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“What are these?”
Maddie says, taking the pieces of paper from Buck’s hand and inspecting them closely.
“Tickets for the new exclusive space exhibition at Griffith Observatory.” Buck explains before getting up to clean up his empty takeout containers.
They just had their monthly lunch together at dispatch when Buck handed her the tickets.
Maddie frowns, “The exclusive exhibition you were dying to see and begged Karen to get you tickets for?” she asks.
“Yes, that one.” Buck says taking her containers too and throwing them in the trash.
“And why are you giving them to me?” She asks. She has never been more confused. Buck has been talking about this exhibition slash conference for months, begging Karen to find him tickets for it so he could go and see all the latest inventions and other things Maddie didn’t really understand.
“Because I’m not going and I thought you and Chim could make a date out of them. I’m sure Jee would be delighted to have a sleepover with Mara, I’ll ask Hen and Karen myself for you. ” Buck explains sitting back down on his chair and avoiding eye contact.
“Wow,” she starts blinking in surprise. “What do you mean you are not going?” She asks carefully, trying to find his eyes.
Buck, shrugs, shifting uncomfortably on the chair. “Yeah, I don’t feel like going anymore.” Maddie only has to raise an eyebrow at him for him to give in, “I don’t have anyone to go with so I’m not going, okay?” he admits sighing at the end.
“What do you mean you have no one to go with? What about Tommy? Did you ask him?” She asks genuinely curious as to why he didn’t think of going with his boyfriend in the first place. For what she knows things are going great between them, Tommy would certainly agree to go with him to the exhibition. Buck shrugs, avoiding eye contact again. Never a good sign. “Did you ask him?” She presses.
“Tommy isn’t into these things, okay? I asked him before I got the tickets and he said he wouldn’t waste our free night together going there, and maybe he is right, most of the things they will show and say are surely made up anyway.” He says, crossing his arms on the table.
Maddie is proud of herself for successfully suppressing a gasp, there’s no way these words just came out of her brother's lips, “Do not let Karen hear you say such things.” It makes Buck chuckles weakly. “I guess those were Tommy’s words not yours.” She comments and Buck’s nods with a sigh.
“Yeah.” Buck confirms, “And he isn’t wrong.” He adds, and to that Maddie does gasp just a little, eyes wide in surprise, “I-I mean not the whole part that things are fake, but he is right that we, we shouldn’t waste our night off together going to an exhibition, but we should do something we both like.” Buck explains, gesturing wide and fast.
“Buck, you have lots of time to do things you both like.” She says gently, “This exhibition is important to you and who knows when they will do another one.”
“But I can’t force him to do something he doesn’t like.” Buck sighs leaning back in his chair.
Maddie sighs, “You are not wrong, but to him it shouldn't feel like you are forcing him, you know? He should be happy to see you so excited that he decides to go with you even if he doesn't like where you going.” she says softly. This like How to have a happy relationship 101, Tommy, how don't you know? she thinks to herself.
“Do you and Chimney do things the other don't like just because the other likes them?” Buck asks.
“Well, Howie and I are pretty lucky and we like the same things, but yes some times we do things the other doesn't like.” Buck hums but doesn't say anything, processing the answers. “Do you want them back?” she asks hopeful handing him the tickets back.
Buck shakes his head and clear it's throat. “I've lost interest in going.” he shrugs and Maddie can totally read in his always so honest eyes that it's a big lie.
“Are you sure?” she tries again, waving the tickets a little, like to make them more tempting.
Buck eyes them for a second before looking away and getting up, “Yes, I'm sure. Thanks for lunch, Mads, I'll see you soon okay? Love you.” and just like that, with a quick kiss on the cheek is walking out of the dispatch's break room leaving her alone.
Maddie pulls her hand back to herself, taken aback from what just happened. She looks down at the tickets wondering what she can do with those. Neither her or Howie are big fans of space but they could use a night out or maybe she could give them back to Karen.
Her phone pigs with a notification while she's still pondering her options.
Evan: Sorry for how I left, I'm serious about the tickets, let me know if you and Chim want me to ask Hen and Karen about the sleepover or you can resale or throw them idk, love you again
Yeah, no, neither of the options she thought are the right one. She needs to find a way to make Buck go. She won't let him miss this.
To Evan: Don't worry, I'll take care of the tickets! Love you, too!
She pockets the tickets and pats them with determination. Her shifts ends in two hours, she will have little time, but she will make a stop before going to pick Jee-Yun up from daycare.
