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With Chris gone, Eddie has felt fully and irrevocably bored.
Chris was the light of his life, and Eddie would drop everything on a whim for him. All Chris had to do was ask , with those stupidly adorable blue puppy eyes, and Eddie would say yes. Which is probably why he let Chris run to Texas despite how much it physically pained him.
Chris took up a lot of his time. Not in a bad way, he loved his son more than life itself. It wasn’t like he was stuck with Chris, either. There were countless friends and family members that would watch Chris if Eddie asked. He just really liked spending his time with his son.
Now Chris was an entire 800 miles away, and hardly speaking to Eddie.
There’s definitely been improvements in their relationship, one being that Chris actually picked up Eddie’s FaceTime requests. But, it was clear Chris was still processing the whole Kim thing. It left Eddie with far too much time.
Far too much, because he somehow found himself on his couch, as Buck connected his Xbox to Eddie’s television.
“Aha!” Buck raised his hands in the air, as if touching the jumbled mess of wires would disconnect the console.
Buck quickly pressed the power button, and the console whirred to life. A soft melody played as the word XBOX faded onto the screen. Buck giggled in delight as he plopped back down onto the couch, his thigh pressed up right against Eddie’s. Eddie tried not to shiver.
Because, that was a thing now. It was inevitable, probably. Again, Eddie had nothing but time, which was time to wallow in his thoughts.
He dwelled on his past relationships, imagining what it would’ve been like if he stayed with Ana. For one, Chris would probably still be here. He loved Ana. His son would be speaking to him. It led to thoughts about Shannon, how things could’ve turned out if that damned car didn’t hit her. Of course, she did ask for a divorce, but maybe they could’ve worked something out for Christopher’s sake.
But with his endless amounts of time, that’s what Eddie noticed. That when he thought about a relationship, most of his focus on concern was placed on the whole Christopher aspect of it. What would Chris think? Would Chris want me to date her? I hope Chris isn’t too upset. He never really delved into what he really wanted in a relationship.
With Chris in Texas, now he could. And when he did, all that came up was Buck. Someone that’s there when he needs? Buck. Someone who loves his son just as much as he does? Buck. Someone that understands Eddie’s own personal needs? Buck. And, most surprising of all: someone who is so effortlessly beautiful that Eddie can hardly breathe when he thinks about it? Buck.
Eddie wasn’t sure if he was gay, or bi, or whatever. He honestly didn’t care, really. He knew Buck took a bit before he settled on the whole bisexual label, and he was proud of him when he did. But for now, Eddie didn’t really entertain anything. Because he knew, in the end, all he really wanted was Buck.
Buck, who he didn’t wanna lose, so he bottled up his feelings in fear of ruining their beautiful friendship. Buck, who Eddie would do anything he asked, which is how he found himself here.
Eddie felt a controller being placed in his hands, and turned to see Buck smiling wide. Eddie’s heart melted at the sight, in spite of what Buck was doing.
Buck turned his attention back to the screen, which was on the Xbox Home Screen now. He giggled as he used his own controller to scroll through his game library and open Fortnite. Fucking Fortnite.
Eddie felt a bit ridiculous. This was a children’s game. Chris loved it, and begged Eddie for… “V-Bucks” on multiple occasions.
Come on, dad! They added Superman! You know much I like Superman! It’s only $10!
Dad, they put Naruto in here. It’s just $25! I won’t ask you again, I promise!
He asked Eddie again. Multiple times. But Eddie gave in every time, despite the frankly absurd prices. $25 for a virtual character? What the hell was that?
Still, Buck came up to Eddie during work one day, and proposed the idea. Eddie wanted to say no, but then Buck pulled out his stupidly adorable blue puppy eyes, and Eddie didn’t have the heart. Plus, maybe he could send a quick picture to Chris, showing Eddie indulging in one of his hobbies.
Buck couldn’t stop giggling as the game loaded, probably at the prospect of Eddie playing Fortnite. Eddie joined in though, because when Buck was happy, he was happy. He subtly leaned into Buck more, feeling his warmth through the layers of clothes he had on.
The game loaded, and Eddie was greeted by the sight of a large muscular… cat? With a mullet? The username BuckItUp was displayed above.
“Buck, what the hell is that?” Eddie barked out, laughing loudly.
Buck pouted. “What? It’s Meowscles! He’s so cute! I have, like, all his skins.”
Eddie rolled his eyes fondly. “You spent money to get the same character multiple times?”
“You wouldn’t understand!”
“I don’t think I want to.”
Buck huffed, plucking the controller he gave to Eddie out of his hands. “I already made you an account so I’m just gonna turn the split-screen on.” He turned the controller on, and after pressing a series of buttons, another character materialized beside the stupid cat. The username EddiebodyWantSome floated above.
Eddie frowned. “Is that me? Why am I just a guy?”
