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The sun set early as it always did in the winter months, the sun cast a warm orange glow across Eddie’s kitchen as he steadily chopped onions on a wooden chopping board. The pan behind him, already doused with oil was sizzling slowly.
Humming to the radio, Eddie scooped the onions into the oil and stirred them gently. He mannered over to his spice rack and deliberated over them, glancing back at the recipe on his iPad with a frown.
He was interrupted from his thought process when his phone began to vibrate on the side, and then seconds later began to blare the lyrics of ‘ what I like about you ’, a ringtone that Buck had customised for himself on Eddie’s phone. Eddie leaned awkwardly with the spoon still in his hand and kept the eye on his onions as he reached for the phone and accepted the call.
“Hey man” he said, immediately turning on speaker phone and turning down the radio. “What’s up?”
“Hey! What are you doing tonight?” Buck asked, a smile to his voice as Eddie stirred the onions, also smiling.
“Nothing much, I just started cooking actually. You wanna come over?”
“You just read my mind. There’s a Star Trek marathon on so I thought we could watch it together. What’s for dinner?”
Eddie side glanced at the recipe on his tablet and started cutting the courgette, as thinly as he could with the Bobby had gifted him one Christmas. Except Bobby would be mortified at how blunt Eddie had let them get.
“I’m attempting some sort of noodle dish” Eddie replied, smiling into the phone again as Buck’s bright laughter bubbled through the receiver.
“I’ll bring a back up option then” Buck said, evidently smirking.
“Wowwwww” Eddie teased. “Ye of little faith. I could be the next Martha Stewart for all you know”
“Oh yeah? Does this mean you’re going to prison for tax fraud and are gonna get high with snoop dog?”
Eddie shrugged except Buck couldn’t see it.
“Snoop dog’s from Long beach you know? Never say never”
“Why are we talking about snoop dog again?”
“You brought it up” Eddie laughed, adding the courgette and turning down the heat slightly. “Because you’re doubting my cooking skills”
“Oh right, because your last chicken casserole was such a success?” Buck poked.
“Shut up, I’d like to see you do better”
“Bobby is personally training me thank you very much”
“Uh huh, and he lets me cook with you don’t you forget” Eddie grinned, scrolling down the page on his tablet slightly.
“Which is why you should let me be your sous chef and provide a back up option”
“I don’t think that’s what sous chef’s do?”
“So you don’t want me to bring a back up option?” He trailed off, leading.
“I didn’t say that” Eddie trailed off as the recipe took a sharp left turn out of his expertise. “I don’t like where this is going”
Buck laughed. “I’ll see what I can do and I’ll bring beer because you keep drinking that shitty stuff Chim drinks”
“Wow, full of compliments for my fridge today, aren’t you Buckley?”
“Oh please, your fridge loves to see me coming” Buck chuckled, sounds in the background making it known he was already moving around the loft grabbing his things to leave.
“Whatever you say. What time are you getting here?”
“What time will you be done?”
“Like seven maybe? I don’t know, take your time in Walmart maybe cause I could be here a while”
“Alright man” Buck laughed and hung up.
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
There was a knock at the door twenty something minutes later, Eddie glanced at it, wondering why Buck didn’t just use his key. When the knock came again he turned the heat down on his sautéed vegetables, frowning at how wrong everything looked in the pan.
Wiping his hands on his apron, Eddie walked over to door and looked out of the peep hole.
There on his not so recently cleaned doorstep stood Tommy fucking Kinnard.
He whistled to himself, completely unaware of Eddie staring at him, his hands in his pockets.
Eddie quickly closed the peep hole and ran through the options of what to do in his head. He could ignore him, he could open the door and force being friendly, open it and tell him to get lost, or honestly phone Athena and ask her to escort him off the premises, if needs must. Which led him to the question of: why he was even here in the first place?
He needed to make a decision quickly because Buck could be there any minute and the idea of the two of them running into each other, let alone on Eddie’s fucking doorstep made Eddie feel slightly unhinged.
