Work Text:
Okay, look. Buck isn’t exactly sure how it happened, it just sort of… did .
The sun was hot and scorching when Eddie and Chris moved back home. They were sweating through their shirts, wiping it from their brows. They agreed that Buck would stay in the house for another month while he found a new place to live. After all, he was technically a paying renter, and Eddie would never just kick him out.
Christopher’s bedroom was priority number one for unpacking, making sure everything was placed exactly how he wanted it. Dresser in this corner, bed over there, his shelves level, and desk just right. We hung up new pictures with his friends and his science fair ribbons. Got his desktop computer started up and ready to go (for school work, of course).
Then it came to the rest of Eddie’s things and… a duplicate problem.
Eddie was gone in El Paso for almost a year, so Buck had brought over his own dinning room table and chairs, a living room ottoman, his own dresser, a bookshelf and few other things. So, for now, Eddie’s kitchen table, chairs, dresser, and bookshelf were sort of placed along side of Buck’s and left there.
Their things mingled around each other in the living room and hallway. It was hard to weave through the miscellaneous furniture, they’ll have to sort it out later.
But then came the bed.
Eddie had taken his mattress and frame when he left for El Paso, so of course, Buck brought over his bed from the loft. Buck had decorated up Eddie’s old bedroom a little too. Adding some plants and decor to the walls, he thought it looked nice.
So why change it?
They pulled Eddie mattress into the bedroom and leaned it against the wall, sighing loudly with exhaustion.
“Sleep sounds so good right now,” Buck groaned, stomping over and flopping himself on his bed.
“Don’t even bring it up, there’s still a few things left in the U-Haul,” Eddie said.
Buck groaned some more but eventually followed Eddie back outside. They carried in a couple lamps and a framed picture of Buck, Eddie, and Chris from a few years ago, a day at the beach.
Chris was already unboxing his clothes and things in his room, so Buck and Eddie collapsed on the couch together, the one item Eddie made sure stayed with Buck while he was away.
Buck held up the picture frame he brought inside. It captured a day similar to today, a hot sunny afternoon, except with a blue ocean in the background and wide smiles from each of them.
“Kinda sad you took his photo with you,” Buck says, smiling softly. “This would’ve been a nice one to have around while you were gone.”
Eddie laughs and takes the frame from his hands to inspect it himself. “That’s exactly why I took it with me. It’s one of my favorites. I looked at it everyday.”
His eyes turn fond and glossy. Buck couldn’t stop himself from staring. Eddie was back, home , with him and Chris. A year of pacing the Diaz house like a ghost, trying to make it his own. All it was missing was a couple important people, Buck’s people. His boys.
“I’m so happy you’re back,” Buck whispers, a thought he really meant to keep inside.
Eddie glances over and smiles, so genuine it almost brings Buck to tears. “Me too, Buck. I’m so glad to see you again.”
Buck lets out a shaky breath and his gaze falls to the floor, scared he might get lost in those brown eyes.
He swore he saw Eddie’s hand twitch, just for a second, like maybe he was going to reach across the couch and touch him, but he doesn’t.
Instead, they perk up when Chris rounds the corner to the living room.
“When’s dinner?” He asks.
Eddie glances at his watch. “Um, anytime. It’s 6:30. What do you want, bud?”
“I could make us barbecued chicken and potatoes? Maybe brownies for dessert?” Buck offers.
Chris smiles wide at him, Buck smiles back. “Yes! Let’s have that! Man, I love having Buck with us again, Dad.”
Buck glances over and sees Eddie swipe a thumb under his eye before responding. “Same here, Chris.”
-
After dinner, dishes, and dessert, they all settle onto the couch for a movie. They let Chris pick something out, of course, and they fall into a comfortable silence while the adventure film plays out.
Buck kept catching Eddie looking at him from the corner of his eye, but each time he’d glance over, Eddie turns his head away. But not before catching a sly smile tugging at the edges of his mouth. Buck finds himself blushing after the third or fourth time, unsure what kind of secret game Eddie was trying to play.
