Archive of Our Own

It’s a simple call, really. A young woman, only a few blocks away from the station, with her hand stuck in her bathroom sink drain. Fairly quiet night for the full moon.

The home they enter is a vast difference from the typical modern homes that they see while responding to calls in this area. On a street lined with millennial beige houses and museum-esq white interiors, the house sticks out like a sore thumb. Dark green exterior, and an interior filled to the brim with decor. Lamps, paintings, candles, houseplants, cushions, crystals, books — no surface left untouched. The candlesticks left burning unattended in the living room they enter don’t go unnoticed. Eddie blows them out as he walks by, then nudges Chimney’s arm with his elbow, a cocky grin on his face.

“Witch’s house on a full moon, how about that?”

“Oh, don’t even, Diaz.”

“Hello, LAFD?” Bobby calls into the house, and he’s met by a woman’s voice calling a response from the second floor. The crew makes their way up and through the open door, into the spacious bathroom where a woman sits on the floor beside a small toolbox. The sink cabinet doors are open and her arm is reaching inside. Upon further inspection, her hand is stuck in the drain pipe. 

“Christ, this is embarrassing,” the woman mutters, heaving a sigh. Eddie settles down at her side to inspect the damage, and turns to the tool kit to find the right sized wrench. “I dropped my wedding ring down the drain. I thought I’d be able to get it if I just went in through the pipe, but my stupid fat fingers got stuck…” 

“The things we do for love,” Eddie comments, working at the PVC slipnut with the wrench to loosen the portion she’s stuck in from the rest of the plumbing. “We should be able to get you free pretty quick, here. Buck, do you have the lubricant?”

“Right here,” Buck nods, crouching down beside Eddie with the small bottle. “What’s your name?”

“Daphne. This is what I get for trying to play househusband,” Daphne rambles as Eddie frees her from the cabinet, Buck squeezing a bit of the lube into the C-shaped PVC clenched around her fingers. “My wife usually handles these sorts of things, but I really didn’t want her to know I dropped the ring. I thought I could do it myself. God, I should have just waited for her to get home.”

With a bit of working and a quiet pop, the PVC comes free from her hand. Hen moves in to check over her fingers; Other than a small bit of swelling and some irritated redness, she seems just fine. It’s a few more brief moments of interaction as they settle things and pack up, Eddie retrieving the ring from the pipe and handing it to Daphne, Hen and Chimney giving her the “if you have any persisting pain go to the doctor” speech, and Buck ever-so-kindly taking the few extra moments to put the plumbing back together. Eddie stands and uses Buck’s shoulder as a handle to lift himself from the ground, his hand lingering against him for a few brief seconds longer than necessary. As Buck stands, they brush hands and shoulders, the action going unspoken. The two always manage to find themselves in such close proximity to one another that the accidental touches and brushes no longer faze them. It isn’t unnoticed by the newly freed woman, though, and her eyes rake over the pair as she slips the ring over her swollen skin and back into its rightful place. 

“You two are cute together,” she comments, and two pairs of eyes shoot down to meet hers. 

“Oh, we’re not—”

“I’m not—”

The two firefighters rush to correct her. It wasn’t the first time that someone had assumed it, and it definitely wouldn’t be the last. Contrary to popular belief, they weren’t together. Buck is in a happy relationship, thank you very much, and Eddie — Well, he’s Eddie. Dating disaster extraordinaire. And yet, somehow, they’re always confused to be a couple. It definitely didn’t have anything to do with the way they looked at one another, or the way they work together so seamlessly, or the way that it seemed like they could never be more than 4 inches apart. Definitely not. 

“Really?” Daphne looks almost shocked. She looks back and forth between the two men, who are trying too hard to cover their tracks to really and truly believe in what they’re trying to tell her. The dusting of red across the bridge of Buck’s nose isn’t overlooked. After a small moment, she barks out a soft laugh. “You could have fooled me. The way you guys move with each other, it’s just like my wife and I. I’m sorry I assumed.”

“That’s alright,” Eddie says. His knuckles brush against Buck’s forearm and he snatches his hand away, suddenly far too aware of how close they’re standing. He shifts his footing to create a couple more inches of space between them. “We’re, uh, just good friends.”

“Yeah,” Buck adds, “I’m actually in a relationship.” 

“Right.” The woman looks them over again, feeling the growing tension in the air. She’s seen this time and time again, obvious feelings going unsaid. Their frantic efforts to compensate for their closeness is enough evidence. Is it really any of her business? No, not particularly. Does she love to meddle in the private lives of strangers anyway? Yes, absolutely. She reaches out, holding their hands in each of her own with a tight grip. “Thank you again for getting me out of there.”

“Yeah, of course.” Buck smiles, though the iron hold that keeps him and Eddie in place isn’t exactly comforting. Eddie seems to share the uneasy sentiment.

“I hope that the two of you find the happiness that you deserve,” Daphne adds. “Who knows, it may be closer than you think.”

“Thanks,” Eddie says, sharing an uncomfortable glance with Buck before she squeezes their hands, finally releasing. Hen and Chimney finish packing up their things, a soft snort leaving the latter as the crew descends the staircase.

“Witch’s house on a full moon. You sure she didn't curse you guys, Eddie?”

“Don’t even, Han.”

