Archive of Our Own

Eddie's visit to El Paso was more positive than he expected, but he still returned home alone. Chris had greeted him negatively at first, but after a man-to-man chat, Eddie had expressed himself, for the first time in months. Eddie's decision to move to El Paso was still a bit unclear in his mind. Chris had made fun of him for his decision to move there, saying that he wanted to stay there for a while. Eddie could tell from this conversation that Chris had overcome the problems between them but wanted to stay there because he was excited to try new things.

After all, he was just a teenager trying to discover life. It was his family's attitude that made Eddie hesitant. The negative energy he got from them made him want to go back and tell his son that he would stay in El Paso. But in the end, he was on his way back. Confused.

Once he arrived in Los Angeles, he decided to change his focus to distract himself. He ordered an Uber from the airport and spread himselt out in the backseat, pulling out phone to check texts. He just texted Chris that he had arrived. He sent him a different emoji in return. It was something he usually sent as "okay".

There were 118 group chat below. There were a few messages he hadn't read, but as far as he could see, it wasn't anything important or related himself. Below that was the message he had written to Buck. He still hadn't replied. Even after a week. Eddie had been gone for a month. Even though everyone thought he would never come back, he still hadn't officially quit the job. He was still in touch with the team. Buck was returning his messages to some extent, but from what he could see, there were changes in Buck's life that were impossible to fit into just one month.

First of all, they hadn't talked much since he left. Buck had written once or twice, and Eddie would sometimes react to Buck's stories or write something in the group in his spare time from catching up with Chris. At first, everything was normal. But after a while, Buck's posts started to get weird. He would post stories from different clubs almost every day, even after busy shifts, and he would often get drunk and high. Eddie thought it was part of the breakup syndrome.

Although it got on his nerves that he was wearing himself out so much, he thought it would be better to socialize than to stay home and make cakes. However, it bothered him a little that it was becoming so constant. Buck was already someone who was prone to getting carried away easily, and right now, with that timidity caused by the pain of separation, he was open to anything.

Eddie was really worried about him. So he sent him a message, but he hadn't returned any of his messages for a week. Moreover, he had read the messages and was active in the group. Eddie hadn't been able to call him because he didn't have time, but he was planning to call him as soon as he got home.

After coming home and taking a quick shower, he cracked open a beer and looked at the time. It wasn't that late yet. First, he sent another text to Buck.

"I'm back"

Buck read the message but didn't reply. Eddie cursed and quickly pressed the call button. If he answered, the first thing he would do was curse him profusely. The phone rang for what seemed like years, until finally Eddie's ears filled with piercing music. "Hey Eddie," Buck almost shouted.

As if he wasn't the one ghosting him. He sounded amused. Eddie was still angry, even though he realized he had nothing to worry about. Of course he would demand an explanation, but not now.

"I'm back," Eddie said, repeating his message. Buck didn't respond for a moment. As Eddie listened to the obnoxious club music playing in the background, he finally spoke.

"With Chris?"

"No," Eddie said, embarrassed.

He couldn't help but feel like a failure. The noise on he phone was so annoying that he cursed something Buck couldn't hear.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Buck said. Then he said something else, but Eddie couldn't hear it. It wasn't directed at him, he realized that when he said something again and another male voice was heard from the other side.

Buck was busy. He wasn't even paying attention. He had to answer because he was calling. Eddie suddenly felt completely alone. It was similar to the feeling he had felt when Chris left, but this time it was more intense. Still, he acted the way he should have, saying talk later and hanging up.

After he hung up the phone, he lay on the couch for a while, staring at the ceiling. A jumble of thoughts ran through his mind. Chris had told him he missed Buck. Maybe when Buck was fit, he could go to Texas with him. Would Buck come? He was suddenly surprised at himself. For the first time, he had doubts about Buck.

Buck always came, always helped, always there. Sometimes he could take time for himself too. Eddie is selfish. Was it Tommy next to him? He suddenly thought about it. If it was him, he would really be doing himself a disservice. But if it was someone new, it wasn't exactly safe. It was just like Buck to jump into a relationship after they had only been apart for a month, but he would still get hurt a lot.

