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It was dinnertime at the firehouse, and whilst they were used to having family members drop by unannounced, sometimes it was the reasons behind their visits that came as a surprise. That was certainly the case today, as Eddie looked up from his spaghetti and meatballs to see Maddie entering the loft.
“Maddie!” Chimney greeted, embracing her and placing a kiss on her cheek. “What are you doing here? Did you miss me that much already?”
“Actually, I’m here to see my little brother.” She smiled, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
“Oof! Tough luck,” Buck laughed, clapping Chimney on the shoulder and sliding past to hug Maddie. “Brother trumps husband to be.”
Maddie hugged Buck back before passing him an envelope, which he narrowed his eyes at, tilting his head in confusion.
“What this?”
“It’s an invitation,” Maddie answered.
“I er…” Buck started, his smile flickering, gaze flashing towards the others. “I don’t understand.”
“That new restaurant, Martinez – you can only get in with one of these.”
“You snagged me an invitation to a fancy restaurant?” But he still sounded very much confused on the matter.
“Well, you see, Josh has this friend-”
“Friend…” Buck breathed out, and he seemed to be catching on now.
Eddie tried to hide the smile, but failed miserably, letting go of a small laugh at the next words to come out of Buck’s mouth.
“You set me up on a date.”
“It’ll be good for you, trust me.” She pouted, pulling out the big guns with her pleading eyes.
“Yeah, Buck,” Eddie chuckled. “Trust her.”
“Oh, I don’t know why you’re laughing,” Maddie continued, and she moved forward until she reached the table, dropping another envelope in front of Eddie’s plate. “You’re going too.”
He choked on the meatball he had been attempting to swallow and patted at his chest before regaining himself and looking at her with a furrowed brow. “I’m sorry, what?”
“It’s a double date.”
Eddie put his fork down and tried to push the envelope back across the table toward Maddie, but she was having none of it. “No… no, thank you.”
She put her hand on the envelope, pinning it to the table, and whilst her smile may have looked sweet and innocent to most, Eddie couldn’t help but feel like prey being sized up by an incredibly dangerous predator, shrinking under her gaze. “Tonight, at seven.”
Hen snatched the envelope up, and Eddie rolled his eyes before slumping forward. He was outnumbered. Maddie and Hen made it two against two, and there was no way Chimney would go against Maddie.
“Eddie doesn’t need your help getting a date,” Buck tried to intervene, a slight whine to his voice.
“But you do?” Chimney teased, grinning at Buck.
“That’s not what…” Buck took a breath. “We are both fine getting our own dates. We don’t need setting up.”
“Buck,” Maddie said, rounding on her brother and placing her hands on his arms. “You’re my brother, and I love you, but you are incredibly hopeless. I’m setting you both up, and that’s the end of it.”
“Yeah, but why do I have to get dragged into this?” Eddie groaned.
“Oh sweet, Eddie,” Hen chuckled, patting his hand. “Because you’re just as hopeless.”
“Cap, c’mon,” Buck pleaded, looking to Bobby for help.
But Bobby held his hands up and shook his head, the smile on his face clear. “This is a family matter.”
“Really, Cap?” Eddie asked, raising an eyebrow at him. “That’s what you’re going with?”
“It’s out of my hands.”
“I already called Carla,” Maddie continued, beaming, a clear bounce in her step. “She’ll be at yours for six to watch Chris and Buck can pick you up.”
He wanted desperately to argue, but aside from already knowing it would be useless, he took one look at Buck and knew he wasn’t about to let him go through the ordeal of a forced date alone. Especially one set up by a family member. Eddie had been there, done that.
Granted, Eddie’s stomach churned at the thought of having to sit there and watch Buck flirt and be flirted with. He knew it would be agony, just like it had been with Natalia. Watching Buck smile and laugh, his eyes lighting up for someone other than Eddie… it cut Eddie deep in a way he hadn’t understood for the longest of times. He had convinced himself it was because he craved that kind of connection too, he craved being close to someone in that way, but he knew now that he was wrong. He knew now that all that time, what he had been craving was Buck.