——

Eddie wakes the following morning to the noise of an alarm. One that is distinctly not his usual iPhone alarm tone, but it’s too early to think about that. He unwillingly lets out a soft grunt as he reaches out to blindly search for his phone and shut off the alarm, his sleep blurred vision managing to guide him enough in the dark of the room to hit snooze. As he settles back down to get his much needed 9 more minutes of sleep, he feels a pair of arms tighten around his waist, and his heart drops down into his stomach. Suddenly awake and alert, he yelps, rapidly wrestling himself free from whoever the hell had broken into his house to spoon him. They tumble to the floor, hitting the hardwood with a pained “oof”. Eddie moves and fumbles for his bedside lamp that is… no longer there? Great, an intruder that steals his lamps and cuddles him in his sleep. He settles instead for his phone flashlight to illuminate the room, and as his eyes adjust to the sudden harsh light, he recognizes the figure recovering from the rather violent wakeup call. 

“What the hell?” The man groans out, voice still laced with sleep. Eddie opens and closes his mouth a few times in utter bewilderment.

“Tommy?” He chokes out. “What are you—”

Eddie freezes in place. This isn’t his bed, or his phone, or his room. It was Buck’s. How the hell did he get here? He distinctly remembers falling asleep in his own bed last night, in his own house, roughly 20 minutes away from here. So, what, did he sleep drive his way here to crash in Buck’s bed and be the little spoon to his boyfriend?

Dios mio , he’s the spooning intruder. 

“Evan,” Tommy grumbles, untangling himself from the blankets and climbing back into bed, “If you wanted to get up that bad, you could have just asked me.”

Eddie doesn’t move or speak. He’s too busy trying to figure out how he got here to really listen fully to what Tommy is saying, or more importantly, wonder where Buck is. He feels the bed dip beside him as Tommy sits, adjusting the blankets around them once more so they’re at least slightly in order. 

“Hey, are you okay?” Eddie feels the warm hand on his forearm, and it rips him from his thoughts. He manages to lift his gaze to meet Tommy’s, scanning the man’s concerned eyes. This is just wrong. Why isn’t Tommy freaking out? Why is he shirtless in Buck’s bed? He doesn’t remember drinking last night. He certainly doesn’t remember drinking enough to sleep with his best friend’s boyfriend in his own damn bed. 

“What the hell am I doing here?” Eddie finally says, his voice coming out strained. It sounds familiar, but not like him. Not at all.

Tommy’s eyebrows furrow, face still illuminated by the phone flashlight. He leans over to reach the lightswitch on the wall on his side of the bed, making Eddie squint as the bright light hits his eyes. “Here?” His voice is full of concern and worry. “In your own apartment?”

“What? No, I—” Eddie freezes once more as his gaze flits downwards, getting a glimpse of himself and the tattoos on his body that are not his. Twin lines on his right forearm, the geometric symbols on his chest. He’s certain if he pulls the sheets down further he’ll see the familiar silhouette with a heart for a brain.

“I’m Buck,” he whispers out, and the familiarity of the not-quite-his voice hits him like a train. Buck’s voice.

Tommy breathes out something akin to a scoff, his hand skating up Eddie’s arm until it hits his shoulder. He can’t help the hint of nausea rising in his stomach. 

“Yeah, of course you are. Why wouldn't you be?” Tommy shifts a bit closer, their knees brushing beneath the covers. It takes every single ounce of self control for Eddie to not shove him back down to the floor. “Did you hit your head at work yesterday?”

This doesn't make any sense. It has to be some sort of weird, fucked up dream. 

Fighting the bile threatening to rise in his throat, Eddie slips out of bed. It’s difficult to find his footing; Buck’s legs feel different than his own. There’s a distinct ache in his right leg when he puts weight on it the wrong way.

“Evan?” Tommy shifts in bed. “What’s going on?”

“Bathroom,” Eddie grumbles, the voice that usually brought him joy sounding dissonant and wrong in his ears. It shouldn't be coming out of his mouth. It shouldn't be his words. When he thought about wanting Buck’s breath on his lips, this isn't what he meant.

Tommy seems to accept the answer and allows Eddie to stumble his way down the stairs. His movements feel unstable and uncoordinated. His legs feel too long, his center of gravity is off, everything just feels weird . He’s certain he looks like a drunkard trying to navigate down the loft’s stairs. But, eventually, he finds himself in Buck’s bathroom, standing in front of the mirror. A pair of familiar blue eyes stare back at him.

Fuck.

——

Buck wakes to the rising sunlight filtering through the window and not his alarm, which is strange in itself. He was supposed to get up early to go to the gym with Tommy. How did he oversleep?

He pushes himself up into a sitting position and rubs his bleary eyes. The scene before him when he opens his eyes isn't unfamiliar, but it’s unexpected. Eddie’s bedroom? He rubs his eyes again, almost an attempt at a reset, but the room stays the same. Weird. 

“Eddie?” 

The voice that comes out of him throws him off. That doesn't sound right. He tries to chalk it up to the haze of sleep that still covers him.

Buck slips out of bed, feeling a little disoriented and clumsy. His sightline seems a little off, and his body feels strange. He didn't think he drank that much last night, and he’s pretty damn certain that Tommy would not have let him drive himself over here in that state. So how the hell did he get here?

“Eddie?” He calls again, opening the bedroom door and stepping into the rest of the house. It’s far too quiet. “Anyone here?”

A quick sweep of the house proves that he’s here alone. Eddie’s nowhere to be seen, and Christopher is still with his grandparents in Texas. But Eddie’s truck is in the driveway, and his Jeep isn’t here. So Tommy dropped him off? Maybe Eddie took his Jeep somewhere? If he came here last night, his Jeep was probably blocking the truck in. It wouldn't be the first time that Eddie took it to run to the store when he didn't want to wake Buck just to move it out of the way.

That’s probably what happened, he decides, making his way into the bathroom. While he steps in and reaches for his waistband, he catches a glimpse in the mirror out of the corner of his eye. When he turns his head, the face of his best friend stares back at him.

“What the fuck?” 