Curiosity got the better of him and he picked up his phone from the coffee table. He went to social media and clicked on Buck's new story. In the story taken at a gay bar, he was smiling at the camera, hugging a young man. He looked happy. He nodded vaguely. He didn't know the details, so he just appreciated the fact that he looked happy.

**

The next day Eddie came by the station. Everyone was delighted to see him, but Buck wasn't very interested. He looked so miserable after the happy night that Eddie thought he had been drinking all night. He had dark circles under his eyes and he got very thin. He was in a bad mood. 

When Eddie tried to sneak over and strike up a conversation, he was met with a Buck who didn't even look at him. He even brushed off a simple "What's up?" and walked away. It was hurtful.

"What's wrong with Buck?" Eddie asked as they gathered for coffee on the second floor. Buck was nowhere to be seen, apparently avoiding him. 

"Nothing happened, just the usual," Chim said.

"No. He looks desperately sad and-" said Eddie

"That's been the norm since you left," Chim cut Eddie off. Eddie's eyebrows furrowed. 

"What happened after I left?" he asked but Hen didn't let Chim speak."If there's something you two need to talk about and sort out, you will. We can't interfere." 

Eddie was confused. After having a formal talk about returning to work in Bobby's office, he went downstairs. Hen and Chim were joking around while cleaning the fire trucks. He went to them and sat in a corner. He was thoughtful. He wanted to find Buck and talk to him as soon as possible. At that moment, Buck appeared. Next to him was the young man he had shared in his story yesterday. The two of them seemed quite close. Buck was doing better than usual. However, he still could not make eye contact with Eddie.

"New lover," Chim whispered to Eddie. Eddie stared to young man. When he saw his gaze roaming over him, he said, "Hello." 

Eddie stood up and held out his hand "Eddie."

"Eddie..I heard about you."

Eddie glanced at Buck. Buck was not looking at him. They spent about half an hour together. Then his new man left. Eddie finally found Buck alone in the locker room. The first thing he wanted to talk about was the coldness between them, but he couldn't help but say, "I didn't like that boy. He was acting weird."

"Is that so?" Buck replied in a passive aggressive tone as he took off his uniform and tried to put on his T-shirt.

 "What's going on?" Eddie asked. There was aggression in his voice too. "Are you showing off because you found yourself a boyfriend or what?"

"I'm not doing anything. Mind your own business," Buck muttered.

 "Are you kidding me?" Eddis asked as he took off his pants and reached for the jeans he had taken from the closet to put on. He had come closer and was facing him. 

Buck made eye contact for the first time. His eyes were filled with hurt and sadness as he looked him up and down. His voice was angry, but his gaze wasn't.

 "Whatever you have to say, tell it to my face," Eddie hissed.

"You've been gone for a month and you start acting all macho as soon as you get back," Buck said calmly. "There's nothing to talk about."

"You obviously haven't been bullied enough while I've been away huh?" Eddie laughed hysterically. "You're getting on my nerves."

"Really?" Buck's eyes flashed with anger "You just screwed up and you're the one who got mad? How beautiful!"

"I went after my son and you knew about it!" Eddie couldn't help but raise his voice.

"Yes!" Buck shouted back "You didn't even tell me to come. You left and I was left here all alone. You left me behind and went away."
His voice trembled. Eddie blinked in surprise. Buck grabbed his pants and went to the shower. Eddie never reached Buck the same way again after that. This sudden, unexpected, and heartbreaking conversation was like starting to walk on the broken pieces of something that had been broken a long time ago. The wounds were just forming.

**

Eddie misses him. Misses that Buck telling him a lot about useless information during shifts, their warm looks at each other on calls, their beer nights and his smile. Buck didn't smile. He always had a tired and tense expression on his face. He misses the way their shoulders bumped into each other as they walked side by side, the warmth that spread from his skin at the simplest and most unnoticed moments that surrounded him, the magical moments when their gazes met involuntarily and they could approve of each other without even speaking. 