~
Eddie is folding laundry when the doorbell rings making him jump in surprise. He's not waiting any visit. Even less from “Maddie, hi.” he greets surprised.
“Hi, Eddie, do you mind if I come in? I don't have much time I have to pick Jee from daycare.” she says with a smile pointing behind him.
He shakes away his surprise and moves out of the way to let her in, “Sure, come in.”
“Thanks.” she says walking over and stopping by the couch, “I hope I'm not bothering, but I have a favor to asks you.” she starts starting to search inside her bag.
“You aren't bothering,” he says genuinely, Maddie lifts her head from looking inside the bag and smiles at him happily before going back to her search, “what can I do to help you?” he asks craning his neck to try and peek inside the woman's bag like he could find what she is looking for her.
Maddie makes a sound of triumph waving two small pieces of papers out of the bag, “Here they are.” she says with a smile, fixing the bag strap back on her shoulder, “There you go.” she adds taking his hand and placing what Eddie can now see are tickets on the palm of his hand.
“What?” Eddie frowns looking down to the tickets. “Are those the tickets for the Space and Beyond exhibition Buck is going?” he asks looking back up to the woman.
“Well, that's the problem. Those are his tickets.” she starts to explain with a small pout. Eddie's frowns deepens. Why the hell would Buck give up to the tickets he begged for and talked Eddie's ears off for days about? “That's what I need you for.” Maddie says catching his attention again. “He said he asked Tommy to go with him, but he talked him out of going and know Buck says he completely lost interest in going,”
Eddie doesn't mean to interrupt, but he can't help but scoffs, “Bullshit, he was dying to go to that thing.” he says when Maddie raises an eyebrow at him in question.
“I know!” she says throwing her hands in the air, “It was clear he was lying, Tommy just got in his head that they could do something else together.” she shakes her head.
“What do you want me to do with them exactly?” Eddie asks crossing his arms in front of his chest. “I can't convince Tommy to do something he doesn't want to do.”
Maddie sighs in a way that reminds him so much of Adriana when she had to explain herself, “I'm not asking you to talk to Tommy, I'm asking you to go with Buck to the exhibition.” she spell out for him like it was obvious from the moment she walked inside the house.
“What makes you think he will ditch his boyfriend for whose he already gave up to the exhibition for going to it with me?” he asks with a chuckle.
“Eddie.” Maddie says fixing him with a look, “Just tell me you are gonna at least try. And trust me, as soon as he sees he has someone to go with he will run out of the door to.” she says confident.
“Why don't you go with him?” he tries. You see it's not like he doesn't want to go with Buck to a space thing he has no interest to, he just doesn't see why the woman can't go herself to make her brother happy.
Maddie sighs again, “Because,” she starts and then stops to think, “I don't have a good reason, to be honest, I just think he will be more down to go with you than with me so please try.” she says walking past him towards the door and patting him to the shoulder.
“I see I don't have much choice.” Eddie chuckles watching her open the door for herself and taking a few steps outside.
“You do have a choice, you can throw the tickets and forget I asked or go.” she says with a knowing smile that he will in fact try to bring Buck to the exhibition himself. He's not gonna let Buck miss it. “I really have to go now, but I'll see you soon okay?”
And before he can even answer she is half way to her car, “See you soon, Maddie, give Jee a kiss from me.” he says waving a hand, realizing he's waving the tickets too much he quickly changes hand, he doesn't want to miss those. She waves back and Eddie can see the laugh on her smile, she got him good.
Once she droves away and he is back inside the house he stares down to the tickets in his hand. How is he supposed to tell Buck to bail on whatever plan he has with Tommy to go with him? Well apparently the exhibition is in two days so he has time to come up with something and give Buck a little heads up. He sighs and puts the tickets on the fridge next to his calendar with a magnet.
~
It's not Eddie intention to almost forgets about the whole thing until a few hours before when Hen asks Buck if he is excited about the evening and he admits he isn't going anymore, Eddie was just very busy organizing everything and the house for Christopher's come back next week. His son had called him the day after his talk with Maddie and that occupied his head for the entire day and shift.
He gets changed quickly and snatches the tickets from under the magnet and leaves the house again to go to the loft.
He doesn't exactly have a plan and he really hopes Buck and Tommy are there instead of out even if knowing that Tommy also had a shift and he prefer to stay in after long shift his chances are good. He will pretend to have found the tickets last minute and Buck will have to go.
He parks his truck right next to Buck's jeep and spots Tommy's car just a few cars away and bingo, they are up.
Once he gets in front of Buck's door he stops, one hand with his key half way in the air. The least he could do since he is about to crash their plans is to give them a warning so he pockets his key and knocks instead.
