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1. Large hot coffee, two creams, one sugar
Buck is so nervous that he stops in the coffee shop twenty minutes before they’re supposed to meet just to make sure he orders something good for Tommy. The problem is that he doesn’t know really anything about Tommy except some basics: he’s a firefighter, he was in the army, he knows Muy Thai, and he kisses so gently that Buck had felt a weight lift in his chest. They shared a margherita pizza at the Italian restaurant, and they split a pitcher of light beer, but that doesn’t tell him anything about how Tommy Kinard might take his coffee.
Tommy’s a masculine man, with a cleft chin and thick arms, who likes things like Muy Thai and cars, so maybe he takes it black. Maybe that’s stereotyping, though, because Tommy also doesn’t look like he would kiss guys and take them out on a date. That’s probably offensive, too. God, Buck’s bad at this. He doesn’t want to make this worse, but he has to get Tommy something. He can’t show up to his apology with a coffee just for himself, but is it worse if he gets the wrong thing for Tommy or nothing at all?
He finally steps up to the counter and smiles at the barista, a young girl who can’t be any older than May, with an eyebrow piercing and a knot of periwinkle curls pulled back into a ponytail.
“Welcome to Ground Up! What can I get started for you today?”
He knows his own order, at least.
“Can I get a large hot coffee, two creams, two sugars, and one pump of hazelnut?” The barista grabs a cup and scribbles on the side with a marker, motions quick. “And then, can I get a second large hot coffee, two creams, one sugar?”
“Can I get a name for the order?”
He almost spits out Buck but he doesn’t feel like Buck in the moment, and instead, he says, “Evan.”
“Perfect, Evan. Let’s get you rung up, and I’ll have those right out for you. Can I interest you in any croissants or muffins to go with your coffees today?”
He’s not prepared to think about what type of muffin Tommy might like, so he shakes his head, and she takes the answer graciously. After he pays, he waits by the end of the counter while the barista, he thinks her nametag said Rowan makes their coffees, and he worries. Is he doing this right? In the past, when he’s fucked up this early in a relationship, he just let it go. He doesn’t want to let Tommy go, though. That’s the thing, he really, really doesn’t want to say goodbye to Tommy.
Before Eddie and Marisol had shown up at their date the other night, they were having an incredible time. Tommy’s funny, he’s confident and interesting, just like he told Maddie, and he is so nice to look at. Buck was nervous, on his first date with a man ever, but the man across from him was this beautiful man who makes his stomach fill with fluttering wings and a stupid smile cross his face, and he can’t stop thinking about Tommy Kinard.
“Two hot coffees for Evan,” the barista calls out, and he steps up to the counter to grab them. He wants to tip her more just for making this as easy as possible when he’s already in crisis, but he’s dicked around too much in the cafe trying to get this right that he’s going to be late meeting Tommy nearby. Instead, he smiles, takes the coffee, and hurries out.
Outside, the sun is shining, and the wind is a gentle breeze, an almost ideal condition for this. He finds a table in the middle of the grouping with an umbrella, a few of the other groups nearby but clearly engrossed in their own conversations. He sets both coffees down and takes a seat, facing the main entrance to this outdoor area so he can see when Tommy walks up.
He almost gets up and changes his mind, the anxiety clumping in his throat when he remembers Tommy’s words from their date before Eddie and Marisol had shown up, the soft “nobody's looking at us, Evan” to try and ease his concerns.
Nobody’s looking at you, he reminds himself and then, he sees Tommy coming down the stairs, and he forgets all his nerves for a moment, happy to be able to see him.
“Uh, hey,” he says once Tommy is close enough, and it sounds so weird already, like he isn’t sure why he’s there. He doesn’t want that. He wants this , whatever Tommy still wants to give him, and he wants it with Tommy. He just has to stop being so fucking weird about this.
“Hey.” Tommy stops in front of him, still standing, hands in the pockets of his hoodie left unzipped.
