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Buck shuffled excitedly in his seat as Eddie drove along the winding road that overlooked the beautiful Loch Lomond. He had read up on Scotland months in advance and he knew exactly where he wanted himself and Eddie to visit. They only had a couple of weeks to explore and wouldn't be able to see everywhere so he had researched and found the best places. So far they had been there for a week, starting in Glasgow and making their way up through the countryside.
Buck turned to Eddie, who kept glancing at him with amusement swimming in his gorgeous brown eyes, and patted his knee enthusiastically. "This place is gorgeous! It just keeps getting better and better!"
Ever since the pair had finally realised they were in love with each other and had started dating a few years ago, they had made a promise to each other that they would travel together when they could. They wanted to make a lot of memories together. They both loved LA but they also wanted to get out and see the world. Now that Chris was 16 and was more independent, Eddie felt much better about leaving him with Hen, Karen and Carla. Between the three of them Buck and Eddie knew Chris was in the best place he could be.
So far the couple had travelled to Hawaii, South Africa and Australia. They hadn't chosen the places themselves. Instead they had hung a map on the wall of their livingroom and had thrown darts to decide where they were to go every few months. Buck thought it was more exciting that way and Eddie agreed. Buck thought back to the day he had thrown the dart and it had landed on Scotland.
"I've always wanted to go to Scotland!" Buck said, clapping his hands excitedly. He turned to Eddie, wiggling his eyebrows before winking. "Now I get to see you wearing a kilt!"
"Is that the only thing you can think about?" Eddie chuckled from the sofa, pretending he wasn't thinking the exact same thing. He could just imagine bending Buck over, taking him from behind whilst he wore a kilt and that glorious image was one he hoped would come to be. He slowly moved a cushion onto his lap, not wanting Buck to notice his semi. Christopher would be home soon which meant there was no time for that kind of thing until he went to bed. "I swear you only want me for my body."
"Eddie, noooo! I mean, yeah, I do like your body and I'd get off on seeing you in a kilt but I've heard stories of how beautiful it is over there! And we get to experience it together." Buck replied, a sheepish grin on his face.
"Well, we both love to go hiking so I think this would be perfect, Buck." Eddie said as he got up and pulled Buck towards him, nuzzling his face into the slightly taller mans neck.
"I'm going to do some research!" Buck exclaimed, causing Eddie to pull away and grin lovingly at his golden retriever boyfriend.
"Sounds like a plan to me, sweetheart. When do you think we should go?"
"Hmm, how about April? That way the weather won't be too bad and we can enjoy it more." Buck said after thinking for a moment. "We'll use summer to take Chris somewhere!"
Before Eddie could reply the sound of the front door opening stole both mens attention. After a few seconds they heard the clacking of crutches along the floor and Chris soon appeared in the doorway, Carla following behind him.
"Did you two decide on where you're going next?" Chris asked as he eyed the map. He went on some holidays with his Dads but sometimes he was happy to stay in LA and be with his friends and family so that they could have some time alone together.
"Scotland!" Buck shouted, excitment radiating off of him.
"Oh man! I wish I was going with you on this one!" Chris whined, dramatically throwing his crutches onto the sofa and plonking down beside them, which caused the three adults in the room to laugh. Christopher had started taking drama classes at school and took any chance he could to show off. "Jamie went there once and he told me about this beaver sanctuary he and his family had come across."
"I'm sorry, bud, but we'll go to Scotland again and take you with us." Eddie promised, sitting beside his son and pulling him into a side hug. "Buck and I just need some time away together, you know?"
Chris sighed before patting his Dad on the arm affectionately. "I know! You both work so hard you deserve this. Just make sure you bring me back lots of presents!"
They all chuckled at that, Carla shaking her head before heading into the kitchen with Buck to help him prepare dinner before she left. She would take any time she could get to spend with her favourite boys.
Buck popped his head back through the kitchen doorway. "Hey Chris, can you find out from Jamie where that beaver sanctuary is?"