Buck is suddenly incredibly aware of the way his body feels. The subtle itch of the mustache on his upper lip, the mop of messy dark hair brushing against his forehead, the shirt that’s a bit too loose hanging off his frame. His t-shirt, the one he’d forgotten at Eddie’s a few months ago. His heart feels like it’s going to burst out of his chest. Eddie’s heart. Eddie’s chest. It’s not his, not right now. 

He flees the bathroom, rushing back into Eddie’s bedroom. He still has to piss, but there are much more pressing matters to attend to now that don’t involve having to hold his best friend’s dick. He zeroes in on Eddie’s phone sitting on the nightstand, and for the brief moments he spends picking it up, Buck wonders if he can guess Eddie’s password. But then the FaceID lets him in right away, and he lets out a soft sigh of relief. Right. Thank you, Apple. 

It feels strange to have to go through Eddie’s phone, but he quickly finds his contacts app and opens it up. If he’s here in Eddie’s body, and this is as real as he thinks it is, there’s a solid chance Eddie’s in his body. Right? Maybe. He can only hope. So he scrolls down until he finds a contact labeled “Buck (work)”. Classy, Eddie. Real nice. From the looks of it, he has 13 missed calls and about a thousand unread messages.

Buck (work)

Are you there?

Buck?

I’m freaking out

Buck

???

Please answer

Buck

Buck

???????

Buck can’t help but feel a little relieved. At least they’re in this situation together. He presses the “call” button, and it only takes a ring and a half for his own frantic voice to come through the speaker.

“Buck? Is that you?”

“Yes. Yeah, it-it’s me.” He lets out a soft breath. It’s not every day you hear your own voice over the phone. “Are you..?” In my body , he wants to say, but the insanity of the situation gets the words stuck in his throat. Luckily, Eddie seems to understand what he’s trying to say.

“Yeah.” 

It’s quiet for a moment, like neither of them are really too sure what to say. What can you say?

“I managed to convince Tommy that I’m— you’re sick. He’s, um— He’s going out to the gym soon.” He swallows thickly, the noise reverberating over the phone. “Come over. Or, um… Come home, I guess? Just— get over here. Your spare key’s in my wallet.”

“Okay. Yeah, I— I’m on my way.”

Buck’s a bit hesitant to hang up, but he does. Now that he’s left in the silence of the apartment, he’s left with a dilemma. 

He still has to piss.

——

When Buck hangs up the phone, Eddie practically deflates into Buck’s mattress. Good news, they’re both in this together. Bad news, this isn't a dream. Even more bad news, he has to act like Buck until further notice. And that means dating Tommy.

“How are you feeling?”

Speak of the devil. Eddie raises his gaze when he feels the bed dip beside him, and does his best not to cringe at the hand rested against his – Buck’s – stomach.

“A little bit better,” he says in his best Buck impression, which is pretty damn good right now. “Not 100%, though.”

“I’m sorry, hon. Hopefully you feel good enough for date night tonight.” Tommy leans down and presses a sweet, gentle kiss to Eddie’s lips. Eddie has to fight every fiber of his being that’s begging to shove him away, and he can’t find it in himself to even attempt to reciprocate. It feels wrong. Tommy senses the distaste and pulls away. “Are you sure you’re feeling okay?”

Eddie hums in response, cracking an awkward little smile as an attempt at reassurance. “Yeah. I’m just going to get a little rest while you’re gone, and… I should hopefully feel right as rain.”

“If all else fails, we can stay in tonight. You can make us a nice little dinner, we can watch a movie, just hang out.” Tommy smiles, his fingers raking through his boyfriend’s hair. Eddie bites the inside of his cheek.

You’re going to make him cook dinner when he isn't feeling well? He forces another smile.

“Yeah, I’d like that. We’ll see how I feel later.”

“Sounds good. I’m going to grab my water, and then I’ll be outta here. Don’t be afraid to call me if you need anything.” Tommy kisses him once more, and Eddie forces himself to try and reciprocate. “I’ll see you when I get back, Evan.”

“Right. See you.”

He feels a pit in his stomach as he watches Tommy descend the loft stairs. Evan. Hearing Tommy say it, hearing him use that name with such tenderness and care as if he has the right to use it grates at him. That name is not his to use. Anyone who knows Buck knows that. Evan is for his parents. Evan is for his dentist. Evan is for receptionists at doctors offices and credit card statements. Evan is for people who’ve never really met him, for those that don’t know him beyond the name written on his legal documents. Evan is for the people who know him more than anyone. Evan is for Maddie, and sometimes, Evan is even for Eddie. And yet, somehow, Evan is for his boyfriend, too. The man who should know him can’t even call him the name that counts. 

The sound of the apartment door clicking shut is enough to pull him out of his thoughts. Eddie supposes he should probably get himself ready for the day rather than sitting in the same pair of shorts Buck has been wearing all night. Buck’s a pretty big stickler for hygiene, and he definitely needs to respect that, being a guest in his body. 

He slips from the bed once more, dragging himself over to Buck’s closet. It would probably be best to shower, but he feels like he should get permission from Buck for that. It’s not like they haven't seen each other naked before; They’ve shared a locker room hundreds if not thousands of times, it’s bound to happen. That aside, accidentally walking in on him changing after a shower at work is a little different than bathing in his body. The last thing Eddie wants is to cross the line and make Buck feel violated. 

He settles instead for rifling through Buck’s closet for something to wear. Difficult decisions and a pile of clothes on the bed later, and Eddie finds himself in a pair of dark wash jeans and a deep green t-shirt. Buck always looks good in jewel tones. He cracks a small smile and turns to look at himself in the mirror, and the image of Buck where he should be is still jarring, even though he expects it. 