“Thanks for agreeing to meet me.”
“Of course.”
“Uh, I – I got you a coffee.”
“Thanks,” Tommy says, taking the seat across from Buck, and he looks so good in something as every day as a hoodie and jeans. Buck has always been exceedingly simple, though, and he lets his eyes track down Tommy’s body even as obvious as that is.
“Um, I – I didn’t know – how you take it, so I – I just took a guess.”
Tommy takes off the lid of the coffee and brings it up to his mouth to take a tentative sip from the cup. Buck watches carefully as Tommy sets it back down, covering it back up with the lid.
“Mm. So, not like that,” Tommy says, shaking his head at him lightly, and it’s a teasing tone that makes Buck laugh gently to himself.
“Seems there are a lot of things we don't know about each other,” he comments softly.
“Practically everything,” Tommy states.
“Well, I – I would like to change that. First, I – I need to apologize for the way I behaved the other night,” he says, sitting forward. He’s gone over this apology in his mind, over and over again, trying to make it mean what he needs to say to Tommy.
“You have nothing to apologize for.”
“No, I – I do.”
“No,” Tommy says, and there’s no room in his tone for Buck to cut in yet, instead letting him continue, “I didn't cut things short because you behaved badly . I did it because I didn't want to pressure you.”
“Still, the way I reacted was not my proudest moment,”
“Noted.”
“Uh, so you said before, um, that – that you don't think I'm ready. And the truth is, I don't know what I'm ready for, but I am ready for something. And – and I think maybe that something could be with you.”
Tommy is quiet for a minute before he responds, “you already know that I'm interested.”
“Come with me to my sister's wedding,” he says.
Tommy laughs as he says incredulously, “what?”
“I want you to be my date at my sister's wedding,” he repeats, so Tommy is sure that he means it, that he’s not backing away.
“Evan.”
He loves the way Tommy says his name, and he wants to hear every single possible way that he could say Evan.
“Come on, I'm – I'm serious. Listen, you already know half the people there, and – and she wants to meet you.”
Something about saying Maddie wants to meet him changes the expression in Tommy’s eyes, as if it’s what he was waiting for, some sign that Buck means it.
“Are you absolutely sure about this?”
“Yes, I'm sure. There's gonna be free food, and I need someone to dance with.”
Tommy says, “okay.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay, great.”
He reaches his hand out before he can think otherwise, and places it over Tommy’s, and it feels so good underneath his own. Even better is Tommy’s hand coming to cover his own, sandwiching it between his warm, strong hands. He squeezes Tommy’s bottom hand and brushes his thumb minutely over his knuckle, and God, it’s perfect to just look at Tommy like this, his eyes squinting and his nose wrinkling, that big, honest smile pointing right at him.
2. Large vanilla cream cold brew
Buck is convinced he can figure out Tommy’s coffee order with enough time and attention. He got it wrong that first day, but they decide to meet up before Chimney’s bachelor party just to go over details for the wedding, and Buck thinks it’s the best time to try again. So, he stops by a coffee shop he usually frequents, a little family-owned store with a pride flag in the front window and orders his usual. The barista, who Buck knew as Toni, always wearing the nonbinary flag on their apron, and has their pronouns on their nametag, looks at him for a minute of Buck staring up at the menu, probably looking terrified.
“I have no idea what to order for my boyfriend,” he admits, and their eyebrows lift. “What’s your favorite drink?”
It’s bold, calling Tommy his boyfriend after one and a half kind-of dates, but he doesn’t know how else to explain him. But still, that’s not the point.
“I usually get a vanilla cream cold brew,” Toni tells him. “It’s pretty popular. Vanilla is a safe flavor for most people, and it’s still got that strong kick of coffee since it’s cold brewed.”
“Alright, yeah, give me one of those as well, large, and I’ll take a coffee cake and an oatmeal bar.”