"Maybe!" Chris replied, giving Buck a cheeky grin.
Buck smiled to himself at the memory, thinking about how much he missed Christopher. He knew Eddie felt the same even though they had facetimed with the boy every night since they had arrived.
"Not as gorgeous as you, sweetheart." Eddie said softly, not taking his eyes off the road but Buck could see a glimmer in his eyes.
"Oh my god, that was cheesiest thing you've ever said, Eds!" Buck scoffed, shaking his head at his boyfriend.
"Yeah but you love it."
Buck had no reply for that. He definitely did love it and there was no way he could deny it. He wasn't one for lying. "You bet I do!"
Eddie chuckled, taking one hand off the wheel and placing it on his boyfriends thigh. Learning to drive on the wrong side of the road had been a challenge for sure, but he had gotten the hang of it and at the moment he didn't need to change gears so he was able to drive with one hand.
"How long until we get to Oban, sweetheart?"
Buck fought the urge to shiver a little as Eddie called him sweetheart. He loved it when Eddie used pet names for him. They made him feel special. They made him feel loved. None of his past partners had used any pet names on him. He was always called 'Buck' apart from Tommy, who had called him Evan.
Shaking himself out of that thought process he got out his phone and looked at the map. "About an hour and a half. Oban looks lovely by the way. Did I show you photos?"
"Yes, mi amor, you did show me. Although you were very tired and fell asleep whilst showing me." Eddie smiled fondly, remembering how cute his boyfriend had looked falling asleep in his arms. A sight he would never tire of.
"That's probably why I don't remember then." Buck frowned, a little annoyed with himself for forgetting. He hated forgetting anything and had a habit of beating himself up about it. Thankfully, Eddie had been helping him get out of that bad habit.
"Why don't you tell me more about Oban?" Eddie asked, trying to draw his boyfriends mind away from any negative thoughts.
Of course it worked because Bucks face lit up and he started going into great detail about all the things he had found out about the small town that looked out onto the sea. Eddie would never get tired of listening to his boyfriend spouting all these facts that he had no clue about.
___ ♡ ___
Eddie groaned as sunlight fell upon his face, making him not want to open his eyes at all. He had no idea what time it was but he knew it had to be early because his boyfriend was an early bird, even on holidays. He knew it was because of the excitement to explore and see new things. He just wished Buck would relax more while they were away. They had plenty of time to explore.
They had arrived in Oban in the late afternoon and had found their Airbnb pretty easily. It was on the top floor above a restaurant called Cuan More and it overlooked the seaside bay. The apartment was a weird shape, with the bathroom right next to the front door and the rest of the rooms down a long hallway. It was going to be 'fun' to sleepily walk to the bathroom in the middle of the night.
The bedroom was a warm, yellow colour and the bedsheets had bees on them. It was a lovely room except for the fact that the ceiling sloped down over the wardrobe, causing Buck to bang his head while he was unpacking. The kitchen was stylish with cupboards that stood out because they were bright red. The best thing about the kitchen was that the window had a great view of McCaigs Tower. One of the places Buck had planned for them to go. The livingroom was very basic but it felt homey and it looked out onto the bay, a little telescope on the windowsill so guests could look out onto the sea. It was a very charming apartment and the only decent one they had been able to find in the heart of the town.
As soon as they had arrived they left their suitcases in the bedroom and immediately went out to explore a little. They had walked around, taking everything in and exploring all the shops. The best place they had come across was a chocolate shop that had the best view of the sea. Buck hadn't needed to think about what he was going to order when he saw the menu. He had ordered them both a white hot chocolate and it was probably the best hot chocolate either of them had ever had.
After that they had continued their walk and ended up at a place called Wetherspoons, where they stayed for dinner and ordered classic british dishes. Buck had chosen Scottish Haggis, neeps and tatties, declaring he wanted to try something new. As soon as he tasted the haggis he immediately regretted his decision and ordered a Heatwave burger with a side of 'chips' instead. Eddie had also gone for a Heatwave burger, enjoying the fact it came with a spicy chicken wing on top.