 God, they were such small things, weren't they? But he only realized the warm feeling it gave him when it was gone. Now he was cold. 

He felt selfish. Again. What he had done wasn't wrong and Buck also knew that. He had even helped him. Remembering that made his heart ache even more. How could he leave her out of the family? 

 Buck wanted to be included. Up until now he had placed himself next to them, but Eddie had quickly shoved him away and closed the door.

Buck now only seemed happy in the stories I shared from nightclubs. Sometimes he would stare at his phone for a long time at work, texting his new boyfriend (obviously), but there were very few moments when he was happy. His new boyfriend came to the station frequently. Eddie hadn't liked this guy from the very beginning. He was polite on the surface, but some of his behaviors were strange. His hands would shake and sweat a lot. There was no clear information about where he worked. Sometimes he would give him anxious looks, and when he made eye contact with Eddie, he would clearly get nervous.

   Eddie had encountered drugsters while he was in the army. Sometimes they would go on reconnaissance in the wilderness and find those people. Sometimes it became clear that some of his team mates were addicts. It was hard to hide. He even witnessed a traumatic incident where a soldier who was addicted had hurt another.

    Eddie had shared this with the others, but Hen and Chim didn't see it as a problem as he did. Eddie couldn't insist too much so as not to sound jealous of his friend. Yes, he missed Buck and was terribly uneasy about him being close to anyone else, but his concern was for something else.

There were a few specific calls that stuck in Eddie's mind from that day on. One was when he and Buck were trying to save a kid from a collapsing building. Eddie loved it so much, because it felt like old times. But when Buck suffered a minor injury thanks to his helmet (a large piece of wood had fallen from the ceiling and grazed his shoulder), he realized that his concern for him was beyond normal. 

As he lay on a gurney in the back of the truck, waiting for Eddie to check his shoulder, he looked so helplessly sad. For a moment, Eddie felt like a little boy in front of him. As he put cotton on the wound on his shoulder, their eyes met, and Eddie saw the same look Chris had given him when he first saw him in El Paso. Buck missed him, too.

Eddie was aggressive when he yearned. He had nearly gotten into fights with his calls a few times in the last few days. He got angry at everything in the house, even the refrigerator door that wouldn't close properly when he pushed it. But Buck wasn't like that. His yearning was like a harmful parasite eating him up from the inside. Eddie was right to be concerned.

"Buck," Eddie said. His hands slowly settled behind his neck. He bent his knees and leaned forward to meet his gaze. They were face to face now. "I'm sorry," he said in a low voice. His eyes sought his. 

Buck just nodded. It was obvious he didn't want to talk. Eddie wanted to tell him he missed him, but he didn't want to seem like he was forcing Buck to forgive him just because he did. Instead, he ran his fingers lightly through the roots of his hair at the nape of his neck and caressed it a few times.

They stayed like that until Hen banged on the car door and told them to they should move. Eddie was reminded once again how much he missed this warmth feeling.

**

The days were passing monotonously. It was the same way before, but Eddie felt like he was alive, whereas now he felt like someone else was alive and he was watching from the outside. 

   Even though absurd thoughts like signing up for a cage fight to cope with her aggression came to his mind, he was able to suppress them.   

    He had broken 3 shower heads at work. One of them wouldn't let him have as much water as he wanted, but Chim had shown him later that it was fixed when he turned his head. The other one didn't let him have any water, but that had to do with the fact that the water had been completely cut off that day. He had no excuse for the other one. Buck seemed to be back to his normal cheerful self that day. That was good news for him, yes, but he still wouldn't talk to him. 

Although it seemed like he was just having fun at first, Buck's relationship also seemed to be getting serious. Maybe that was why he was happy? While questioning their place in each other's lives, Eddie understood better how Buck felt. The only difference, however, was that Eddie's reason for leaving was completely forced, while Buck continued a completely arbitrary grudge. 

