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Buck rocked back on his feet as his hand hovered above Hen and Karen's doorbell. After the kiss he shared with Tommy, his mind was spiraling. Buck never considered himself to be the straightest man on the planet, per se, but he never really felt like he could explore that part of himself. He was comfortable being straight because he knew it would never be a problem.
Turns out it was a problem.
Buck jumped slightly as the door swung open, Hen standing on the other side with a questioning look on her face.
"Are you going to ring that anytime tonight?" She asked, gesturing to the doorbell.
"Well- I was..." Buck trailed off, sheepishly rubbing his neck.
"I have a doorbell camera, Buck. You've been out here for fifteen minutes," Hen stepped back inside, beckoning Buck to follow her. "What's on your mind, Buckaroo?"
Buck followed Hen inside, noticeably avoiding eye-contact, "What makes you think something's on my mind? Maybe I was just passing by and wanted to check in with you and..." Buck paused at Hen's disbelieving stare, "Fine. I wanted to talk to you."
Hen raised her eyebrow, "And that couldn't have waited until work tomorrow?"
Buck stiffened, "Right, right. I can just go n-"
"It's alright, Buck," Hen interrupted, noticing her friend's discomfort, "You are already here, and something is clearly bothering you. You want some coffee or tea?"
"Uh, a tea would be nice," Buck gulped, suddenly regretting his decisions that led him here. Why was he so nervous? Hen would clearly be welcoming, right?
"Okay, I'll put the pot on," Hen gave Buck a look, "And sit down, you look two seconds away from darting out."
Buck slumped onto the couch, watching Hen disappear into the kitchen. His mind drifted back to the events just a couple of hours earlier, the realization that he wanted Tommy to see him, the steamy kiss that followed, the subsequent identity crisis that led him to Hen's doorstep. Buck scoffed at himself. He was a grown man, he should be able to figure this out for himself.
Hen set two steaming mugs on the coffee table, smiling gently at Buck, "I can see those gears turning in your head. Is something wrong?"
Buck shook his head, "No, nothing is... wrong." He stopped, unsure of how to continue.
Hen leaned forward, "Buck, you know I am always here for you, right? Anything you need."
"Yeah, I guess that is probably what led me here," Buck huffed a laugh, "I think you are the best person I know for this..."
"Well now I'm intrigued," Hen joked, evoking a small smirk from Buck that quickly disappeared.
Buck sighed, "When did you know you were gay?"
"Oh," Hen stated, dumbly, "Sorry, that is just not the direction I was expecting this conversation to go."
"Please don't question it yet," Buck grumbled, burying his face in his hands.
"No, no! I'm not questioning, I was just-" Hen cut off, "I think I always had the feeling. I just never felt the same way towards men that I do towards women. It was really easy for me to come to terms with being a lesbian, at least personally."
"And if someone, hypothetically, didn't really come to terms with their sexuality until their thirties, for example," Buck cringed at his own awkwardness, "What might that entail?"
"Well," Hen started, taking Buck's hands in her own, "It would mean that this hypothetical person took a different path when discovering themselves, and this wouldn't make them any less valid than someone who has been in touch with that part of themselves for their whole life. It would mean that they get to discover a whole new part of themselves that might have been hidden behind closed doors. They get to learn more about how they love, with who they love."
"Right," Buck sniffed, "Right, that makes sense."
Hen smiled gently, tilting Buck's face up, "Buckaroo, is there something you might want to tell me?"
"I kissed Tommy!" Buck blurted out, "Or, well, he kissed me and then I kissed back and I didn't realize that I liked him like that but I can't stop thinking about his stupid personality and his stupid face an-"
"Woah, take a breath," Hen laughed, "You and Tommy kissed?"
Buck sighed, "Yeah. I didn't realize that I liked him. I thought I was jealous of him being with Eddie all the time, but I guess I was jealous that Eddie got to spend so much time with Tommy."
"Thank you," Hen said, drawing a surprised look from Buck, "I know how hard it is to come out. Thank you for trusting me."
Buck smiled, "Yeah, well, I guess I knew you would be there. That you would say the right words."
"Of course," Hen paused, "And I don't want to pressure you about a label. I know it was a lot to just tell me about Tommy."
"Yeah, it was," Buck nodded, "Bi, I think. At least that's what feels right."
Hen smiled, "I'm proud of you, Buckaroo. You know I love you?"
"Even when I'm a pain in the ass, yes," Buck smirked, "I love you too."
Hen rolled her eyes, tugging Buck into a gentle hug.
"I did think you had a thing for Eddie at first."
"Hey!"