After the movie had ended and Christopher went off to bed, Buck and Eddie found themselves in the kitchen, having a couple beers at one of the dinning room tables.
“Can we keep your kitchen table but keep my dining room chairs?” Buck asks, taping his pen on the notepad.
He couldn’t find a clipboard, but had a notepad at the ready, and wrote down all the duplicate items they needed to sort through.
“Wouldn’t it make more sense to just put all your things in storage until you find a new place?” Eddie asks. He was playing along, smirking as Buck scribbled away in his notebook.
“Maybe. But I did also live here for a year, so I don’t want to get rid of all my things right now.” Buck points out. “I think it’s fair to split things 50/50?”
Eddie chuckles. “Sure. Except you’re just the subletter and I’m a generous tenant.”
“Ouch,” Buck says, in mock hurt. “That’s all I am to you?”
Eddie sips his beer before adding, “you know you’re more than that.”
They fall into a brief silence, their eyes meeting each other in a puzzling way that neither of them understand yet. Still stunned by the fact that they’re both here, in the same state, in the same city, in the same house, sitting in the same room. It almost doesn’t seem real.
Buck taps his pen on the paper a couple times before leaning back in his chair and yawning.
Eddie glances at his watch, yawning too. “Almost midnight.”
“I’m exhausted. Who knew moving furniture was almost more work than being a firefighter?”
Eddie huffs a laugh. “Who knew.”
“And,” Buck sighs, “we still have all this shit to sort through.”
Eddie’s eyes trail across the kitchen and into the living room. He notices a couple new appliances, decorations, pairs of shoes and a stack of mail, traces of Buck everywhere he looked.
A warm feeling seeps into Eddie’s chest, maybe from the beer, maybe from something more.
“We can figure this out tomorrow. Let’s just get ready for bed,” Eddie says, finishing off his beer and standing from his chair.
Buck hums in agreement, taking his and Eddie’s beer bottle to the recycling bin. He follows behind Eddie in the hallway, yawning and rubbing his eyes.
They bump into each other as they turn into the bedroom.
“Oh, whoops-“
“Sorry, uh-“
There’s a pause. They stand in the doorway that was once Eddie’s but now Buck’s bedroom.
“Shit. The bed,” Buck mumbles.
Eddie flicks on the light and they stare at Eddie’s mattress propped up against the wall, forgotten from earlier in the day.
Eddie clears his throat, his ears turning a light shade of pink. “It’s okay. It’s your bed, I’ll take the couch tonight and we can sort something out tomorrow.”
Buck shakes his head. “No, no, Eddie. It’s your house. Please, take the bed and I’ll sleep on the couch.”
“Buck, no, it’s okay-“
“Don’t argue, Diaz.” Buck raises an eyebrow to challenge him.
Eddie sighs heavily. He’s beat from the long day of moving, he’s sure Buck is too. His back hurts and his knees are about to give out. They both just need to rest.
Eddie runs a hand over his face before asking, “your bed a king?”
Buck tilts his head. “Yeah… why?”
“Should be big enough… for the two of us, no?”
Buck glances at his bed. Dark gray sheets and black silk pillow cases. He doesn’t allow his sleep-deprived brain to think too much before responding.
“Ye-yeah. King is plenty big.”
Eddie nods. “Cool, cool. Well, I call bathroom first.”
He leaves Buck to stand in the doorway, a shadow of light casting into the hall. A shiver runs down his spine. Eddie is finally home and they get to sleep side by side, together at last. Buck hasn’t felt this at home in a year.
-
Buck breezes through his nighttime routine like a phantom. The exhaustion, he tells himself, he feels out of his body as he drifts back to the bedroom. Eddie is standing on the other side of the bed, swaying slightly in place, worried eyes meeting Bucks.
Buck slides under the covers and flips the comforter down for Eddie, a gentle welcome to ease his doubts.
It works and Eddie visibly relaxes before crawling into bed beside Buck, pulling the covers up to his chest.