Toni rings him up, handing over his snacks in a little bag, and then making both drinks. They set them on the counter in front of Buck with a smile before turning away. Buck grabs them and heads out with his purchases, excitement to see Tommy again flooding his veins. He meant it when he told Eddie that he can’t stop thinking about him. They haven’t even known each other that long, and yet since they met, Buck always has one thought on Tommy.
That’s why he wants to get this right.
He wants to know so much about Tommy, everything if he can. There’s always been something inherently romantic to him about knowing someone’s coffee order. His dad would make a cup of coffee for himself first thing, just black coffee in his old Penn State mug, and then when his mom would start to rise, he would make a fresh pot just for her the way she liked it, a little bit of cinnamon mixed into the grounds. That’s love, Buck thinks. Knowing their routines, their usuals, how to work around them in the house, that’s what love is. He wants that so deeply that he surprises himself that he’s just realizing it for the first time. Even when he asked Taylor to move in with him, it hadn’t been because of love.
He wants to build that with Tommy, to get to the point someday where they can move around each other like a dance, and he doesn’t have to think about what to order him when he stops to get him coffee.
Carefully, he sets the drinks in his cup holders and drives the last few miles to the small park they agree to meet up in. It’s got a great view of the ocean, and there’s a gentle walking path that loops around the playground in the center. He hopes that that is okay with Tommy.
Tommy is already parked when Buck pulls in and climbing out, parking beside him before he climbs out himself. They meet at the front of Buck’s Jeep, and he holds out the cold brew.
“What’s this?” Tommy asks softly, looking at the cup.
“Coffee, hopefully better than last time.”
Tommy takes it and looks at it for a minute before lifting it to his lips, taking a sip. There’s a moment where Buck thinks, maybe, just maybe, he got something right, but then Tommy’s nose scrunches in what has to be disgust, not paired with the crinkles at the corners of his eyes and smile that Buck enjoys.
“Not like that, either,” he admits with a chuckle.
“Is it any closer?” Buck asks.
“It’s - it’s not, no. I don’t really drink iced coffee, but the coffee itself, that cold brew, I like how strong it is.”
Buck narrows his eyes at Tommy but files that away for later: Tommy likes his coffee strong.
“Are you going to drink that?” Buck asks.
“Oh, no, not even a little bit, but I appreciate the thought, Evan. It’s really sweet that you thought to bring me coffee anyway,” Tommy says with that twinkle in his eyes that Buck really enjoys.
“How sweet? Sweet enough that I can get a kiss?” Evan teases, and he’s not sure where the confidence to ask comes from. He just wants to feel Tommy’s lips against his own again, and he’s been so patient, he deserves something. He’ll wait if Tommy says no, but he really doesn’t want to have to wait much longer.
Tommy steps in close, and uses his free hand to take Buck’s chin in his hands, and presses a single kiss, there and gone, to his lips.
“You don’t have to do anything in order to ask for a kiss,” Tommy assures him.
“I brought coffee cake,” Buck says, even though that wasn’t the point, and he holds up the tiny bag hanging from his other hand.
“Coffee cake gets you two kisses,” Tommy says before he pulls Buck in for a longer kiss, just as chaste and just as sweet. He pulls away with a smile, and the cutest nose scrunch that Buck has ever seen.
“C’mon,” Buck says, taking his hand with as much confidence as he can fake, and starts them on the path around the park. “I’ve got so much to tell you.”
3. Large hot Americano
The first time Buck steps into Tommy’s house, it’s following Eddie and Christopher. After the disaster that was the wedding, he’s nervous to be alone with Tommy, just in case he’s changed his mind. Buck comes with a lot of drama, and a lot of work to be with, and it’s so soon to show that to someone he’s interested in. The problem is, Tommy knows now, so if he wants to break up with Buck again , he’s probably already decided he’s going to. Eddie and Christopher called Buck earlier and asked him to join them at Tommy’s place for the game. Buck has no interest in basketball, but he certainly isn’t going to skip out on spending time with Christopher, or getting to look at Tommy in street clothes.
