Do you need anything?"
"Just rest." Buck mumbles without even opening his eyes, and lets out the tiniest sound.
"Okay, baby." He keeps his tone low, sliding his hand down to Buck's neck and massaging lightly. "Get some rest."
Within seconds, Buck's eyes flutter close and his breaths even out, his body going slack on the bed.
After Eddie makes sure Buck is completely knocked out— which doesn't take much time, he stands up to grab one of the thin blankets from the drawer and drapes it over Buck before he sits on his previous spot while his hand finds its place on the nape of Buck's neck.
He isn't feeling sleepy yet, the remnants of the adrenaline and tension of today is still pumping through his system, so until the adrenaline wears off and the exhaustion sets in, Eddie changes into his shorts and t-shirt, sits on his side of the bed, his back resting against the backrest, and watches the television on low volume while he keeps his one hand on Buck at all times and slowly scratches his back, massages his neck and runs his fingers through his curls, occasionally texting Bobby and Chris.
Once his eyelids start to droop and his vision gets blurry, Eddie turns the TV and the lights off, and slides down on the bed. He turns onto his side and faces Buck, and lets the fatigue and the low hum of the AC surrounding the room lull him to sleep.
When Eddie cracks his eyes open in the next morning, Buck is already awake.
Buck is turned on his side, already awake, and silently staring at Eddie with confusion painting his face as if he's unaware of his surroundings, doesn't know where he is or what's going on, brows slightly wrinkled. For who knows how long.
The heavy sleepy feeling weighing down Eddie's mind is instantly gone.
Caressing Buck's face, Eddie smoothens the other man's brow with his thumb, lightly stroking.
"Hey." Eddie's voice comes out rough but still gentle when he speaks, and a soft smile curves up his lips.
He can feel the way his heart beats in his throat as he waits, the way his stomach is on its way to twist with concern, but a part of him knows it's just a concussion, in fact it's a concussion and the scatters of the lightning despite all those months. He knows, but that doesn't make him any less worried.
Thank god, thank fucking god, recognition slowly settles in Buck's baby blues, and he scoots closer, pressing his face to Eddie's pillow with a sheepish smile on his face. "Hi."
"How are you feeling?"
Buck hums. "Better."
It's the answer Eddie has been dying to hear and that one single world is strong enough to demolish half of the tightness sitting on his chest just like that; he wraps his arm around Buck's middle and pulls him into his chest, but his face falls in a frown when Buck's face plastered to the side of his neck and his body under Eddie's hold feels cold against his skin.
"You're cold." Eddie says, tracing his fingers along Buck's back. "Why didn't you wake me up?"
Buck shrugs weakly as he mumbles: "I don't know."
"Okay." Eddie sighs. "Let's warm you up, then."
He pulls the blanket up to their shoulders and rubs his hand up and down Buck's back while holding him close with the other arm he has under and around Buck, and feels Buck's whole form slacken and sag into his chest as Eddie keeps his rhythmic motions going.
In a couple of hours, they will get up and Eddie will once again give Buck a thorough check up despite Buck's protests, they will skip the conference and go for a walk around the city and visit new places until it's time to pack their stuff and go back home.
He doesn't know what the following days bring or how hard they're going to be, but he knows he'll be by Buck's side no matter how difficult it may get so for now, Eddie closes his eyes and focuses on the man in his arms until they both feel better.