They settle into the mattress, both on their backs, a buzz in the air between them. Buck has the urge to hold his breath, not wanting to spook Eddie away like a stray cat. Buck was almost drifting off when he feels Eddie turn on his side and whisper something he didn’t hear.
Buck lazily rolls over and their sudden closeness makes his heart pound.
“What?” Buck asks softly, tucking an arm under his head.
The light in the room is dim, except for a small nightlight near the bedroom door. It’s just enough to illuminate a quarter of Eddie’s face.
Eddie smiles, lightly. “It feels kind of weird being back home. It feels… different.”
“Good different?”
“Yeah… I think so.”
Buck smiles back. “You’ll remember the routine of things soon. Especially with Chris here again.”
Eddie nods slightly but doesn’t respond. They stare at each other for longer than would typically be comfortable, but neither of them can seem to look away. As his eyes adjust to the dark room, Buck notices new things about Eddie’s face that he missed before.
His hair is shorter and strands no longer fall over his eyes like it had a year prior. He has a few new freckles, probably from that Texas sun. His skin seems smoother, and the corners of his eyes crease in a way that only resembles “happy”.
Buck’s eyes prickle with tears. He’s missed Eddie so much, more than he will ever admit out loud. Living in his house while he was away felt like torture some days and devastation most nights. But, now, here he is: Eddie Diaz, lying beside him in his bed, safe. Here, with him . Christopher in the other room, fast asleep like they weren’t just in Texas 48 hours ago.
Buck feels his throat tighten suddenly. Was he dreaming? Was he really only inches away from his best friend, or was this a sick illusion he’s conjured up in the most pitiful way?
Buck felt desperate to make sure.
He slowly slides his hand across the bed, palm dragging along the silk sheets. He could barely make out Eddie’s hand between them in the dark, but kept pushing forward until he reached him.
His heart skips a beat when his fingers brush Eddie’s, Buck slowly wrapping his hand around his.
Eddie breathes in sharply as Buck slots their fingers together, securely holding hands between them. Eddie squeezes back gently, a soft smile tugging at his lips.
Buck was thankful for the dim lighting when his cheeks burn shyly, returning the sleepy grin.
He closes his eyes and gets lost in the feeling of Eddie’s hand in his. A little rough and calloused on the edges, but soft and just right holding Buck’s.
“I missed you every single day, Buck.”
Buck swallowed, blushing even deeper. “I missed you too. I can’t… I can’t believe you’re back.”
“Me neither, to be honest. It took Christopher a while to come around, but he missed home. He missed you, too.”
“God, I missed him so much. Being in this house… memories of him and you… was harder than I expected at first.”
Eddie’s thumb rubs along Buck’s knuckles. “We are here now. And we aren’t leaving again.”
Buck can barely think before Eddie releases his hand, wraps his arms around him and pulls him close to his chest. Eddie’s basically hugging him, one arm wrapped around Buck’s shoulder, the other snaked under his side and gripping him tight. Their legs fall into an organized tangle of limbs, slotting their feet where it’s comfortable. They’re touching almost every part of each other, heat radiating through their bones.
Buck, after taking a moment to calm his screaming thoughts, snuggles close to Eddie’s chest and breathes him in.
The house lost its smell of Eddie after a couple months. Buck feels high as the familiar scent fills every part of him now, sweet and natural, similar to wet grass and apple cider.
“I missed you,” Buck mumbles into Eddie’s chest, his fists gripping the sides of Eddie’s t-shirt.
“I know,” Eddie coos, kissing softly on Buck’s head. “I’m here.”
Buck listens to Eddie’s heart beating beneath him. He selfishly thinks it’s beating only for him now, thumping along, saying: B-Buck, B-Buck, B-Buck, B-Buck, B-Buck.
It doesn’t take long for Buck to fall asleep like this, tangled in Eddie’s arms and listening to his steady breathing.
For the first time in months, Buck doesn’t wake from a nightmare. Buck wakes to the sight of Eddie’s peaceful face, sharing the same pillow as him, and the tickle of Eddie’s breath against his cheek.