Work Text:
Sometimes you didn't need words to know how someone was feeling or what had happened to them.
Eddie knew exactly what had happened with Buck the moment he spotted him through the peephole. All he did in response, as he opened the door to him, was offer a smile and a sympathetic glint in his eyes. Buck walked through, showcasing two bottles of cold beer he had rushed to purchase on his way to Eddie's place.
Eddie ushered him inside without uttering a word, and even though Buck obviously saw his briefs and open collared shirt he didn't say anything, and the two sat themselves down on the couch.
The silence prevailed. They both knew that the other was dealing with something from Buck being despondent and Eddie's mustache being absent from the room and his face. Still, they didn't need to talk, being in each other's company was enough. So much so that they somehow ended up falling asleep on the sofa.
Buck slowly opened his eyes, blinking when the sunbeams filtered through the semi-open blinds. It took him a minute to realise he was not in his apartment but at Eddie's. He knew that, not from the sight around him in th3 familiar safe place, but the smell of fresh coffee and bacon sizzling away in the frying pan from the kitchen.
Buck rubbed his eyes, pushing himself up from the sofa. At first, he wondered what he was supposed to do and a part of him, the part rooted in anxiety, said to flee the house but he couldn't. He couldn't do that to Eddie. Not while Christopher was in Texas.
Buck lingered behind the wall next to the arch that led to the kitchen, his heart beating frantically in his chest. He bit the inside of his cheek, wondering how the following conversation was going to be and he needed to know why he was feeling so scared about talking to Eddie of all people.
Entering the kitchen, he jumped slightly at the fact Eddie was facing him already.
"Jesus, Eddie!" Buck exclaimed.
Eddie laughed quietly, "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you. You hungry?"
Buck could feel his stomach rumble. "Yeah... but shouldn't we... I dunno, talk?"
"Which part?" Eddie asked. "Tommy?"
Buck nodded, face going red from shame and embarrassment even though he didn't understand why he felt like that.
Buck sat himself down at the kitchen table, folding his hands in front of him whilst Eddie firstly put a cup of coffee in front of him then secondly putting a plate of bacon and eggs on the place mat. He then sat himself adjacent to Buck at the head of the table.
"He broke up with me." Buck shrugged his shoulders.
"I figured something like that happened when you came with beer." Eddie offered a smile. "What happened?"
"Turns out we have a mutual ex. Abby."
"No way. Abby Clark Abby?"
"Yeah." Buck laughed ruefully. "They were engaged."
"Shit." Eddie blinked a couple times. "Well, it's a small world or so they say, but that wasn't the only reason you guys split. Is it?"
Buck shook his head, "To sum it up, he thinks I was using him as some sort of experiment. I don't think I was, sure I was excited. Maybe a little impulsive but I thought I really liked him. Maybe I did, or I didn't. I don't know." He sighed, putting a hand over his eyes.
"You shouldn't be with someone you feel unsure about." Eddie said quietly. "You, him, anyone. Take it from me, Buck. People make mistakes, especially in relationships. Tommy might end up regretting it but you don't chase after him."
"I don't think I want to chase him." Buck took his hand away, showing off his glazed over eyes. "God, I feel like an idiot."
"You're talking to the guy that cheated on his girlfriend with a doppelganger of his dead wife." Eddie whispered, looking into Buck's eyes, almost getting lost in them. "You're gonna hurt for a while, Buck, and that's okay."
"Don't get me wrong, I felt really... crappy afterwards, when he left through the door but I think I felt... relieved." Buck tilted his head. "Ironically, with Abby I felt like I had changed then with Tommy I felt like I opened up a part of me I didn't even know existed."
"I think I know what you mean..." Eddie looked away for a moment which Buck noticed and furrowed his eyebrows in concern. Eddie spotted the worried look and attempted to reassure him. "When you told me you were with Tommy, or you know were on a date with him, I felt... weird. In a good way not a bad way, but I began to... feel something. Inside of myself. I, erm, have began to feel different emotions inside, something I never really had the word for before but I think it's always been there. So I met this priest and he helped me out, I did some confessing and I spoke about how bad I felt that I kept Kim a secret, like it was something filthy or whatever, but I felt bad about lying to you but I didn't know what to call you. You've always been Buck to me, and calling you my best friend, even though it's true, didn't feel right."
Buck swallowed silently, feeling himself be drawn into what Eddie was saying.
"You've always been there, Buck, from day one. Not just me, but my son too. I don't think I've ever thanked you for any of it but I hope you know how much your kindness has meant to me, how much you mean to me. Without you, I would have been lost. It's... well..." Eddie cleared his throat but never wavered his eye contact from Buck's eyes.
"It's always been you."
Eddie could feel his heart beat rapidly in his chest and even though he didn't really think about it, he leaned forward, hand coming to cup the back of Buck's neck and his lips pressing against Buck's. At first, he was terrified that Buck would pull away but instead felt a heat rise within him as Buck melted into him, his own hand coming to cup Eddie's cheek.
Time became endless until they pulled away, laughing softly. Buck put his hands over his mouth in giddy shock.
"Did we just...?" Buck simpered. "It's... Eddie, I didn't know you felt that way."
"Me neither." Eddie admitted. "But I guess you never know you have perfection when it's staring at you in the face."
Buck felt his heart swell, "Eddie, I know we've known each other for years but... it's always been easy to love you, you know. I've never had a moment when I felt I hated or disliked you. I am... willing to see where this can go."
"Buck, I don't think we need to." Eddie chuckled. "Look how we already live. You around here, with me and Chris. Nothing will change. It was meant to be us, it just seems... right."
"Not quite." Buck put a hand over Eddie's on the kitchen table, "We're missing our boy."
"I need him back, Buck." Eddie sighed. "But I don't want to force him."
"We'll do it." Buck affirmed. "We will bring him home. Together."