Their night had ended with a steamy session in the massive shower followed by them collapsing into bed and falling asleep with Buck being the little spoon. Their time in Oban so far had been great and it had barely been a day.
"Come on, Eds! We have so much to see!" Bucks voice graced his ears followed by the feeling of the bed dipping and a strong, muscular arm wrapping around his waist.
"If it's before 8am I'm going to kill you." Eddie grumbled, burying his face further into his pillow.
"It's 9am, actually! I let you sleep in."
Eddie smiled into the pillow, grateful Buck had left him to sleep in. He had never been a morning person and always found it hard to get up. He removed his face from the pillow and slowly opened his eyes, blinking as the brightness hit. He turned away and buried his face into his boyfriends neck instead. Much better, he thought to himself.
"You need to get up. I made you breakfast and I don't want it to get cold!" Buck said, chuckling as his boyfriend burrowed further into his neck, if that was even possible.
"Bacon?" Eddie said excitedly, his voice muffled by Bucks neck so it actually sounded something like 'burcurn'.
"You know it! I went out and asked where the nearest supermarket was. It's only a 10 minute walk so I went and got groceries!"
"Okay, okay. Give me a minute, mi amor." Eddie replied, reluctantly pulling away and heaving himself out of bed. Buck left the room to get back to the kitchen while Eddie stood up and threw on a pair of boxers. He would shower after breakfast, he thought as his stomach rumbled.
As he entered the kitchen he took in the romantic sight before him. Buck had covered the table in fake rose petals and had scented candles lit in the middle.
"What did I do to deserve this?" Eddie asked, a big goofy grin on his face. Buck never stopped surprising him. Eddie was always often unsuccessful at surprising his boyfriend. Buck always seemed to guess what Eddie had planned or would figure it out and pretend to be surprised. He didn't think Eddie noticed, but he did.
"I know I didn't have to but I wanted to, Eds. Only the best for you!"
As they both sat down to eat, Eddie thought about the blue velvet box hidden in a pair of socks at the bottom of his suitcase. He had made sure Buck would never find it. This time, he was going to be successful in surprising his boyfriend and he couldn't wait. He had found the perfect place to propose and it just so happened that they could see the place from the kitchen window. The night before they had stood at that window and gazed up at the tower, both in awe of how beautiful it looked when it was lit up with multicoloured lights.
"So what have you got planned for us today, sweetheart?" Eddie asked inbetween mouthfuls.
Bucks face lit up. "Well, I got some picnic food and a picnic blanket because we are going to that beaver sanctuary Chris mentioned! Do you think we'll actually see some beavers? I hope we do! That would be so cool. But then Chris would be jealous and I don't want that!"
Eddie chuckled as his boyfriend rambled on. He could listen to Buck ramble all day.
"Buck, mi amor, calm down. Christopher will be fine! You promised him you'd take lots of photos. Breathe for me."
"Sorry, I know I'm just being silly." Buck said, looking sheepish.
"Not silly at all. You're just very considerate of others. That's one thing I love about you." Eddie replied, reassuring Buck who looked more at ease.
"Well, you'll have one more thing to love about me once we buy kilts afterwards! I walked past a lovely store that sells them. I can't wait to see you in one." Buck smirked, thinking about all the dirty things he was going to do to Eddie.
He watched as Eddie froze, his brown eyes darkening a little, before getting up and leaning over the table, his lips brushing against Bucks ear, making him shiver.
"You're playing a dangerous game, mi sol. If you want to go to the beaver sanctuary soon I suggest you stop." Eddie whispered before nibbling lightly on his boyfriend earlobe, earning a small moan.
"I mean, a quick handjob would be okay..." Buck replied, sounding a little out of breath.
Eddie growled and moved down to Bucks neck, gently biting the junction between his neck and shoulder, earning another moan. "Shower with me."