Maybe Tommy was wondering why Eddie hadn’t reached out, they were supposedly friends once and maybe he was being more direct about reaching back out to him. Eddie shook his head.
In the end, on a slight whim, he opened the door as casually as he could. Made sure to raise his eyebrows in surprise and slapped on the faintest of smiles.
“Oh. Hi” he said, aiming for unphased.
“Eddie” Tommy greeted with a nod. “Can I come in?”
Eddie frowned.
“Uh…why?” Eddie asked immediately, raising an eyebrow.
“Why not? Is there someone here with you?” He asked suspiciously, looking over his shoulder. Eddie stayed put, eyes watching him carefully.
“No, why do you need to come in?”
Tommy sighed. “I just want to talk. I mean we can talk on your doorstep if you want, but you always struck as me as a guy who liked privacy”
And Eddie wasn’t really sure what to make of that. So he looked right and left and then slowly opened the door and leant away from the door so Tommy could walk in. Praying that Buck would take his time lingering in the protein bar aisle like he always did when they went grocery shopping together.
Eddie glanced at the window and back at Tommy who was watching him carefully. Stood completely out of place in his living room like he had not that many months ago actually.
“Something smells nice, date night?” Tommy asked, lifting his brow suggestively and smirking in a way that made Eddie feel his stomach begin to boil.
“Uh, no…what?” He stuttered, clearing his throat as he looked at the other man. Tommy shrugged.
“I’m just asking”
“Why are you here, Tommy?” Eddie repeated, slightly exasperated. “Is this about Buck or something?”
Tommy tilted his head towards the ceiling and exhaled slowly. Then shook his head and smiled to himself.
“When is it not about him when it comes to you and me?”
Eddie blinked. Had he missed something?
“You’re not making any sense here man, out with it”
“When I broke up with him, I expected you to text me or something. We’re supposed to be friends” Tommy shrugged, looking at him expectantly.
“Him? What, you won’t even say Buck’s name now? Not even Evan? I thought that was your preference?” Eddie folded his arms and glared at him across the rug. “He’s my best friend Tommy, you really think I’d text a guy I hung out with a couple of times, when he broke up with my best friend?”
“Oh so what, you two are best friends now? Is that what you’re calling it?” His tone was acidic and almost spiteful as he stared right back at Eddie.
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Eddie made it his mission to desperately try not to raise his voice, hoping he could just get this over with.
“Look Eddie. Clearly I’ve come at a bad time, but I’m going to say what I want to say and you’re going to listen to it”
“I don’t have to do jack shit. You’re stood in my fucking house demanding I speak to you? Who the fuck do you think you are?” (mission failed, we'll get 'em next time).
“Eddie” Tommy sighed and raised up his hands in defeat. “I understand that you’re upset”
“Don’t patronise me. Why the fuck are you here? We’re not friends anymore”
“I’m here because clearly Evan didn’t get the hint” Tommy tilted his head.
“Don’t fucking call him that” Eddie spat, his hands clutching tight into the fabric of the sofa arm behind him.
“Will you calm down for a minute?”
“No Tommy I won’t. You want to know why? Because Buck is the best fucking thing that could have happened to you, you know that? When I got shot he physically put his hands over my wounds to stop me bleeding out in the ambulance, did he tell you about that? Or what about when I nearly drowned at the bottom of a well and he tried to dig for me with his bare hands? Jesus Christ. What about when he went after Maddie knowing that Doug had loaded weapons on him? Or the whole sperm donor thing? Do you actually understand what you’ve lost here?”
“Well, you clearly don’t” he urged.
Eddie rubbed at his forehead and shook his head.
“Look Tommy, you either have a point here or you just stop and get to it. Because otherwise I’m gonna have to ask you to leave”
He glanced at the clock to avoid looking at Tommy as his eyes were intense on him again. Buck would be in the produce section now, he needed to move this along.
“Did he tell you what happened when we broke up?” Tommy asked and Eddie tried to not and probably failed to show the disgust on his face.