“Hey,” Tommy says, popping out of the kitchen with two platters in his hands. “Glad you guys could make it, and – Evan!”
“I hope it’s okay that we invited Buck. He needs socialization or else he gets snappy,” Eddie says, gesturing towards Buck with one of the bags filled with takeout orders they picked up on the way over.
“Of course,” Tommy says, and he’s got that bright, big smile on that Buck wants to bathe in. Buck walks over and takes one of the platters from him in his free hand while Eddie leads Christopher into the house and to the living room where Buck can hear the pre-game advertisements rolling.
“Is it okay that I’m here?” Buck asks softly. “I can say I don’t feel well, you know, if it’s not, and -”
“Don’t be absurd, Evan. You are absolutely welcome here, and – did you bring me a coffee?”
He did, the to go cup out of place in his hand while Eddie and Christopher are spreading wings and mozzarella stick orders out on Tommy’s coffee table.
“Yeah,” he admits, and feels silly.
Except until Tommy leans in and kisses him, just once, a greeting and a thank you, as he takes the coffee. This time, Buck opted for something simple, a hot black Americano, since Tommy liked the strong coffee from the cold brew.
“You could just ask what my coffee order is, you know,” Tommy says.
“No, it’s more fun this way. I’m learning about you.”
“Oh, yeah? And what did you learn so far?”
Tommy leads them into the living room, and they set down both snack platters on the table in the two empty spaces that Eddie left for them, before he catches Buck’s hand and leads him back to the kitchen with his cup. He sets it down on the counter and takes off the lid before he brings it up to his mouth, taking a careful sip.
“Oh, absolutely not,” he says with a laugh, his entire face morphing into a flinch at the bitterness of the coffee. “Not like that at all. How’d you get here?”
“You said you liked the strength of the cold brew, so I went with an Americano, black espresso and water. Wrong?”
“Very, but I like the thought process. You listened.”
“Of course I listened. I meant it when I said that I want to get to know you, and that means that I’m listening. I’m studying.”
“Were you particularly studious in school?” Tommy asks, replacing the lid on his coffee.
“Oh, God, no. No, not at all. I’ve been diagnosed with ADHD since I was about nine years old, and my parents refused to put me on any kind of medication, so I was shit in school, but when I find something that I’m interested in, I get a little focused on it. Obsessed.”
“And am I that new thing you’re focused on, obsessed with?” Tommy asks, lifting his hand to curl around the back of Buck’s neck.
“You are a fascinating subject, Tommy Kinard,” Buck says.
“And why you find out everything you’re interested in, you’re not going to get bored, move on to a new subject?”
His voice is small, a little wary as he asks.
“Oh, Tommy, that’s not going to happen. Beyond the fact that you have so many multitudes in you that I couldn’t possibly learn everything about you, you’re also not a hobby or a book. I won’t get bored of being around you, spending time with you, just sitting next to you, even. I’ve never gotten bored of a person, and I’m not going to start with easily the best person I’ve met,” Buck replies. He reaches up and touches Tommy’s jaw, turning it towards him so that Tommy is looking at him. “I just got the most beautiful, most interesting, most confident man in the entire world to agree to spend time with me and kiss me; how could I possibly get bored of you?”
“I know this is your first relationship with a man, and I know that there’s a whole world of new experiences you can have now, and I’m older and settled in my life. I don’t want to keep you from experiencing where your curiosities lead you.”
“Who says I can’t experience my curiosities with you? Anything I’d want to do with other guys, I can do with you. I want to do those things with you, in fact. I’m not interested in going clubbing and hooking up with guys from Grindr. I want something steady, and real, and I want that to be with you, Tommy. Like I said before, I’m still dipping my toes into what this can be, but it’s only you I want to be with.”
Tommy sighs and leans in to kiss him, just a gentle, lingering kiss, staying in his space.