"You don't have to ask me twice!" Buck eagerly replied as Eddie moved towards the door, holding out his hand. Breakfast was forgotten as Buck took his hand and let himself be lead to the bathroom.
____ ♡ ____
Eddie chuckled as Buck grabbed his hand and excitedly pulled him towards the sound of running water. It was the middle of the afternoon and they had just enjoyed a nice picnic halfway through the beaver trail, a picnic bench conveniently placed at exactly the halfway mark. Before that they had walked along the trail, looking out onto the most beautiful lake with luscious green trees surrounding it. They had passed stumps of trees that looked like they had chunks taken out of them and Buck had gotten very giddy. He had tried to get Eddie to walk faster so they could get to the massive beaver dam that could be seen in the middle of the lake, but Eddie had grabbed his wrist and held him in place.
"Mi sol, you need to be patient. We have all the time in the world! Lets just take our time and enjoy." He had told his boyfriend, cupping a hand around the back of his neck and stroking the nape, trying to calm him down. It always worked and Buck had given him a sheepish grin and agreed.
After a few moments they came across a river that ran alongside the lake and right in front of them was a gorgeous waterfall. Eddie mentally cursed himself for having left the ring at the airbnb. He had already decided where to propose but he was starting to question whether it was the right choice. Right by this waterfall, at the beaver sanctuary Buck had been so excited about, seemed like the perfect place for a proposal. He just hoped that, when he did propose, Buck would be happy with where he did it.
They continued along the trail, stopping to take photos of the scenery and a lot of photos of the two of them together. Not only did they want to have loads of memories to look back on in future but they needed some to send to their friends and family who always expected updates on their trips. Chris especially demanded photos.
It was late afternoon when they got back to the town and they both slumped down onto the sofa, needing a little rest before their evening plans.
"Are you still up for McCaigs Tower, Eds? It's okay if you're not. We can go tomorrow night!" Buck asked, nervously playing with his hands. "I mean, its right up the hill and it's a lot more leg work than the beaver trail was. I don't want you to be too sore tomorrow."
Eddie smiled fondly at his boyfriend, reaching over and taking one of his hands, interlacing their fingers. "Of course I'm still up for it, sweetheart. You forget our job is physically demanding. Walking up a big hill won't do me in. If you still want to go we can go, mi sol."
Bucks face lit up at his reply and he was back to his usual buzzed self. "Okay! I was thinking we should get up there within the next hour or two so we can be there for the sunset. What do you think?"
"I think," Eddie said, leaning closer to press a soft kiss to his lips. "That getting up there for sunset sounds good."
"Cool! And then I was thinking we go to that pizza place down by the water. They apparently do this really tasty bolognese pizza! Someone in the Oban group I joined on Facebook reccommended it to me."
Eddie faught the urge to shake his head, not surprised at all that his boyfriend had joined a Facebook group to find out more information for their trip. Instead he chuckled and pulled Buck back into his arms, placing a soft kiss on his temple.
"Sounds good to me, sweetheart. Pizza it is!
____ ♡ ____
"Oh my god! I think I'm gonna die, Eds!" Buck exclaimed dramatically as he plopped down onto a bench at the top of the hill, clutching his chest. They had finally reached the tower after what felt like hours. It was only a ten minute walk but with the way it left them feeling it definitely felt longer.
"Okay drama king. You die over there and I'll catch my breath inside the tower." Eddie joked, shaking his head and slowly making his way towards the entrance, ignoring the ache in his legs.
"No! Wait for me!" Buck cried, quickly getting up and following him just like he had predicted.
Eddie took Bucks hand pulled him through the archway and into the tower. There wasn't much to see inside apart from some flowers and plants on either sides of the path. On the other end of the tower there was an archway that led to the viewing platform that Eddie was so eager to get to. The ring box felt hot in his pocket and he tried to stay composed so as not to raise any suspicion. Buck could read him like a book and while he was usually okay with it this was the only time he wanted to be hard to read.