  Eddie had thought about apologizing properly. He had made all sorts of plans in his head, but when he saw Buck happy without him, with his new boyfriend, the anger inside him had only intensified. Was it that easy? Would one grudge just erase everything between them? 

It was just midnight as he lay on the couch, stalking Buck's account. Buck had shared his routine nightclub stories one after another. His routine used to be having a beer night in one of the two of them's kitchens, and playing video games. Maybe he still did those things, but not with him. Eddie was a lonely man now. This loneliness had turned him into an increasingly obsessive, anxious, angry man. When Buck used to post stories, he would just watch them and respond with sarcastic responses. But now, every story he shared made him nervous. His stomach clenched as he clicked on his profile picture, and he broke out in a cold sweat, afraid he would see something hurtful there.

He had to stop this. When he found himself looking at old photos of him, he decided he would do it soon. There were lots of pictures of them together downstairs. Chris was with them in most of them. Eddie realized now how precious what had slipped from their hands was. Up until now, he had thought he had lost a piece of his family after Shannon, but in fact, what had been broken after Shannon had been made whole again. Buck had given him a family. A new, bright, radiant, happy family. 

An indescribable distress filled him. He knew his mistake, yes, but he could not accept being alienated to this extent. He had been abandoned. He did not know how to deal with this so much that he had nothing to do but be filled with anger. The plans he had made to apologize earlier were now replaced by a fierce desire to fight. 

Buck shared another story. He involuntarily let out a curse and looked at the new story. He was at that gay bar again. This time, he shared a short video of himself drinking while dancing to a light rhythm. Eddie clicked on the location of the place. He had no idea what he was trying to do when he found himself in his car a moment later.

**

The things he saw at the gay club were both new and not new to Eddie. He had been to such a place before in Texas because of a friend's pressure, so he didn't find it too strange. However, it still felt strange to see two men kissing passionately in front of him. It wasn't a negative strangeness, but when he imagined one of these men as Buck in his mind, things got weird. 

The bar was quite large. While Eddie was looking for Buck, he was also wondering what he would do when he found him. They couldn't pretend they had met him by chance in a place like this. So he went to the bar area and ordered himself a drink while he continued looking. Although one or two men appeared next to him until his drink arrived, telling them he was waiting for someone, it worked well. When he started sipping his drink, the bar got really vibe when Ricky Martin's Livin La Vida Loca started playing. Everyone was dancing with incredible enthusiasm. Eddie's gaze suddenly caught Buck, he was taken aback. His drink left a bitter taste in his throat and went down into his stomach. 

He had never seen his dance so gracefully before. He was dancing with his back to his boyfriend, or rather, leaning on him, in a trance-like state. His flushed cheeks,curly hair damp with sweat, and tight gray T-shirt around his waist made his shine under the lights like the most precious jewel in the world. Eddie kept drinking. As he watched him, he tried to convince himself that the heat that was coursing through his body was the alcohol. But then, as Buck's lips met the man's behind him, he felt a tingling sensation spread from his pride through his entire body. What a sight. It was so unfair that he hadn't seen this before. 

He swallowed. For a moment, he imagined himself with Buck, like in the old days. If they had come to a place like this, if he had been the man next to Buck, would he have gone through all this with him? Probably not. There had been Tommy before this. There were new people who were valuable to Buck. Unlike Eddie, he was living his life. 

He set the glass down harshly on the counter. What was he doing here? Was this the place to apologize? Or had he come to fight? For what? Buck had told him why he was offended, and now he was living his life. He had no right to force him. He decided to leave. He took one last look at the track before he left, but he didn't see Buck. The cold air rushed to his flushed cheeks as he stepped outside. He closed his eyes and did his lungs a favor. 

"What are you doing here?" He opened his eyes at the sound of a voice ringing in his ears. Buck's boyfriend was leaning against the wall next to the door, watching him. 

"I was just passing through," Eddie replied.

He smiled wryly. "You expect me to believe that?"

Eddie frowned. He gave him a threatening look. He moved away from the wall and beeline next to him. 