“You got any things at the top of the list?” Tommy asks.
“Oh, you bet I do, but nothing I can tell you with a minor in the house.”
“Baby,” Tommy groans. “You’re the worst.”
“I know. C’mon, you have guests, and it’s rude to hide out in the kitchen,” he says, giving Tommy’s ass a small pat to encourage him towards the living room where the Diazes are settled. “And we’ll discuss the rest later.”
4. Hot coffee, dark roast, light and sweet
Due to their work schedules, Buck can’t see Tommy for another week and a half, and by the time they can meet up, Buck manages to work himself up into a frenzy of longing. After getting to spend several days in a row together, with sleepovers, Buck feels like he’s detoxing hard from the distance.
Buck : Can I bring you a coffee at work tomorrow? I miss you
Tommy: You are always welcome to visit me, and coffee sounds perfect since I’ll be there all night
Buck: I’ll stop by on my way to my appointment then, about 9?
Tommy: Can’t wait
Buck stops at a nearby coffee shop, the line longer than he was anticipating, and takes opportunity of the wait to scroll through Reddit looking for options and ideas. He knows that Tommy likes his coffee strong but doesn’t like the full bitter taste of black coffee, and he doesn’t drink iced coffee. When he steps up to the counter, he smiles at the barista who looks tired even as they return his smile.
“Hi, I need an opinion on something. I’m trying to guess my boyfriend’s coffee order, and I’m not sure what to try next,” he says, and the barista perks up with interest. He lays out his thought process and the barista taps their chin as they think.
“How about a dark roast hot coffee, made light and sweet?” they offer. “So, extra cream and sugar?”
“Perfect,” he replies.
“Awesome, anything for you?”
He orders his usual and then two muffins to go, and steps away to let them work.
“Evan,” a barista at the end of the counter calls out, holding two large coffee cups, and then calls, “Evan’s boyfriend.”
He laughs as he steps up to take both cups, seeing that they had, indeed, written Evan’s Boyfriend on Tommy’s cup. Happily, he returns to his Jeep and drives to Harbor. Tommy is outside in his flight suit, wiping his hands off on a bright orange rag that he tucks into his pocket, and he looks up at Evan’s arrival. He smiles, and despite the Los Angeles sunshine, it’s the brightest thing that Evan has ever witnessed.
He parks nearby so he’s out of the way and climbs out.
“Hey gorgeous,” Tommy says happily, and his eyes meet Buck’s.
“Hey baby,” Buck answers, unable to help himself. He lets himself get pulled into Tommy’s arms for a kiss, unable to touch him with his hands filled with their cups. “Mm, missed you.”
“I missed you, too,” Tommy replies, nuzzling his nose against Buck’s jaw. “What’d you bring me?”
He releases Buck, and Buck brings up the coffee for Tommy to take. He takes it and turns it to read the sharpie lettering.
“Evan’s boyfriend,” he says, and chuckles.
“Alright, so I told the barista I needed a little help to get my boyfriend his coffee order, and they put this on your cup.”
“Am I your boyfriend, Evan?” Tommy asks softly, and Buck feels the air in his lungs catch in anticipation, and in a little bit of something like fear. What if Tommy doesn’t like to be called a boyfriend, because it’s juvenile, because he thinks Buck is silly?
He asks in return, “do you want to be my boyfriend, Tommy?”
“I do. I want to be your boyfriend so bad.”
Buck smiles and uses his free hand to lead Tommy back to him by his chin for a kiss. He lets their lips linger, even if this is Tommy’s place of work, and he knows that this can get Tommy in trouble.
“Good, I want to be your boyfriend, too.”
“So, boyfriend, what did you bring me this time?”
“Try it first,” Buck says as he pushes the cup towards Tommy’s mouth. “See if I did good.”
Tommy takes a tentative sip, and there’s a look of surprise on his face. He doesn’t respond, though, taking another, longer sip.
“It’s not right,” Tommy replies finally, “but it’s good. You’re getting much closer.”