“It’s really none of my business man. Something about that Abby woman, wasn’t it? Figures you’d date her too” Eddie scoffed.
Tommy furrowed his eyebrows and tilted his head again, almost threateningly. Eddie stood his ground, arms folded firmly against his chest and raised his chin.
“Right. But that wasn’t it, did he tell you what was said right at the end?”
“What is this, some sort of quiz show? He asked you to move in with him, and you spouted some shit about how he was only going to break your heart or something. Real smooth by the way, since you ended up breaking his”
Tommy smiled then, in a sadistic sort of way. Eddie wanted to hit him.
“What I said was that I was his first and not his last”
“What, his first boyfriend? What are we in middle school or something?” Eddie scoffed.
“I’m not his last Eddie, I never was going to be. I was kidding myself because I was never going to be his last whilst you were in the picture”
Eddie rolled his eyes.
“You need to stop saying the word last. And what do I have to do with anything?”
“You are everything to him, Eddie”
“Well that’s just not true is it. What about Maddie and Jee? What about Chris? Even the 118, like come on”
“They’re all very important to him yes, granted. But it’s different with you” he tried and failed to clarify.
The light outside was a darkish blue now, it lit half of Tommy’s face up in a cold unfeeling light. All hard lines, no warmth. Figures.
“You’re spouting some serious shit here man. You hit you heard at work or something?”
Tommy sighed and then finally said:
“You could be his last Eddie”
Eddie blinked again, the anger from before yanked from him and replaced with bewilderment.
“Huh?”
“Everything you described to me about what I’m missing out on, you’re also missing out on. He would be yours in a heartbeat if you said the word”
For the first time since this imbecile turned up on his doorstep, Eddie said nothing.
Then, quietly: “I’m…straight”
Tommy laughed. “Sure man. Besides, why else do you think I befriended you in the first place? Buck wasnt the only one trying to get your attention” he smirked again and then slowly winked.
What. The. Fuck?
“Right that’s it, I need you to get the fuck out of my house. Now, right now” he said, advancing towards him and shoving Tommy towards the door. He shoved it open and bodily pushed the man out.
Tommy stumbled onto the path and turned and looked at him. A stormy expression heavy over his eyes. Eddie glared down at him.
“I never want to see you ever again” Eddie stated.
“Fine by me. I hope you and Buck figure everything out” he said, a little petulantly.
“Get the fuck out of my sight” Eddie spat and slammed the door shut.
Eddie stood in front of his front door seething, his shoulders shaking with his angry breaths, his skin crawling. Then he was suddenly struck with the thought that a) his vegetables were definitely burning and b) Buck could very much still run into Tommy on the sidewalk. He dashed to the window to check but as Tommy got into his car and drove away, Eddie sighed with relief.
He bolted then towards the kitchen and took the pan off the heat before turning off the hob. He frowned down at his burnt veggies and cursed Tommy’s very existence.
Who the hell was he to come into Eddie’s house and tell him what to do? He couldn’t wait to tell Hen about this. For once thank god Christopher wasn’t here, if the man had tried to step into his room and talk to him Eddie wasn’t sure what he should do.
As he stood there with his own thoughts, a key turned in the lock and Eddie stared at himself in the reflection of the pan. He gave himself a mental pep talk to not let what hade just happened get to him. It wouldn’t only ruin Buck’s night.
Buck walked through the front door, a crate of beer under his arm, with two bags in either hand.
Eddie turned to greet him and Buck opened his mouth, eyes bright and sunny when he stopped. His eyes overcast.
“What?” Eddie asked as Buck’s face screwed up.
“What’s that…smell?” he questioned, eyes darting around him like that would help explain it.
“Oh right, yeah sorry, you were right. I burnt the veg before I could even make the sauce or boil the noodles” he attempted to laugh somewhat pathetically.
“No it’s not that” he shook his head and sniffed the air again. His eyes narrowed. “Have you uh…changed your cologne?”
Eddie’s mouth fell open and he frowned. “No?”
“Then wha- oh. What the fuck?” He tilted his head as his eyes widened. “Was Tommy here?”