“Oh, hi, man.” Tommy greets him with a surprise look.
“Eddie?” Buck says from further inside the house and when Eddie pokes his head in he finally sees him in front of the kitchen counter.
“Hi! Sorry, I hope I'm not interrupting anything, but I have something here for Buck that can't wait.” he says pushing his way in between Tommy and the door frame.
Buck's eyes fix on him in surprise, “For me?”
Eddie smiles at him easily and Buck's face immediately softens, “Yeah. Remember that space exhibition you wanted to see?” he asks wiggling his eyebrow.
“Yes, what about it?” Buck asks with a frown and his eyes drift to Tommy for a second.
“I found two last minutes tickets!” he says cheerfully taking them out and waving them happily in the space between them.
Buck freezes, eyes going from Eddie's face to the tickets and repeat.
“Evan told me that thing was sold out.” Tommy speaks, only now closing the door and sitting in one of the kitchen stools.
“It is.” Buck says silently questioning Eddie.
Eddie winks at him and hopes Tommy doesn't notice and Buck's takes the out from the dinner at home night and goes to see this stupid space thing.
“Yeah, man, it is, but this neighbor of mine can't go and since they remembered Christopher likes space she gave them to me.” He lies so shameless he is a bit scared of himself. “The only problem is that they are for tonight, no refundable and not changeable and Christopher only comes back next week so they are going to waste if nobody uses them.” he says shrugging.
“You could have left them to your neighbor.” Tommy comments.
“But I know Buck wants to go, so if.” He stops before saying we. Tommy is there, he should give the guy the opportunity to do something nice for his boyfriend and go with him. But also Tommy should have said yes since the start instead of turning Buck down “if we leave now can still make it in time, what do you say?” he propose passing the tickets to Buck that takes them without saying a word, but he does look up at him surprised.
“You want to go?” He asks incredulous.
“I promised Chris some photos.” he lies and Buck seems to catch it, but Eddie doesn't give him the time to call him out, “Unless you want to go with Tommy, you can totally send pics to Christopher for me.” he says turning to Tommy and then back to Buck quickly. He is a good friend he will give Buck the chance to chose.
“You guys should go.” Tommy says and Eddie doesn't miss how there isn't a single sign of annoyance in his voice, he should be annoyed that Eddie walked in to take his boyfriend out.
“If you really w-” Buck starts and Eddie stops him mid sentence.
“Let's go or we gonna be late, Tommy can lock the door with the key under the mat, right, mate?” he say turning off the stove where something is definitely starting to burn since they were all focused on the conversation and starting to walk toward the door. Tommy nods in answers. “We are taking the Jeep so don't forget the keys, I'll wait downstairs, be quick.” he says leaving the loft.
Suddenly his heart his reaching in chest with excitement and nerves. He doesn't have a really good reason. It's just an outing with Buck, his best friend, that his best friend's sister kind of forced him to go to. Except maybe it's because he is also in love with his best friend and nobody knows and he has the opportunity to see him geek out about space for however long this thing they are going to lasts.
He waits next to the Jeep's passenger side and watches when after a few minutes Buck comes out of the building, he changed shirt Eddie notices.
“Shall we?” He says when Buck arrives to the Jeep clapping his hand together happily.
Buck chuckles and ducks his head, blushing? Eddie is seeing things now, “Let's go.” Buck says sitting on the driver seat.
~
Eddie expected a lot more kids to be at this thing if he has to be honest, instead there are more adults and a group of teenagers in line when they get there. They are the last group of the day and they close the doors for the day.
There are some rooms where they are free to roam around on their own and read the plaques and watch the photos and Eddie finds himself following Buck around and listening to him reading every single word with attention, like the information could be useful to him in the future.
If Buck seemed a bit weird to Eddie back at the loft and silent on the drive here, now he is back to his relaxed and chatty self and Eddie is completely captivated by him. He could look and listen to him all day, every day.
After the first two rooms they get guided towards a conference room where some scientists are already seated to talk. Buck never stops aweing and smiling the entire thing, and if you ask Eddie how he knows it's because he spent the entire thing looking to him instead of the very smart people on stage. If Buck noticed beside when he turned to smile at Eddie after one of the scientists answered his question he doesn't call him out.
“If you now would like to follow me, we will go to the last stop of our tour aka the telescope room where you'll be allowed to chose a star or planet to see up close.” Their guide said once the conference is over.