Buck grins at that, a warmth of praise glowing in his belly.
“So, you like it hot and sweet, huh?” Buck asks.
Tommy hums and leans in, their foreheads are pressing against one another, before he says, “mm, I do. I thought you knew that since I like you this much.”
“Smooth talker,” Buck says. “I also got you a chocolate chip muffin.”
“Oh, that’ll earn you some extra kisses.”
“What if I bake you some homemade ones? I’m a pretty decent baker, I like to think.”
“I can think of a few things that I’d do for you in that case,” Tommy says. “Not here, of course, but at home, on my knees.”
“Oh, god, yes,” Buck sighs.
He leans in to try and steal a kiss from Tommy, but he pauses when he hears a high-pitched whistle come from nearby. They both lift their heads, and find Lucy Donato near the hangar bay’s door, that shit-eating grin plastered on her face.
“Hey there, Buck,” she calls.
“I should tell you that Lucy and I got drunk, and she kissed me one night a few years ago,” Buck says quickly. “Before she tells you.”
“What?”
“Yeah, it won’t happen again. It only happened the once, and I was in a kind of terrible relationship, and I felt awful about it the entire time.”
“Okay,” Tommy says. “It’s not a habit to, to make out with pretty girls at bars?”
That makes Buck laugh, and he bumps his nose into Tommy’s.
“I only want you,” he assures him. “There won’t be any drunken kisses with someone else. If anything, I’d catch an Uber and come home to you to get my fill.”
“If you ever need a designated driver, you can always call me and I’ll come pick you up, too.”
“Even better, you can come out with us next time, so when I get drunk, you’re right there. Easy peasy. And I get to show you off.”
“You want to show me off?” Tommy asks.
“I do, because I have the prettiest, sweetest, most understanding boyfriend in the whole world, and everyone deserves to see how good of a boyfriend I managed to catch on the first attempt.”
“Mm, you’re ridiculous, but I’ll forgive you for a kiss and that muffin,” Tommy says.
“You have a sweet tooth.” The words are out before Buck even finishes the thought. “How did I miss that?”
“I don’t know, but I’m glad you’re starting to get it.”
“Kinard, are you going to introduce us, or are you going to keep hiding in the parking lot like you’re ashamed of your new beau?” a voice calls, drawing their attention. Tommy squeezes his hip and steps back.
“Come meet my captain?”
“I’d be honored.”
5. Large hot mocha latte, whip and chocolate drizzle
Tommy calls him midday on a Friday while Buck is finishing up paperwork before the end of his shift to ask if he would like to run errands with him the next morning, just some groceries and shopping he needs to do.
“Romantic date idea,” Buck comments while he’s putting the paperwork on Bobby’s desk. Bobby is busy and doesn’t even notice Buck speaking, so he leaves.
“I just want to see you even if we’re not doing anything exciting,” Tommy admits. “Plus, morning errands means I’ll need a coffee.”
“Oh! Absolutely,” Buck says, perking up. “Do you want me to meet you somewhere?”
“Come by my place, say eight?”
“Eight,” Buck agrees, and goes up to the kitchen to plan.
In the morning, Buck showers and dresses nicely, but casually, and drives towards Tommy’s house on the other side of town. He stops at a cafe halfway between and pulls into the drive-through. He already knows what he wants to order, so when the voice comes from the speaker, he’s prepared.
“Good morning, can I get a large hot mocha latte, with whip and drizzle, and a large hot coffee, two creams, two sugars, and one pump of hazelnut?”
Coffees in hand, Buck drives the rest of the way to Tommy’s and meets him in the driveway. Tommy’s wearing a soft grey t-shirt over dark jeans, his hair damp as if he, too, just showered, and Buck stares at him for a long moment, taking in all of him all over again. He loves to see Tommy in every lighting, but an early morning sunshine patch is one of his favorites.