“God, this is so weird,” he mutters to himself as he turns back to the bed. He starts to gather some of the clothing, putting shirts back on hangers and folding pants to put away. Just as he finishes hanging up the last shirt, he hears the front door of the apartment open, followed by his own voice echoing through the apartment.

“Eddie?” 

Eddie races over to the loft stairs, his heart skipping a beat as he looks over the railing and down to the kitchen, where he— no, where Buck is standing. This is insane.

“Buck, thank God!” Eddie practically falls over himself as he moves down the stairs, stumbling a bit at the slight aching in his right leg. He makes a mental note to ask Buck about that later. But right now, he has bigger things to worry about; The fact that he’s staring himself in the face.

They’re both quiet for a few moments as the reality of the situation seems to sink into them. Buck is the one to break the silence.

“You’re me.”

“And… You’re me.”

Eddie fights the urge to reach out and touch his (Buck’s?) face, to make sure that this isn't just some stupidly elaborate prank and it isn't some insanely detailed and accurate silicone mask. 

“H-How— How does this even happen?” Buck wonders aloud with a stammer that’s so uniquely him, even under the guise of Eddie’s voice.

“I don’t know. I truly have no idea.” Eddie wishes that he could offer more of an explanation, but he's just as clueless. “But if I've learned anything from Freaky Friday, we probably have to learn some sort of lesson to fix this. Right?”

“Really? We wake up trapped in each others’ bodies, and your immediate thought is that we’re somehow stuck in Freaky Friday ?”

“Am I not supposed to think that? This is basically what this is.”

“I guess.” Buck lets a soft huff leave his lungs, brushing a hand through the dark hair hanging just in front of his eyes. “You need a haircut.”

“Can we please focus on the more pressing thing here?”

“Right, right.” There’s a brief silence that settles over the two of them, before Buck speaks again. “So, what do we do? How do we fix this?”

Eddie looks contemplative for a moment, and Buck feels his stomach churn faintly. It’s his face that he’s looking at, but he can see Eddie’s mannerisms through the facade of his own facial features. The way he bites at the inside of his cheek when he’s thinking, the slight furrow of his brows. 

Eddie opens his mouth, closes it again, then speaks. “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

“Well I haven’t exactly ever been body swapped before, Buck. This is new to me, too.”

“We can’t just stay like this forever.” Buck feels frustration and a bit of fear bubbling up in his chest. The idea of having to spend the rest of his natural life in his best friend’s body wasn’t exactly the most horrific thing in the universe, but it’s a scary thought. It’s not like anyone would ever believe them if they tried to tell anyone, so they couldn’t just go back to their normal lives in different bodies. And Buck is pretty damn certain he can’t even do a half decent Eddie impression, much less try to pass off actually being him. 

“I know we can’t. We’ll figure something out.” Eddie smiles, a halfhearted attempt at reassurance to keep Buck grounded. 

“Think we can do it in the next… Hour?” Buck glances down at the time on Eddie’s watch. “It’s 9:30 now, Tommy and I would usually be getting back by now but he left late… Maybe 10:30.”

Only an hour? Eddie isn’t exactly the body swap expert, Freaky Friday is about all the knowledge he has, and even that is fairly minimal. He only saw it once when Chris was curious about it a few years back. But even he is pretty sure that an hour isn’t enough time to figure out how this happened, how to fix it, and to spend the time actually fixing it.

“Yeah, I — I doubt that’s happening. So… What do we do in the meantime?”

“I think the only thing we can do is just… Pretend to be each other. Go on that date with Tommy, and I’ll — Did you have plans tonight?” Buck looks up to Eddie. God, it’s weird having to actually look up at people you’re talking to.

“Karen and Hen invited me over for dinner at around 7. I ended up intruding on wine night one day by accident and was indoctrinated. Karen says I give good insight.”

“So I have to go and gossip with my friends?” Buck looks slightly horrified at the prospect. “Can’t I cancel?”

“Look, if you’re making me go on a date with your boyfriend, I can make you hang out with the Wilson’s for a while. You’ll be fine.” Eddie crosses his arms. “How do I get through dinner with Tommy?”

“If you still play the sick card, you can probably just get away with hanging out at home. He’ll want you to cook, but…” Buck looks Eddie up and down. “I don’t think the body swap gods gave you any of my cooking ability.”

“Hey!”

“Anyway, just suggest takeout. He might seem a little pissy about it at first, but just let him pick the restaurant, and he’ll get over it. He’ll want to watch a movie, he might try and persuade you for sex. Don’t feel obligated. I’m not always in the mood, so turning him down isn’t exactly out of character.”

Eddie nods. The thought of sex with Tommy was not one he liked. Eugh.

“Alright. I’ll remember that.”

“Good. And—” 

The pair are interrupted by the apartment door opening and Tommy entering. They both jerk their heads towards him, looking guilty like they’ve been caught in some horrific act of infidelity.

“Oh, Tommy—” Buck starts, only to be cut off by a discreet smack in the arm from Eddie. This is his territory right now. 

“I didn’t expect you to be back so soon.”

“Gym was crazy busy for some reason. I didn’t feel like dealing with it, so I came back a bit early.” Tommy looks at who he thinks is Buck, and then over to who he thinks is Eddie. “I didn’t think you’d come over today. Evan wasn’t feeling too well earlier.”

“Ah, well—” Buck fights to come up with an excuse. “I just came by to check on him. The sickness has been going around at the station and it’s pretty nasty, so I wanted to be sure he was okay.”

“Well, thanks, Eddie, but I’ve got it from here.” Tommy cracks a smile that seems almost possessive, wrapping an arm snugly around his boyfriend’s waist. Eddie feels his heart stutter in his chest. “We’ll see you soon.”