Both men gasped as they stepped out onto the platform, utterly stunned by the view. The sun was starting to set and the sea was a beautiful array of pinks and oranges dancing on the water. They stood there for a few minutes, hand in hand, gazing over the breathtaking view of the town. Eddie was glad he hadn't taken the ring with him to the beaver sanctuary. He knew this was the perfect moment.
He watched fondly as Buck broke away from him and went over to the railings, taking out his phone so he could snap photos of the gorgeous view. He could hear him mumbling about how Chris was going to love these and Eddies heart filled with more love than he thought was possible. He quietly got closer, not wanting to alert Buck to his presence behind him. He pulled the ring box out of his pocket and got down on one knee, waiting for the love of his life to turn round.
"Oh my god, this view is amazing, Eds! Come on, come and look!" He exclaimed happily, turning round to look for his boyfriend. He had his phone infront of him, making a video but almost dropped it when he saw Eddie down on one knee. He immediately stopped recording and hastily shoved his phone back in his pocket, almost dropping it. "Eddie? Is this real?"
Eddie had had a whole speech planned and yet, here in the moment with his beautiful boyfriend gazing down at him with tearfilled eyes, he was speechless. The lighting behind him made him look absolutely beautiful and ethereal. Buck always looked beautiful but in that moment he was divine.
"Eddie?"
Bucks voice snapped him out of his trance and he cleared his throat. "Evan Buckley, when we first met I had no idea what you would end up meaning to me. Before you I was a single Dad with a kid who had no clue what he was doing or how he was going to provide, and then you came along like a whirlwind. You gave me friendship and you gave me Carla. You gave me the stability I needed and the courage I needed to give Christopher a good life. You were there through all the worst times, an anchor keeping me alive. You are amazing with our son and he absolutely adores you. I couldn't and I don't want to imagine a life without you! A world without you in it would be an absolute tragedy. So, Buck, I have one thing to ask. Will you marry me?"
He anxiously waited for a response, Buck standing before him with his hands covering his mouth and tears streaming down his face. Eddie hoped that was a good sign.
After what felt like ages Buck removed his hands from his face and crouched down onto one knee, mirroring Eddie. He reached into his pocket and pulled out an identical ring box, causing Eddie to tear up as well.
"Buck?"
"Well, Diaz, you managed to surprise me for once. I'm impressed!" He said, making the other man laugh. "Edmundo Diaz, I had a whole speech planned out but I don't think I can top yours. I think you know how much I love you. How much I love Chris. How much I love our life together. How much I've been in love with you for years. Will you just marry me already?!"
"Fuck yeah I will!" Eddie grinned as he pulled Buck towards him and captured the mans lips with his own in a searing kiss.
The kiss didn't last long before they pulled apart, Buck eager to put his ring on Eddies finger and to get Eddies ring on his own. It was no surprise to either of them that they had gotten the same kind of ring. Both rings had a gem stone in the middle. The one placed on Bucks finger had a smoky quartz that was brownish in colour while the one placed on Eddies finger was a blue topaz. They had each gotten a ring with the others eye colour in gem form and it was so perfectly them.
Later on that evening, over 5000 miles away, the 118 and their partners all sat around a bonfire in the Nash-Grants new backyard chattering away to each other. All of their phones suddenly pinged at the exact same time and they all scrambled to grab them.
"Oh my god! It's happened!" Chim shouted as he watched the video Buck had sent to the group chat. It started out with Buck showing them a gorgeous view and ended with the man turning round and catching Eddie on one knee.
"About damn time!" Athena cheered, grinning at her phone.
"Who had money on the first day?" Chim asked Hen, who had a list on her phone.
"Damnit Chim! Just enjoy the moment!" Hen chuckled, rolling her eyes.
"I can enjoy the moment and enjoy my prize money!" Bobby stated with a smirk on his face.
"Cap!"