“There you are,” Tommy says as Buck pops out of his car and locks it behind him. “God, you’re pretty.”
“Look who’s talking, mister,” Buck replies, stepping up and kissing him once. “I hope this is closer. I took a shot in the dark on the flavor.”
Tommy hums and takes the cup. He pops off the lid and smiles as he finds the melting whipped cream with the chocolate drizzle over top. Then, he takes a sip, the whipped cream catching on his upper lip as he pulls away, and a dot of chocolate against his nose. He recaps the drink as he looks up at Buck.
It’s too early to say it out loud in front of anyone, especially Tommy, but Buck is in love with him.
He’s so in love with Tommy Kinard.
He wants to spend every day of his life making Tommy’s coffee wrong until the moment he finally gets it right.
“You’re so close,” he admits, and he chuckles as he wipes his mouth. He misses the bit of chocolate on his nose, but Buck isn’t ready to tell him about it just yet. “You are. This is, I don’t get mocha, because I’m usually not a chocolate fan, but -”
“You don’t like chocolate ?” Buck asks before he can stop himself.
“I don’t, no. Mostly it’s too rich for me. I prefer sweeter chocolates, but other flavors over chocolate first.”
Buck tucks that away for later, and leans against Tommy’s truck nearby with his own coffee, taking a long sip.
“What do you get, then?” Tommy asks.
“Cream, sugar, and unsweetend hazelnut.”
“Interesting. Do you mind if I try it?”
“And get your cooties all over my drink?” Buck asks, even as he holds the cup out for Tommy to take.
“Interesting you say that, considering you had your tongue against my asshole a few nights ago,” Tommy says, and it comes out so easily that it almost doesn’t sound dirty before he takes a sip of the drink. He considers the flavor before scrunching his nose and handing it back. “Not for me, but good to know.”
“Not a hazelnut fan, then.”
“Yeah, not usually. I’ve never understood the appeal of hazelnut myself, even when it’s sweetened.”
“No spoonful of Nutella for you on a difficult day?”
“No, definitely not.”
Buck hums and then reaches out to brush his thumb over Tommy’s nose, taking the bit of chocolate against his skin. Before he can pull it back to himself, Tommy catches his hand and brings it to his own mouth, sucking it into his mouth. His tongue traces the pad of his thumb with his tongue and sucks his skin clean before releasing Buck’s hand.
“You sure you have to run errands this morning?” Buck asks, his voice a little reedy.
“I’m sure, but I have all afternoon off afterwards, so who knows what we can get up to once we come back here.”
“So, what’s first on the agenda, boss?”
+1 Large hot caramel macchiato, extra whip and caramel drizzle
Tommy’s asleep on Buck’s chest, his sweet snoring rumbling into Buck’s chest, and Buck is in love. He presses a kiss into Tommy’s forehead and reaches for his phone on the bedside table to place a delivery order. He has a pretty good idea of what to order, having built his knowledge of Tommy Kinard for nearly two months now. He opens his delivery app, and places an order for his own usual and then adds a large hot caramel macchiato, with extra whip and extra caramel drizzle. He inputs Tommy’s address and adds an additional tip for the early morning order. Once the order is set, he sets his phone down and watches Tommy asleep, breathing evenly, his face relaxed. He brushes his fingers over Tommy’s cheekbone, wondering at how they had managed to get here from their first disaster of a date. He was a disaster, and yet now he has the most beautiful man in the world in bed with him. The moment is perfect, and he closes his eyes to breathe in it.
He drifts in and out of sleep, and when his phone chimes with the delivery notification, he’s loathe to get up. However, he presses a kiss into Tommy’s forehead against, and then he rolls Tommy gently onto his back.
“I’ll be right back, baby,” he promises. Tommy is a heavy enough sleeper that he doesn’t even notice that he’s been moved, so Buck stumbles out of the bedroom and heads towards the front door. There’s a small table by Tommy’s front door where delivery orders are usually left, and Buck takes the coffees from the table back inside, closing the door quietly.