Buck snorted. “Your account is new, you haven’t bought anything. And you always complained when Chris asked you to buy anything on this game, so I assumed you’d be pissed if I spent money on anything for you.”
Eddie’s face felt warmer. It was such a small thing, Buck remembering Eddie’s little vendetta against virtual currencies. But it was so thoughtful, and his face broke out into a small, soft smile. Still, he elbowed Buck playfully.
“I still look lame next to you,” Eddie said, his voice laced with adoration.
Buck chucked. “Look, I’ll take the skin off. I can be a default with you in solidarity!” He quickly opened his, frankly too large, locker and took his character off.
Eddie smiled at the new sight. The character auto-selected for Buck was another man. He had blonde hair, a large nose, and blue eyes. It kind of looked like Buck. If the hair was curlier, and it had the signature pink birthmark, maybe the deal could be sold. He noticed his own character, with dark slicked back hair and tanned skin. It kind of looked like him, too. If he blushed at the thought of BuckandEddie existing in Fortnite too, sue him.
It was also sweet that Buck forfeited his, probably expensive, wacky little character to match with Eddie. He was just too considerate. He pushed the warm feeling coiling in his guts to focus on the screen.
Buck pressed a button, and they were met with another loading screen. Eddie took the time to turn to Buck and drink in the sight.
He looked ecstatic. His eyes were crinkling, with a large, toothy smile to match. His cheeks were slightly flushed, and his hair was a big tousled. Eddie wanted to live in this moment forever.
They loaded in, and Eddie suddenly realized he had no idea what he was doing. The screen was split in two, Buck’s blonde guy taking up the top half, while Eddie’s brunette dude taking up the bottom. He could watch Buck move his character instantly, not even taking his eyes off the screen. Eddie looked down at his controller and frowned.
“How do I move?” he asked in confusion.
Eddie’s breath hitched when he felt Bucks’s hand grab his thumb, placing it on the left joystick. “This one is for moving.” He placed Eddie’s other thumb on the right. “And this one is for looking.” He flashed Eddie a bright smile.
Eddie ignored the spark of electricity he felt when Buck politely explained the controls, and tried to move his character. It was immediately clear he was not the best, his movements awkward and clunky compared to Buck’s smooth ones right above. Buck didn’t say a word, just continued smiling brightly.
The game quickly began, and Eddie stared dumbly at the screen as a giant bus floated them above the island.
“Where do you wanna land?” Buck asked giggling, as he opened the map for Eddie to see.
With only a few seconds to decide, Eddie squinted his eyes and analyzed the map. “Take me to Catty Corner,” he settled on. It reminded him of that stupid cat skin Buck wore when they started.
Buck chuckled. “You got it!” He chirped as he launched the two out of the bus. There must’ve been some setting on, because the game proclaimed Buck to be the Skydive Leader, and Eddie didn’t have to touch a single button to follow in Buck’s path.
Eddie fumbled with his controller as the game disconnected him from Buck, leaving him to land on the ground alone. He managed, and landed on a nondescript patch of dirt while Buck, of course, landed gracefully onto some weaponry.
“Eddie, you’ve gotta land on a gun. What if someone lands near you and gets a gun before you?” Buck said, his tone amused.
Eddie scoffed. “I don’t know how this works! I assumed we would’ve just… been given guns or something.”
Buck giggled, and Eddie huffed in frustration as he continued to meander around. Eventually, he clumsily made his way to Buck, who politely dropped him a weapon.
“It’s an SMG. They’re perfect for newbies,” he said, with a sly smirk.
Eddie hit his arm playfully, but picked it up nonetheless (thank God for the game telling him what button he needed to press to do that).
Eddie followed Buck around like a lost puppy, and Buck didn’t mind. He continued to drop items he thought Eddie would like as they went along. Thankfully, no one else landed with them, so Eddie didn’t have to deal with fighting anyone just yet.
He tried to help Buck fight the boss, he really did. But, he was lucky if he could even get his reticle on the stupid thing for more than two seconds.
A minute or two later, Buck leaned forward. “I can hear someone,” he whisper-yelled, as if the person on the other side of the screen could hear.
Still, Eddie found himself tensing too. What? This game was kind of stressful.
Another character popped up behind a wall, and immediately locked onto Buck. Buck fought dutifully, and Eddie contributed by spraying bullets in the general area of the enemy.
“I knocked one!” Buck exclaimed, like Eddie knew what the hell he was supposed to do with that information. Still, it implied that there was another enemy ready to fight the two of them.
Buck giggled throughout, but gasped as the second enemy managed to get him down. Fuck, of course it was up to Eddie to kill this stupid fucking banana.
Buck gripped Eddie’s shoulder, beaming brightly. “Come on, Eddie! You’ve got this! I got him low, I know you can get him!” He cheered.
Eddie knew he was probably going to get wiped in half a second, but he still felt his face flushing at Buck’s encouragement. God, it was such a stupid thing to get flustered at. But Buck was just so kind, so understanding. He never doubted Eddie, even when it came to Fortnite, he guessed. He desperately wanted Buck, and it was getting harder to ignore.