“Yeah, right.” Buck nods, sharing a look with Eddie. What a feeling, being iced out by your own boyfriend. Was Tommy always like this? This possessive and jealous? “I’ll talk to you at work tomorrow, Buck.”

“Yeah.” Eddie’s heart clenches as he watches himself walk towards the front door. God, please don’t leave him here alone. “Bye.”

Once the door shuts, Tommy’s hand slips from Eddie’s waist. 

“So you weren’t well enough to come with me to the gym, but you’re well enough to invite him over?” The words come out with a bit of venom. “That doesn’t make me feel great, Evan.”

“I didn’t ask him to come over,” He lies through his teeth, “He just wanted to see how I was doing.”

“Right. Fine. Whatever.” Tommy takes a small step away, leaving words left unsaid that linger in the air between them. Eddie can’t help but wonder if this is a common thing for Buck whenever he’s around. “I’m going to go get changed then go run some errands. Maybe make a reservation at that restaurant we were looking at yesterday.”

“Actually, I was sort of hoping we could stay in tonight. We could order something from somewhere and watch a movie. Y’know, like you suggested this morning.”

“Really?” Tommy shoots him a look that makes his chest tighten slightly. “If you don’t want to cook, why don’t we just go out? The whole point of dinner at home is making something at home.”

“I don’t really have the energy to cook a whole meal, and I don’t really feel like going out.” Eddie doesn’t exactly want to start an argument, he feels like it’s really not his place to do so, but he wants to hold his ground here. “What’s so wrong with ordering a pizza and watching a couple movies? The point of a date night is being with each other. It shouldn’t matter what we do as long as we’re together.”

“That wasn’t what you thought when you wanted to do that stupid couples cooking class.”

Eddie’s expression hardens. “Excuse me?”

“Nevermind. We’ll just order a pizza or something, I guess. Whatever you want.” Tommy storms off to the loft, leaving Eddie standing in the residual tension. 

Was Tommy always this much of a dick?

——

Hours later, Buck finds himself standing on Hen and Karen’s front doorstep with a nice bottle of wine bundled in his arms. Did he have to use Eddie’s debit card to buy it? Yes, but he promised he’d pay him back. He felt weird showing up to dinner empty handed. 

He holds the bottle with one hand in order to wipe his sweating palm on his jeans. He shouldn't be feeling so nervous, it’s just dinner with a couple friends. Karen and Hen aren’t going to throw him out if they think Eddie’s acting a little strange. At most, they’ll probably question him about it. Which might actually be worse than throwing him out.

Buck takes a deep breath before knocking on the front door, staring down his reflection in the triplet panes of glass looking into the house. He’ll never get used to seeing Eddie’s face in the mirror.

It’s only a few moments before he sees Karen’s familiar face emerging on the other side of the door, and it opens up in front of him.

“Eddie, hi! Glad you could make it.” She smiles warmly as she opens the door further, allowing the man inside. “Hen’s in the kitchen, dinner’s almost ready.”

“Cool, cool.” Buck enters the house, feeling horrifically on edge. What would Eddie do? What would Eddie say? Getting all worked up about it is only going to make himself more suspicious, but the nerves are eating him alive. “I brought some wine. I, uh– I remember Hen mentioning that you guys like this brand of cabernet.”

“Awe, that’s sweet, but you know you don’t have to bring anything to dinner.” Karen takes the bottle, cradling the sweet gesture so she can be sure she won’t drop it. “Not that we won’t drink it. It’ll probably be gone by the time you leave.”

“Right, yeah.” Buck forces a laugh, following Karen deeper into the house, to the kitchen, where Hen is pulling a dutch oven from the stove.

“Eddie brought us some of that good cabernet,” Karen comments, and Hen turns to the two of them with a smile. 

“Ooh, fancy. That’ll go good with dinner, actually. Pot roast sound good, Eds?”

“Yeah, that’s– That’s great.” Buck nods and wipes his hands on his jeans once more. Could Eddie be any sweatier? “Do you need help setting the table or anything?”

“We’re all good,” Karen sets the bottle of wine on the table, making sure there’s room for the dutch oven, before moving to the cupboard to pull down three wine glasses. “Everything’s ready to go, it’s just missing us.”

“Great.” Buck looks over at the pair with a tight lipped smile. They exchange a knowing look.

“Are you feeling alright, Eddie?” Hen asks, setting the dish on a trivet in the center of the dining table. “You’re kinda quiet.”

“Oh, yeah, everything’s good. Just, uh, ready for wine night with my girls.” He internally cringes the second the words are out of his mouth, and Hen and Karen look at each other once more. Before they can get another chance to question him, he speaks again. “Where are the kids?”

“Where they usually are.” Hen and Karen sit, and Buck takes the empty seat with the dishware in front of it. 

“Which is…?”

“With Maddie and Chim?” Karen frowns somewhat. “Hanging out with Jee for the evening?”

“Right. Right, yeah.” Buck feels his ears burn a bit. Of course Eddie would know that. He shouldn’t have asked. 

A minorly uncomfortable silence falls over the three of them as they all fill their plates, and Karen pours out some wine. The couple seems to notice something is off with their friend, and Buck is desperately trying to avoid eye contact at all costs to try not to blow his cover. It’s a bit too late for that, though.

“So,” Karen speaks after a bit of silence, “Did you hear about how your date idea went last weekend?”

Buck swallows the bite he has. “Date idea?” He didn’t hear about Eddie going out on any dates.

“Yeah, the one you gave Tommy. Remember, he’s been asking you about date ideas for Buck? You gave him the idea to bring him to the zoo. You said Buck loves stuff like that. Any chance he can get to ramble on about fun facts about animals is a good time.”