"I saw how your eyes were on us," he said in a low tone. There was an annoying smile on his face. "Your eyes are always on us. Even at the station."

"Fuck" Eddie rolled his eyes, his lips curling up in a nervious smile, revealing his canine teeth.

"Don't think I don't see how much you're dying to feel him."

"Fuck off." Eddie suddenly shoved him away. He stumbled back against the wall he had been leaning against. 

"Leave him alone," he said in a tense voice. "Don't go after him."

"If you don't want me to rip your mouth off, shut up," Eddie said with relief that he had found someone to vent his anger on. Then he paused for a few seconds but hadn't calmed down. So he approached him "What do you know?" he said. "How well do you know Buck? How well do you know me that you're being all machismo with me?"

"I don't need to know you. I just need to know Buck."

Eddie grabbed him by the collar and stared into his eyes with his hazel eyes dark with anger. His eyes were red. He was clearly high. 

"I don't care about you," he hissed. "Buck is free to live his own life. But if you upset him, if you hurt him..." he raised a finger and waved it around. "Then my eyes won't be the only thing on you." 

"Handsome is angry," he mocked. "Don't be so aggressive. No one is upset, boomer."

Eddie let go of his collar and pushed him against the wall. Then, without saying anything, he started walking toward where he had parked his car. Part of him wanted to turn back and get Buck, but part of him knew exactly what the reaction would be. So he went home, desperate.

The next two days Buck didn't come to work because he was off. Eddie was dying to write to him, but when he saw that he had shared a photo of vegan toast in the story he thought everything is fine. 

Eddie was still angry. He was even angrier after the bullshit he had experienced at the bar. He knew that if he started talking to Buck he would want to beat him up in three sentences. He was giving up. And it was all because his longing was making him irritable.

Moreover, he couldn't get out of his mind the image he had when he saw Buck at the bar. He still felt the same way he had when he was standing at the edge of the bar, drinking and watching him. It bothered him. Maybe it wasn't anger that made him suppress his urge to reach out to Buck, but that was exactly it. 

His shift ended that evening. He came home and fixed the lamp he broke the other day, then ordered dinner. While he was waiting for dinner, he stalked Buck's account. There were no posts today. 

The food was tasteless. He had ordered from the same place he and Buck usually ordered from, but this time he couldn't eat it all. He threw himself on the couch and flipped through a few channels to pass the time until he fell asleep. Finally, he stopped at an old action movie and picked up his phone. Chris had sent him a few photos of his new project. He had a short chat with him. Then, as his eyes slowly started to close, he let himself fall back onto the couch.

He didn't know how long he had slept, but the movie had already ended when he jumped up when he heard a knock on the door. As he headed towards the door, he thought it was the courier for some reason, because he was still groggy. But it was Buck. Someone he never expected, and in a way he never expected.

Buck looked incredibly bad. There was a big gash over his eyebrow. The blood at the corner of his mouth had dried as well. His eyebrows were lowered helplessly. There was fear and sadness in his eyes. Eddie's eyes were wide. Buck looked at him as if asking permission, but Eddie quickly reached out his hand and pulled him inside. As the door closed on its own, Buck threw himself into Eddie's arms. His chin rested on Eddie's shoulder, and Eddie wrapped his arms around him without hesitation. 

"Can I come in?" asked Buck.

"Of course" said Eddie, patting his back "You okay?"

"Yes"

"Let's go to the couch" Eddie said while waiting for Buck to move away from him. When Buck went and sat on the couch, he didn't know what to do for a moment. Then quickly went to his room, got the first aid kit from the closet at the bedside, and returned to the living room, to the couch. 

"Nothing" Buck explained "We had a fight. It was an accident."

Eddie sat on the coffee table across from the couch. They were face to face. He stopped suddenly while he was dressing the cut on his eyebrow. He frowned. 

"Did he do this to you?"

"Almost," Buck said dismissively. Eddie exhaled. "What do you mean almost?"