Back in the room, Tommy is stirring, having rolled onto his belly in Buck’s absence, but not enough to notice that Buck is gone. He sets one knee on the mattress and sets both cups on his side table so he can stroke a hand down Tommy’s back. He presses a kiss into Tommy’s shoulder, murmuring gently into his bare skin.
“Baby, wake up. I got you a treat.”
Tommy groans and rolls his head away from Buck. Buck follows the movement and presses kiss after kiss into Tommy’s shoulder and across his back, up to his cheek. He licks along Tommy’s jaw and bites the hinge of his jaw just below his ear.
“Baby,” he coos as he starts to rub Tommy’s shoulders and back with his hands, massaging him slowly and deliberately. “Baby, you gotta wake up.”
“Fuck off,” Tommy mumbles.
“No, I can’t. I can’t give you your present if I fuck off.”
That seems to grab onto Tommy’s consciousness and drag him up out of sleep enough that he squints open an eye at Buck.
“Present?”
“Mmmhm, can my big, strong man sit up for me?” Buck teases, leaving a kiss on his neck as he sits back himself. Tommy moves slowly, like honey pouring from a jar, until he’s sitting next to Buck, his face a confused mix of exhaustion and intrigue. Buck reaches over and takes up his cup of coffee from the side table. Tommy takes the cup and carefully pops off the lid to inspect it.
“Caramel,” he says as he takes a long, deep drink.
“Yeah. I noticed you’re a Werther’s fan, and you don’t really like chocolate, so I figured a caramel macchiato, because you like a lot of cream in your coffee. Then, I also know you like the sweet addition of whip on top, and – is it good?”
“I love you,” Tommy says.
“I - you, you do? Because of a coffee order?”
“Not exclusively, but you’re the only person I’ve ever met who worked to find out what I like, not just for my coffee. You ask questions about me, and you remember my answers. You put together that I like caramel by the candy I keep in my truck and then bought me the coffee I like because you could. You care about me in a way that I don’t know if anyone ever has before. You’re - how could I do anything but love you, Evan?”
“I just want to know everything about you, and give you what you deserve,” Buck replies. “And - I do love you, too, I want to put that out there before I forget, because I do. I love you. I’ve just been afraid that saying it too soon might scare you off somehow, because what if I said it and you thought I’m rushing into something before I’m ready, and – but I love you, Thomas Kinard.”
“C’mere,” Tommy said, setting his cup carefully on the side table before letting Buck climb into his lap. “I just want you to be close right now.”
“Can I ask you potentially a silly question?” Buck asks.
“Yeah, sure.”
“Why do you take the lid off your coffee to take a drink? It has an opening specifically for that. It’s been bothering me since that first coffee at our second kind of date.”
“Oh, it’s just a habit I picked up from my granddad when I used to work with him during the summer. He would take the lid off to taste it for the first time, like he was making sure it was made right, and then he’d put the lid back on it and drink the rest. I don’t even notice that I do it until someone calls me out on it.”
“That’s cute,” Buck replies, and brushes his thumb over Tommy’s lower lip. “So, caramel macchiato, with drizzle and whip.”
“I just like caramel, honestly, but macchiato is one of my favorites because they’ve got a good balance of creamy and bitter coffee.”
“I thought so when I ordered it, honestly.”
“I love you,” Tommy repeats, and it’s soft, wistful, full of affection. Buck feels it echoing in his own chest.
“I love you, too,” Buck says, leaning in to steal a kiss, lingering against Tommy’s mouth to taste the sweet caramel and rich espresso on his lips. “I’m so glad you let me buy you that first coffee, because that one coffee changed my entire life, and led us here, to what has become by far and away the best relationship I’ve ever had.”
It takes a bit for them to slide away from each other, but they don’t part entirely, with Buck tucked into Tommy’s side while they wake up for the day, sipping their coffees, and preparing for the rest of their lives.