But Eddie couldn’t have Buck. So, he would suffer in silence and take the hurt. He would take whatever pain he needed to, just to see Buck smile and be happy.
If that meant having his heart ripped out on a double date while Buck potentially found love, then so be it.
And when six o’clock came, Eddie was ready and waiting. Chris gushed with excitement over him, and Buck too once he arrived, telling them both how good they looked. Buck blushed, head lowering as he fiddled with his shirt, and Eddie’s heart just about stopped at the sight before he cleared his throat.
“We’ll probably only be an hour or so,” he told Carla, as she patted off any remaining lint from the shoulders of his jacket, looking incredibly pleased with her work.
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” she answered. “You boys have fun. We’ve got everything under control here.”
“Carla…”
“Enjoy it,” she said, firm, tilting her head and raising her eyebrows, showing she was not going to be argued with. “We won’t wait up.”
“I’m going to kill Maddie,” Buck said later as they pulled up near the restaurant.
“Not if I beat you to it,” Eddie answered, allowing himself a moment longer than he should have to drink Buck in. He was so torn, enjoying the sight of Buck dressed up but hating the reason behind it.
Buck let go of a sigh. “Let’s get his over with.”
They were early by a good fifteen minutes, but with invitations in hand, they were shown to a corner booth towards the back of the restaurant, booked under the name of Buckley. The atmosphere was calming, a faint classical music piece playing throughout the restaurant, gentle and subtle, but there. The lighting was dim, smaller lights set up throughout to make everything cozier, more intimate, a small candle in a glass jar burning away in the centre of the table.
When they slipped into the booth, meeting at the corner, Eddie felt his heart quicken as Buck’s arm brushed against his, and if Buck noticed him still a moment, he said nothing. Though, if Eddie was honest, Buck was too much in his own head, his nervousness clear in the way his jaw ticked and eyes darted about the restaurant, the way his fingers constantly fussed at his suit. It was endearing, and warmth spread throughout Eddie, a small smile creeping onto his face.
He placed his hand on Buck’s arm, leaning forward enough to catch Buck’s gaze. “Buck… It’s fine. You look great, the place is great, and I’m sure they’ll love you.”
Buck settled almost immediately; his eyes locked on Eddie’s. “Am I really hopeless?”
“Completely,” Eddie teased, lost to the way the lights played across those ocean blue eyes, and for one single moment, he forgot about the jealousy, allowing himself to imagine that this was all for him.
But the arrival of the waiter broke the spell, and Eddie pulled away, forcing himself to focus on the waiter instead. He took their drink orders and disappeared again, periodically checking in on them once he had returned with the two bottles of IPA. It was another twenty minutes or so before two ladies were led to the table, both of whom looked beautiful in a way that had Eddie’s heart sinking.
“So, you must be the infamous firefighters we’ve heard so much about?” the one with dark and curly brown hair said, her eyes as soft as her smile.
Buck was the first to push up, sliding from the booth and offering a small hug and kiss on the cheek to both of them, but Eddie could only bring himself to stand up and shake their hands, his smile forced.
“I’m Buck and this is Eddie,” Buck answered, taking the seat beside Eddie and allowing the girls to sit together.
“Evelyn, but my friends call me Evie,” the brunette answered. “And this is Catherine.”
“And what do your friends call you?” Eddie asked, clearing his throat as he looked toward the strawberry blond.
“Catherine,” she answered simply, but her smile was soft, despite the sharp edge to her gaze.
“Okay.” Eddie nodded his head.
“Maddie said you’re friends with Josh?” Buck looked between them.
“Yeah, we used to go to the same club.” Evie bobbed her head as she pulled one of the menus towards herself and Catherine.
“Like a book club, or something?”
She laughed and shared a look with Catherine, but didn’t answer.
Eddie narrowed his eyes a moment, suspicion creeping in. Something felt… off, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. There was something about the way the girls huddled together, sharing the menu, something about the way they spoke, and the things they didn’t say more than the things they did. It took him watching them for another few moments before the realisation began to dawn.