Buck sort of freezes. Tommy did take him on a little day trip to the zoo, and let him go on and on about every little fact he had stored away in his brain. So that was Eddie’s idea? He guesses it sort of makes sense. Buck always had a blast whenever they took Christopher to the zoo or aquarium, so it wasn’t a bad date idea. That’s not the part that’s bothering him, though.

Tommy asked Eddie for date ideas? How long was this going on? He did have a feeling that the dates Tommy took him on were a bit better than usual recently. Between the zoo, driving out to Joshua Tree to camp overnight and stargaze, and the couple’s glassblowing class, their recent dates had been a significant upgrade from taking a helicopter up and flying around for the hundredth time. Sure, seeing LA from so high up was cool and all, but it sort of loses its charm as a date after the 4th time in two months. So were all those dates Eddie’s idea?

“Yeah, um–” Buck clears his throat, trying to find the right way to answer, “Buck told me about it. He said he had a lot of fun, that it was one of their better dates. Tommy just let him talk and ramble the whole time, which, uh… You know Buck. He likes to talk.”

“Oh, don’t I know it.” Hen smiles, sipping at her wine. “But you know you don’t have to keep giving him ideas though, right? If I know anything about Tommy, he isn’t giving you any credit for this. He isn’t even bothering to think hard enough about what Buck might like to actually plan out a good date. He’s just relying on you.”

“No he’s… He’s not giving me any credit.” Buck picks up his wine glass and takes a sip. He’s usually not one for cabernet, but this tastes really good. He can’t tell if it’s just a different type, or if he’s actually tasting it differently through Eddie’s taste buds. That would be pretty damn cool if it was. He makes a mental note to test the theory later on if he has a chance. “I’ve been planning all these dates for him and Buck, and Buck just thinks Tommy’s actually paying attention to what he likes?”

“That’s what it sounds like.” Hen sets her glass down and leans in a small bit. “You don’t have to keep doing this, you know.”

“You’re right, I could stop giving him ideas—”

“That’s not what I mean, and you know it. You shouldn’t have to stand on the sidelines like this anymore.” Buck isn’t quite sure what Hen is talking about, so he stays quiet, prompting her to continue. “Your feelings are important, Eddie. Buck might not know how you feel about him, but it’s pretty painfully obvious that Tommy does. He’s using that against you to try and make himself look better, because, let’s be honest, Tommy is a pretty shitty partner. If Buck could take off those rose colored glasses, he’d be able to see that. And maybe he’d see how devoted you are to making him happy, even if that means letting your feelings get ignored.”

“My… feelings?” He feels his heart beating a little faster. Hen’s not saying what he thinks she’s saying, right?

“Don’t play dumb now, babe,” Karen says, looking up from her wine glass. “Even if you hadn’t told us, it’s obvious. You love him. You’d do anything for him. You’re willing to sacrifice your own happiness for the sake of his.”

“And don’t even get me started on the way you stare at him when you think he isn’t looking.”

“That, too. But Eddie, come on. This has been going on for years. You’ve been torturing yourself for months with this whole Tommy thing. Don’t you think it’s time to put yourself first?”

Buck feels his heart race as Karen continues to speak. Put himself first? His feelings first? Eddie loves him?

Oh my god.

Eddie loves him.

——

“Evan, can you grab the pizza? Should be here any minute.” 

Eddie looks up from one of the random Wikipedia pages Buck had saved on his phone (when in Rome), seeing Tommy lay some blankets down on the sofa. He already has two beers ready to go on the coffee table, and a movie queued up on the TV.

“Yeah, I got it.” Eddie sets the phone down, and right on cue, there’s a knock on the door. He hops up and grabs Buck’s wallet on the counter, and Tommy looks up.

“I already paid for it over the phone.”

“I know, I’m tipping them.” Eddie pulls a 5 from the wallet, and he hears Tommy scoff.

“You don’t have to tip someone for doing their job. They get paid already.”

And something about that gives Eddie the ick. Not that he didn't have it before, but that just made it 10 times worse.

He answers the door, and after a brief interaction with the delivery driver, brings the pizza to the kitchen counter. Looking over at Tommy, he can practically feel the frustration still radiating off of him from their earlier dispute, and Eddie just can’t hold his tongue anymore. 

“This is supposed to be a date, are you seriously going to bitch and moan all night?”

Tommy’s head snaps over to look at his boyfriend, staring daggers into him. “I’m not bitching and moaning. You’re making a big deal out of nothing.”

“Really, am I the one doing that?” He crosses his arms over his chest. “Because you’re the one who freaked out over Eddie being here earlier.”

“Do you know how sick I am of the two of you being attached at the hip? He’s always around. He’s haunting our damn relationship, Evan.”

“You still don’t have to be a dick about it. God forbid I hang out with my best friend.” Eddie scoffs, feeling the frustration boiling up in his stomach. “He just came over to check on me earlier. It’s not a big deal.”

“It’s always just something with Eddie, isn’t it? He ‘just’ wants to check on you, it’s ‘just’ a beer at his place, it’s ‘just’ taking his son to the damn aquarium.”

Eddie’s brows furrow when Christopher is brought into the picture. He has absolutely no right to even try to comment on the relationship Buck and Chris have. They’re family just as much as he and Chris are family.

“Do you have a problem with it? Hanging out with my best friend and his kid?”

“News flash, Evan,” Eddie bristles. Can he stop calling him by name? It feels weird as fuck. “You’re not the kid’s dad. You’re not a family. The fact that you act like you are is fucking weird.”