The second enemy began to shoot at Eddie the moment they knocked Buck, and Eddie panicked. He sprayed and sprayed the gun Buck gave him at the start, most of the bullets flying in random directions. The gun automatically reloaded, and he continued. Somehow, some way, a few of the bullets connected. And, just like Buck said, the enemy was already low, and Eddie managed to finish the job. Both enemies simultaneously exploded into piles of colorful weapons.
Buck immediately began to shake Eddie’s shoulders, laughing in delight. “You did it! You actually got him! I told you!”
Eddie couldn’t help but laugh along, the expression on Buck’s face warming his own. “I don’t know how the hell I did that! It felt like I was just shooting the air!”
They both continued to laugh, as the boss they previously defeated dutifully revived Buck himself so Eddie didn’t have to return his attention to the game.
Eventually, the laughter died down, and both men caught their breaths as the last few giggles escaped. Eddie never took his eyes off Buck’s. He wanted Buck to be his, so badly. Buck was so awesome, so thoughtful, so caring, so encouraging. Buck was also right here. He could feel his breath on his mouth, their faces only a few inches apart. If he just leaned in, he could—
Eddie didn’t even register what he was doing until he heard Buck squeak in surprise. He realized that he did lean in, and his lips were on Buck’s plush, pink ones. They were kissing, while the Fortnite game before them illuminated them in the dark of the room.
Eddie quickly pulled back when he realized, panic lacing his voice. “I’m sorry! I don’t know what came over me! I just— I didn’t realize! I don’t—“
Eddie stopped his rambling when Buck placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Did you mean it?”
“What?” Eddie asked, dumbfounded.
“The kiss. Did you mean it?”
Eddie’s blush immediately darkened, and he nodded shyly. “I’m sorry. I’ve had a thing for you for a bit now. Probably longer. It’s just… you were being so thoughtful about Fortnite of all things, and I couldn’t help it, I guess.” Eddie hung his head low, avoiding Buck’s gaze.
He suddenly felt Buck’s hands on both sides of his face, ushering it upwards to make eye contact with Buck again. Before Eddie could ask Buck what he was doing, he felt Buck’s warm lips on his again.
It was far better than the first, unintentional kiss. It was gentle, but full of pure want. Eddie squeaked, but immediately placed his hands on Buck’s biceps to brace himself. Buck placed one of his hands on the back of Eddie’s neck to deepen the kiss. Eddie groaned when he felt Buck’s tongue push against his mouth, and Buck took the opportunity to press his tongue fully inside Eddie’s mouth.
Buck eventually pulled back for air, leaving Eddie dazed and panting. He could spot Buck’s eyes, and they were a bit glassy as well. For a few moments, they both stared at each other, breathing heavily. It was Buck who said something first, his mouth curling into a big dopey smile.
“I’ve wanted to do that for ages. You have no idea how happy I am,” he said, his voice full of emotion.
Eddie smiled too, letting out a small giggle. “I imagined it in a much more romantic way.”
Buck eyes lit up, and he quickly pulled away from Eddie fully, leaving him confused. Buck turned his attention back to the game, where they were both scarily close to the giant purple storm. He picked his controller back up and pressed a few buttons, and his character extended their arms for a hug. He nudged Eddie.
“C’mon!” He urged.
Eddie laughed, and picked his controller back up to awkwardly made his way over to Buck. The screen prompted for button, and when Eddie pressed it, he smiled wider at the sight of both characters sharing a quick but cute embrace. It helped that both characters looked like them, too.
“Eddie,” Buck said, snapping Eddie’s attention away from the screen, “will you be my Fortnite boyfriend?”
Eddie stared at him, his face likely giving the vibes of pure confusion. Then, he bursted out in laughter, tears pricking his eyes. “God, you are such an idiot.”
Buck pouted, but giggled along with Eddie. “You didn’t answer,” he said, after a few beats.
The thing is, Eddie didn’t wanna be Buck’s boyfriend. They felt like more already, especially with Buck practically helping him raise Chris. Boyfriends felt too juvenile. So, naturally, he opted for the next step.
“I think I wanna be your fiancé instead,” he said, his tone making it obvious he wasn’t joking.
Buck’s jaw dropped. “Did you just propose?”
Eddie grinned. “And if I did?”
Buck rolled his eyes, but smiled and blushed. “Yes,” he said quietly. He reached for one Eddie’s hands. “I’ll marry you.”
Eddie leaned in and pecked Buck’s lips, squeezing Buck’s hand before letting go. “As much as I’d love to get into wedding planning immediately, we have a Fortnite game to win.”
Buck laughed, and turned back to the screen after kissing Eddie’s cheek. Eddie took a quick look at Buck — his fiancé — before preparing for the rest of the game.
They lost the game.