The little touches, quick glances, shy smiles. Eddie might not have been especially good with relationships, but he knew flirting when he saw it. He knew the longing look in Evie’s eyes, and warm smile, because he recognised it from his own, whenever he looked at Buck. Except Evie wasn’t looking at Buck, and she wasn’t looking at Eddie. She only had eyes for Catherine.
“I don’t think that’s the type of club she means,” Eddie continued, raising his eyebrow at Buck and waiting for Buck to catch on, but he seemed completely oblivious, so Eddie let go of a small sigh and leaned forward, focusing on the girls. “So, how long have you two been dating?”
Evie’s cheeks flushed red, and it was Catherine who answered. “About a month. What about you?”
Eddie could practically hear Buck’s brain grinding to a halt and could see Buck’s mouth struggling to find words from the corner of his eye. But before Buck could say anything, Eddie placed his hand over Buck’s on the table, giving it a gentle squeeze and leaving it there.
“I guess you could say this is our first official date,” he answered.
He was surprised when Buck made no attempt to pull his hand away, instead, despite the confusion lining his features, he seemed to visibly relax.
“Eddie…” he breathed out, and Eddie shot him a quick look that he hoped said ‘just go with it’.
“Should we order food?” Eddie continued.
The girls looked between each other and nodded, but almost immediately, one of their phones dinged and Evie pulled it free, her brow creasing at the sight. “I er… I’m afraid we can’t.”
She showed the screen to Catherine and Catherine nodded, already moving from the booth.
“That’s my cat-sitter. Looks like my cat isn’t feeling well. We should… we should really go.”
When Buck made to stand up, she waved her hands in front of her.
“No, no need to get up. Please, enjoy your meal.”
Before Eddie or Buck could protest, the girls were gone, leaving them alone once more.
“Did we just get blown off?” Buck questioned.
“Looks like Maddie was telling the truth,” Eddie said, “she really was setting us up.”
Buck’s face dropped, and for a moment, Eddie thought he had finally caught on. “I really am going to kill her. How did she not know?”
Eddie let go of a small chuckle, head falling forward slightly, and it wasn’t until Buck made to move from the booth that Eddie realised his hand was still on Buck’s. He tightened his grip slightly at the movement, bringing Buck to a halt.
“We can go,” Buck said, voice small. “You don’t have to stay.”
“I want to…” Eddie answered, before adding, “if you do.”
Buck didn’t say anything to that, his eyes taking on a sheen Eddie had seen several times but had never been able to fully read. Or maybe he had been scared to, scared to allow himself to hope.
“I mean, we are on a date,” Eddie continued.
“You don’t have to pretend…” Buck breathed out.
“Who said anything about pretending?”
Silence.
“We’re already here and it would be a shame to waste good company.”
Buck’s gaze fell. “You shouldn’t joke about that.”
“I’m not joking.” Eddie lifted Buck’s chin, forcing him to make eye contact. “I don’t want to share you.”
Buck’s tongue flickered out, moving across his lips.
“Say something, Buck.”
Nothing, just Buck’s warm breath brushing against the skin of his fingers.
“Buck…”
“Maybe we should skip dinner,” Buck finally said, and Eddie felt himself sinking, his hand falling away from Buck’s face, until Buck caught it and the corner of his mouth ticked up into a devilish smile. “My place is empty.”
“Oh yeah?” Eddie questioned, his own smile returning, heat igniting throughout him.
“Yeah,” Buck answered, moving in closer until his lips were mere inches from Eddie’s. “And I’ve got no other plans.”
“I can think of a few.” Eddie moved closer, closing the gap. “If you’re up for the challenge.”
Buck snorted before pushing in, capturing Eddie in a kiss that was full of hunger and want. Eddie matched the energy, hand weaving up and behind Buck’s neck, into his hair, until they finally broke apart, and this time, as Buck looked to him with that sheen in his eyes, Eddie knew exactly what it was.
“What do you think?” Buck answered.
“I think I need to send Maddie a thank you gift.”