“Are you kidding me?” He can’t even believe what he’s hearing right now. Has Tommy been saying this shit to Buck the whole time? Has he started to think that he isn’t Chris’ family? “Christopher is my kid just as much as he is Eddie’s, and I know that damn well. I helped Eddie raise him when he needed it. I spent days of my life with him and treated him like my own son. Hell, I searched for hours in a fucking tsunami to find him and make sure he was okay. Eddie wrote me in his damn will so I’d become his guardian if something ever happened to him. I’m Christopher’s family, I’m his dad , whether you like it or not.”

“You’re delusional.” Eddie has effectively seemed to piss Tommy off with that whole speech. “You’re a glorified babysitter to a 14 year old kid who isn't even around anymore. If you and Eddie are such good co parents, why did he run off to Texas?”

“You have no fucking right to talk about it. It isn't any of your business, you don’t get to trash on Eddie and trash on me because you’re jealous.”

“I have every right to be jealous when you talk about him like he hung the moon and the stars!”

That gives Eddie a bit of pause. “What?”

“Oh, don’t even act like you don’t know. If you aren't going on one of your dumb rambles, you’re talking about him. ‘Eddie did this’, ‘Eddie said this’, ‘me and Eddie are going out tomorrow’. It’s always Eddie. It’s always been him. I never stood a chance against him. I knew from the start that this wasn't going to last, not with him around.”

Eddie stands, quiet. Tommy knew this wasn't going to work, but he did it anyway. He knew, but he put no effort in. He knew, yet he kept dragging Buck along.

“Nothing to say for yourself? Do I have to keep reminding you?” He’s never seen Tommy look this upset, a mix of frustration and jealousy creating further creases on the contours of his face. “You never want to cook for me, but you’ll make a 5 course meal for him if he’s had a long day. You’ll buy gifts for him when you see something that makes you think of him, but when have you ever gotten me anything? Holding hands is too much for us, but you’re always touching him when he’s around. Brushing shoulders or sitting with your knees touching. You didn't even want him to know we were going out on our first date. You spoke to him at that restaurant like you were cheating on him with me. I feel like a third wheel in my own fucking relationship.”

“I… I don’t…”

“No, you don’t get to try and fix it now. We’ve been going in circles since we started going out. This isn't going anywhere. It’s never going to go anywhere. You’re always going to pick him first.”

“Tommy—”

“No. Go call Eddie or something. Spend the night with him for all I care.” He moves to grab his phone and his jacket. 

“So, what, you’re just breaking up with me?” There’s a mix of conflicting emotions swirling around in Eddie’s stomach, ranging from ‘Yes! He’s gone!’ to ‘Oh my fucking god I just got my best friend dumped’. “You’re just leaving?”

“This has been a long time coming. You know that just as much as I do. I was never going to be the one you chose.” Tommy lets out an anger filled sigh, moving to the door. “We tried, Evan, but it’s done. I’ll see you around.”

Eddie struggles to find anything to say as the door shuts, leaving him alone in the apartment. What does he do now? Celebrate. What he really wants to do is celebrate. Probably not the right thing to do, he can admit that much, but if these last 15 hours have taught him anything, it’s that Tommy was a piece of shit boyfriend, and Buck is better off without him.

He has to tell Buck. That’s the next thing on the agenda. How the hell does he do that? “Hey Buck, I got in an argument so bad with your boyfriend that he broke up with you”? “Sorry I ruined your new relationship”? Tommy was shitty, yeah, but maybe he went too far. God, Buck will never forgive him for this. He just single handedly ruined their friendship.

He’s ripped from his thoughts at Buck’s ringtone sounds through the silent apartment. “Eddie ☀️” lights up the screen. He feels his heart drop into his stomach. With a slight tremble in his hand, he picks up the phone and swipes to answer.

“Buck?”

“Eddie, hey. We really need to talk.” Buck sounds a little shaken about something, which doesn't do a whole lot to ease his nerves. “Meet me at your house as soon as you can. Is Tommy still there?”

“No, he’s uh—” He clears his throat. “He went home a few minutes ago.”

“Good. Yeah, get over here as soon as possible. Please.”

Buck hangs up, and Eddie has to fight the nausea building in his stomach. He is not excited for how this conversation is going to go. He’s almost certain that he’s destroyed everything. 

——

The drive from Buck’s apartment to Eddie’s home is the shortest it has ever felt. He barely has enough time to even begin to think about what he’s going to say. He has half a mind to just turn around, go back to Buck’s place, and sink into the mattress forever, but he knows he can’t. This is a conversation that needs to happen, and from the sound of his own voice on the other end of the earlier call, Buck has something important to say, too.

Eddie moves up the steps to his front door, and after a quick pat down of his pockets, he realizes he forgot Buck’s spare key at the apartment. Damn it. He never thought he’d have to knock on his own front door to be let into his own home. 

After a few moments, Buck practically tears open the door to let Eddie inside. Both of them freeze for a split second; Opening a door to see yourself on the other side will always be jarring, no matter how many times it happens. 

“Thank god,” Buck breathes, opening the door a bit wider to let him in. “Let’s go sit. We have to talk.”

“Yeah, I… I have to tell you something, too.”

Eddie follows Buck inside, and the two make their way to the couch, sitting beside one another. Neither of them even attempt to make eye contact. It’s quiet, awkward. They’ve had more uncomfortable silence in the last 24 hours than they have in almost their entire friendship.

Buck is the first to speak; “You’ve been giving Tommy date ideas?”