"I'm feeling worse emotionally. Please let's get into the details later." Buck sighed.

Eddie finished his work but didn't get up. He locked eyes with him, watching him with compassion. Buck was like a little boy now. He was hurt. Not first time. But this had happened to him while he was trying to heal.

"Thank you," Buck whispered. Eddie placed his hand on his shoulder. His thumb touched his neck as he caressed it gently. "I missed you so much," said sweetly. "I'm glad you came to me."

An expression he had never seen before crossed Buck's eyes. His pupils sparkled as he said, "You..." He was trying to choose his words. "Why did you leave?"

Eddie didn't know how to respond. He had gone for Chris, yes, and Buck knew that. But it was unacceptable that he had left Buck behind as if he were just some random person. 

"I was just trying to get my son back. I didn't know what to do. The possibility of leaving you..." he paused. "That's not a possibility, Buck. You're part of this family too."

"That's what upset me."

"I see." Eddie's fingers slid slowly upward. The palm of his right hand was now on his cheek. It felt wonderful to feel this warmth after so long. Buck let out a deep breath. This was what he needed. "I'm just realizing things," Eddie continued. "There are things you just don't realize when you're living them because, you know, everything just happens naturally and you don't stop and think about it. But I think we need to talk about it now."

Buck tilted his head slightly. He leaned closer into Eddie's hand. A sweet smile spread across his face. "We don't have to talk," he said sweetly. Eddie's heart ached. It was just as he had felt when he watched him at the bar. Buck looked so perfect in front of him. His messy curls, sparkling eyes, blond beard just beginning to grow. He wondered if he was going crazy. He hadn't been drinking, but he was burning. 

His gaze shifted from his eyes to his lips. He didn't even know how it had happened. He felt a pang in his groin. He remembered his kissing another man. He had wondered what it would be like if he were the one kissing Buck right then and there, but now he understood. 

Buck watched every inch of him carefully. When he noticed his eyes drifting to his lips, he got so excited that he worried Eddie would hear it. The panic brought his hands to the back of Eddie's neck. Then he realized that this was ridiculous and wanted to pull away. But it was too late. Eddie had placed his hands on the back of Buck's neck, pulled him closer, and brought their lips together.

It was a divine moment. Eddie had no idea that the feeling he was curious about could feel so amazing. This was something far beyond whatever love was. It was intoxicating to be able to reach the soul of someone he wanted to be with for the rest of his life. 

Eddie's kiss exactly as Buck had imagined; soft and loving. He had dreamed of it many times before, but had never been able to do it because didn't know what kind of reaction he would get in return. He would rather live his life in a dream than lose him. 

In his dreams, the aftermath was even hotter. Eddie suddenly slid his tongue into his lips, grasping his tongue and sucking it deliciously. But that was not the case. Eddie pulled back suddenly and said, "I'm sorry," in a shy voice. His cheeks were bright red, his lips swollen. Buck smiled. He loved his side even more.

"Don't be" said Buck with a flirty smile. This time it was Buck who reached out and brought their lips together. However, he decided not to go too far. A sweet kiss was the perfect fit for this moment. 

When they paused for breath, they waited with their foreheads touching. Eddie was delighted to feel Buck's breath on his face. He realized now how much he had missed it over the last month. 

When Buck slowly leaned back on the couch, Eddie moved with him. He sat down next to him on the couch and put his arm around Buck's shoulder. Buck nestled into his lap. He put his head on his chest and wrapped his arms around his waist. Eddie kissed Buck's curls. "Are you okay?" he asked in a whisper. "Yes, now," Buck said. "You're here."

"I'm here" he repeated "for you"

Buck smiled. 

**

The next day, Buck and Eddie were too shy to even show that they had made up at work. Buck had slept all night long wrapped around Eddie, and in the morning he had woken up to the warmth of his skin. Still, everything was strange. While they were having breakfast together, they talked about what Buck had been through the night before, because Eddie had been so insistent about it. Buck had told everything. His new boyfriend had too much to drink at the bar and had gotten into a jealousy fight. Buck was the one who had been hurt when he tried to break up the fight. He believed that it had not been intentional, but when he told him, Eddie's eyebrows had furrowed tensely, and he said that he had not been as innocent as he was. In the end, the subject was closed.