Suddenly Buck's hand is on his bicep, gripping it and when Eddie looks up to him in surprise he is beaming, “Eddie I didn't know this, I always wanted to look through a professional telescope!” he says excitedly.
Eddie couldn't care less about it, but he smiles anyway, “Let's go then, you don't wanna miss your spot in line!” he says gesturing to lead the way.
Kindhearted Buck gives up his spot to the group of teenager, leaving them for last.
“What would you like to see, sir?” The guide asks already moving the telescope so he can direct it towards where Buck wants.
“Uh,” he turns to Eddie than back to the guide, “You can pick for me,” he chuckles scratching the back of his neck. “I'd probably stay here all night trying to decide.”
The guide laughs but gets into work to move the telescope. “Here you go.” he says moving to the side so Buck can look through.
“Wow. It's so bright.” Buck comments, voice full of wonder. “Eddie, is so cool.” He says after a minute moving back next to him.
“Are you happy you came here, aren't you?” he teases and it makes Buck duck his head again.
“Sir do you have any request?” the guide interrupts them.
“You choose, I don't know much about this stuff, I'm only here so he wouldn't be alone.” he admits nodding at Buck.
The guide smiles and lets his spot to Eddie to look up the sky. He has no idea which star he is looking at, but it's big and bright and he likes it.
Everyone will get a small card at the end of the tour with what star or planet they looked at and Eddie finds himself curious to find out which one he is looking at. “What did I just saw?” he asks and the guy shakes his head.
“Since you two let me choose, it will be a surprise at the end of the tour.” he says shushing them out of the room back with the group.
They don't have time to react that the last goodbye video is already playing on screen so they have to stifle their laughter.
~
“That was awesome. All of it.” Buck comments as they walk back to the Jeep, the card of what star they saw kept safely in their jackets pockets not to lose.
“Not as bad as I expected.” Eddie shrugs and Buck roll his eyes fully knowing Eddie had fun and liked it as well. “I'm just glad you didn't miss it.” he adds honestly.
“Well you magically had two tickets and barged into the loft how could I refuse.” Buck says. “Do I know this neighbor of yours?” he asks and Eddie knows he knows there's no neighbor.
“Okay, busted. Maddie gave them to me, she really didn't want you to miss this because of Tommy and asked me to come with you.” he barely has the time to get the confession out that Buck is in his personal space. They are so close Eddie has to lift his head to look at him in the eyes.
“I really want to kiss you right now.” Buck confesses his eyes darting down to his lips.
“Buck,” Eddie breathes out like a prayer, “you have a boyfri-” he doesn't finish the word, Buck's hands frame his face and he's shaking his head.
“Not anymore.” he says, “I broke up with him a few minutes before you knocked. We were gonna have dinner and he would have left.”
Eddie breaths in and finds the courage to lift his hands to Buck's waist and breaths out when Buck's breath hitches, “Well, considering this, please kiss me.” He says trying to sound nonchalant.
Buck chuckles but still leans down and connects their lips.
It tastes like stars. And it's powerful and bright as the star that guy showed him. And it's beautifully Buck. Perfect, gentle and soft like him.
They only break apart when the group of teenagers that was inside with them start to whistle at them.
“Okay, let's go.” Buck laughs taking him by the hand and leading him to the Jeep.
The ride back is filled with stolen glares at red stops and Eddie's hand never leaves Buck even when he lifts it to the wheel.
“You wanna come up?” Buck asks once they park next to Eddie's truck.
“I think it's better if I go.” It's painful to say, to leave Buck, and the man's sad look it's even more, “If I stay we might rush this and I really don't want to.” he adds with a smile. “We can meet tomorrow and talk.” he promises.
Buck seems a bit less sad at that “And kiss?” he asks with a smirk.
Eddie laughs, leans into the middle and kisses him quickly and short, “And kiss.” he repeats.
“Text me when you get home.”
“Sure, Buck, see you tomorrow.”
~
He only remembers about the card while emptying his pockets.
Inside there's a photo of the star he saw with on top the name. Heart Nebula with the description:
“It's not just humans who like to show their affection. So do cosmic bodies. Located in the constellation of Cassiopeia in the Perseus arm of the Milky Way galaxy and some 7,500 light-years from Earth is IC 1805, aka the Heart Nebula.”
Underneath there's a hand written note, “You two make a great couple, the stars say so.”
That sneaky guide saw right through them.
His phone pings with a text.
From Buck: Well, do you think we were written in the stars that the guy says this?
Eddie laugh at the attached photo of Buck's card with the same star and the same note.
To Eddie: We really might.
He gets a string of hearts back. The first of many texts like this.