Eddie was not expecting him to find that out, but he supposes he should have guessed it might come up at Karen and Hen’s. “I mean… Yeah. He’s been asking me here and there if I had any ideas, so I’ve been giving them to him.” He looks up at Buck, but his eyes are trained elsewhere. “I hope you don’t think I was conspiring against you or anything. I saw how unhappy you were with the dates he was taking you on. I couldn’t stand watching your face drop when you told us he was taking you up in the helicopter again . So, yeah. I told him you love stargazing. You love any chance you can get to infodump about your favorite things. You love people who listen to you ramble on about whatever niche historical event you’re researching at the moment. You’ve always wanted to go to a paint and sip, and you have a hundred different crafting things you want to try. I tried to tell him everything I could about you, because I knew he couldn’t open his damn eyes and see it himself.”

“Eddie…” Buck smiles, ignoring the unfamiliar scratch of facial hair on his lip. He opens his mouth to speak, but Eddie continues.

“He never saw you, Buck. He never really saw you. Did you ever realize that?” Eddie wrings his hands out in his lap, fighting the nerves building up in his chest. “He didn’t know you, he didn’t know what you liked. He still called you Evan . I can’t even believe that. He has to know you don’t like it, right?”

“I’ve told him, but it isn’t really that big of a deal–”

“It is a big deal. It’s not you, and you don’t like it. You introduce yourself as Buck. You introduced yourself to him as Buck . For him to ignore that, ignore you , and call you Evan anyway is just disrespectful. He’s a fucking jerk. He tried to undermine your relationship with Chris. He called you a delusional glorified babysitter.”

“I mean, he—”

“Please don’t try to make excuses for him. He doesn’t deserve that.” Eddie instinctively reaches out, taking Buck’s hands in his own, and they lock eyes for the first time. Right now, it doesn’t feel quite as strange. “You deserve someone who sees you. Someone who cares for you, and thinks about you, and someone who’s willing to make little sacrifices for you. Not somebody who’s just going to bitch when you suggest getting takeout instead of cooking.”

“Like you?”

Eddie falls silent, his blood running cold in shock. Buck takes it as his cue to continue. 

“Hen and Karen mentioned it. They, uh… They suggested you stop standing there and letting your own feelings get ignored. They thought that Tommy was using your feelings against you to get closer to me. You need to put yourself and your feelings first for once.” He’s quiet for a moment, his thumb lightly brushing over the back of Eddie’s hand. “Your feelings… Are they…?”

“Yeah.” Eddie’s voice sounds slightly strained, his nerves catching the words in his throat. He’s really doing this, isn’t he? “Buck, I… I love you. No, I’m— I’m in love with you. I’m sure Hen and Karen already told you all about it, but it’s true, and you need to hear it from me. You’re everything I want, and everything I need. You’re perfect for Christopher. He adores you, he really does. You’ve been his second dad ever since that first day you met. But, y’know, you’re perfect for me, too.” His voice loses the small bit of shakiness as he continues, his grip tightening around Buck’s hands as he continues to gush. “You’re always there for me when I need you. You dropped everything for me when I had my breakdown a while back. You shoved paramedics out of the way to get to me when I was shot. You buy me little gifts, you make me dinner after a long shift, you take me for nights out when I’m feeling down. You make me feel loved, and cared for, and that’s all I want to do for you, too. I want to make you feel just as important as you make me feel. I want to make you feel loved and cared for. And look, if you aren’t into me that’s okay, I can just pretend this never hap—”

Eddie’s cut off by the clash of his own lips, feeling the scratch of a mustache against his skin. He practically melts the second that the action hits him, his heart speeding into overdrive to make up for the relaxation of his body. His hand moves up, fingers tracing the line of his jaw and drawing Buck in closer. Their noses bump together as Eddie responds to the kiss with the ferocity of a man starving, breathing so harshly through his nose that Buck can feel it on his own skin. Buck parts his lips and lets out a delicious little noise that sends Eddie reeling. He moves his free hand to touch Buck’s hip in almost a bruising grip, and it’s only then that he notices Buck’s hands on his waist, already fighting the fabric of his shirt. The two tangle together unbelievably quickly, so immersed and intoxicated by the feeling of one another. Sharing breath, sharing spit and sweat, sharing bodies . The impossible intimacy of it all is dizzying, literally and figuratively, as a mental fog descends over them. The moment is lost in a series of fuzzy sensations, fading in and out. Their lips slotted together, tongues against skin, hands squeezing and snaking up sides, Buck’s knee nestled between Eddie’s thighs. The silence of the house is filled with delicate whines and heavy breath. Then, like a gunshot, the two are snapped back into the moment, eyes forced open simultaneously. They both pull back a few inches to catch their breaths and regain their bearings, and against all expectations, Buck’s eyes focus to find not blue eyes, but Eddie’s doe-eyed browns staring back at him. The passionate moment is broken by the sudden realization that they’re finally, finally , back in their own bodies. 

“You’re you”, Buck whispers, voice hoarse and lips red. Eddie’s breath comes out in a soft pant, trying not to move too much as he registers the feeling of his knee pressed deep between Buck’s thighs.

“And you’re you.” 

This time, Eddie does move to cup Buck’s cheek, his thumb skating up and down his beautiful, acne scarred skin. He’s never been so happy to see Buck’s face in front of him. It’s much better than a mirror.

“Was… That okay?” Eddie’s voice comes out quiet and breathless as he leans in, pressing their foreheads together. He can feel Buck’s own breath dust against his lips. 

“More than okay. Much more than okay.” Buck leans in a bit further, just enough for them to be able to brush their lips against one another, speaking into his mouth. “But, Tommy—”

“About that…” Eddie laughs softly, Buck so close that he can almost feel the vibration against his chest. “We argued so bad that he broke up with you.”

Buck seems shocked for a moment, but the moment steals him away once more, his hands finding Eddie’s hips and tugging him in a bit further. He closes the barely-there gap between their lips, speaking in the breaths between kisses,

“Thank god I’m not cheating.”