When the shift was over, Hen invited them to her house. When Eddie said he couldn't come because he had work to do, Buck was a little upset, but he tried not to show it. He knew that the Chris issue wasn't completely resolved yet, so he promised Eddie that he would never turn his back on him no matter what. 

After everyone went to Hen's house, Eddie went to the bar with peace of mind. He was at ease because Buck wouldn't be alone. He knew he would find the person he was looking for there because he sent messages to Buck that evening saying he would be waiting for him there. 

When he got to the bar, he decided not to drink. He wanted to be completely sober. So he looked for her in the crowd. But she wasn't there or he hadn't noticed her. Then he decided to go outside and get some fresh air. A moment later, the person he was looking for came out the back door of the bar. Judging by his sniffles, he was high again. 

"Who do I see? Handsome? Yours hasn't come yet," he grinned. Eddie turned to him. There was a meaningful smile on his face. After staring at him for a few seconds, Eddie suddenly punched him in the face. "And he won't."

His mouth was beginning to bleed. He tried to raise his head and lunge at him, but Eddie didn't let him. He caught his ankle in midair and kicked him. This time he fell to the ground.

"I warned you not to hurt him," he pointed a threatening finger at him. "If I ever see you around Buck again, consider yourself dead."

"I'll report you bastard!" he shouted while coughing.

Eddie smiled as he turned and walked away. "Do your best."

**

When Eddie heard the sound of keys entering the door, he left his work in the kitchen and walked to the hall. Buck opened the door in a panic and saw Eddie in front of him, holding out his phone. "What did you do?"

Eddie glanced at the screen. The loser immediately sent him pictures and ratted him out. 

"Is that bitch still bothering you?" he asked, spreading his hands. "So I did nothing huh?"

"Oh Eddie.."

Buck sighed. Eddie looked at his flustered face with great pleasure. He was out of breath from the rush he had come in. His curls were messy again and he had a silly look on his face. 

"Would you like something to drink?" Eddie asked. "Why did you do that?" Buck whined, following Eddie into the kitchen with a serious look on his face. 

"Let's not talk about him."

"No, I want to talk about him."

Eddie turned to him. "Oh, really?" he said seriously. He never considered the possibility that Buck might still love him. How could he be sure? Nothing  ever been clear between them. 

Buck nodded. He looked a little taken aback as Eddie approached him. "Why did you do that?" he repeated. He was dying to get the answer he wanted. When Eddie approached him, he had to lean back against the counter. Eddie moved closer, settled into the space between his legs, and looked into his eyes.

"Were you upset because I beat up your boyfriend?" Eddie asked. Buck shook his head. "I'm more interested in why you did it. I don't care about him." 

Buck was burning. Eddie could see it in his eyes. His fire was strong enough to ignite Eddie, too. 

"Because I love you," Eddie said as he moved closer to him. His eyes traveled to his lips. Buck's heart began to beat wildly. His hands flew greedy to Eddie's neck: their lips were suddenly drawn together. This time they were more passionate. In the silence of the night, only the sounds kcoming from their lips could be heard. 

"I love you too," Buck said during the brief pause for breath. 

Eddie looked into his eyes. He looked grateful. "I've loved you since we met," Buck said, almost fainting with love. Eddie was surprised. He placed his hands on his cheeks as he collapsed under the weight of the feeling. "I'm sorry," he said. "I realized it too late."

"Don't be" Buck kissed him. Eddie smiled.

"You must have been hard this whole time," He teased. Buck moaned hoarsely as her legs pressed gently against his groin. In response, he sank his teeth into Eddie's lip, saying, "It's time you repay me." Eddie smiled. He pushed his tongue into Buck's sweet mouth, making the kiss even hotter. Just like he'd imagined. But now it's real.