Eddie held his palm to his face again, and nodded with closed eyes and a sigh.
“Yeah”
Buck spluttered in indignation, staring incredulously at his best friend.
“You’re still friends with him? Eddie what-“ a look akin to betrayal flashed across Buck’s face and Eddie raised his hands up and shook his head.
“No no no no no!” Eddie rushed to say as he walked forward across the room towards him “he just showed up at my doorstep, I think he tried to give me a pep talk?”
“ What ?” Buck slumped slightly.
“Look, I don’t know! He was talking all kinds of shit Buck. You’re way too good for him and I let him know it” he grabbed him by the shoulders to emphasis his point.
Buck ducked his head, flushing slightly.
“Am I?”
Eddie rolled his eyes and raised an eyebrow at him, rubbing his thumbs across his shoulder blades. “Come on, you know you are”
Buck smiled bashfully and peered up at Eddie through his lashes. Eddie felt his heartbeat in his ears.
“I just don’t think he had to be such a dick about everything when he broke up with me, not that I probably shouldn't have just broken up with him in hindsight but I avoided all the warning signs. It sounded like he’d been having doubts about me for a while” Buck’s eyes shone wetly as he rapidly blinked the tears away.
The irritation from before fizzled through him and Eddie gritted his teeth. Buck stared at him.
“Fuck him. Seriously Buck, he’s a real piece of work. Imagine him coming over here and demanding to be let in?“
“He didn’t!” Buck gasped, but he was smiling slightly. Eddie felt warm.
“He did. Then he was speaking in riddles” he shook his head. “I don’t know man, I never liked the guy”
Buck spluttered. “Oh as if, you’re the one who told me to call him”
“Because you were excited about it!” Eddie defended.
“And you’re the one who was friends with him in the first place?” Buck pointed out.
“Yeah because he wouldn’t leave me alone” he rolled his eyes. “I went on one rescue mission with the guy and suddenly he thinks we're best friends, please. He needs to get over himself”
Buck beamed at him.
“Thanks man” he nudged their shoulders together and Eddie felt the heaviness of the conversation lift from the space between them.
“Now come on, what did you bring? Maybe we can light some candles and get rid of that fake macho smell whilst we’re at it?”
Buck laughed, then rubbed the back of his neck still blushing.
“Candles sound nice…uh- I brought the nice bread that you like and that fancy marbled cheese, figured we could make grilled cheese?”
“Sounds good to me. Did you find those blue raspberry energy bars you’ve been looking for?”
Buck gaped at him. “Yes! How did you remember that?”
Eddie smiled and felt it crinkle up the corner of his eyes, “because I know you, dummy. And I listen”
Buck followed him into the kitchen and as Eddie went about cleaning up his burnt attempt, he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He whipped it out and stared down at the screen.
Tommy (DO NOT TEXT): I tried to tell him. Best of luck.
Frowning, Buck taped his contact and finally blocked his number.
“What’s up?” Eddie asked over his shoulder from where he was sorting through the groceries, seeing Buck’s look of confusion.
“I honestly don’t know” Buck said with a shrug and moving to throw his phone on the armchair with his jacket.
“Wanna eat these at the table or on the couch?”
“On the couch” Buck nodded with a smile. “Don’t you dare ruin my plans for our Star Trek marathon”
Eddie hummed and set about slicing the cheese with a new (still blunt) knife as Buck reached to open the bread packet.
“Uh, Eddie?” he murmured, looking across at him patiently.
“Yeah?” Eddie said, looking back at him.
There was an unreadable expression on Buck’s face, his eyes were bright, his mouth slightly open, his hand hovering over the pack of bread.
“Thanks. Yanno, for having my back like that”
Eddie nodded firmly and smiled tight.
“Always, man”
“Now, are you always that bad at cutting cheese? Or do you need me to help you?” He raised an eyebrow and smirked at him and Eddie rolled his eyes.
“Whatever, you can buy me a knife sharpener for my birthday”
“Noted” Buck grinned.