Chapter Text
It really wasn’t Ravis fault that he found out, it was entirely Buck’s fault actually. Ravi was in the middle of folding up the duvet he had been using, when Buck walked into the almost empty bunkroom. He barely acknowledged Ravi before walking over to Eddie —The only other person in the room—, who was still asleep. Buck bent over Eddie, bracing himself with his arms either side of Eddie's head. And then he kissed Eddie. Buck had kissed Eddie. Right in front of Ravi.
“Food’s ready.” Buck’s voice was unbearably fond, and he dropped another kiss onto Eddie's lips before standing back up.
Eddie's fingers wrapped around one of Buck's wrists, tugging slightly. Buck huffed
“No, Eddie, get up.”
Eddie opened his eyes and groaned. He stood up, stretching his arms above his head, popping his spine. Eddie let his arms fall onto Buck’s shoulders, pulling him down into another kiss.
Ravi didn’t really know what to do. On one hand he wanted to book it, run away, get out, out, out. He felt like he was intruding on an intimate moment, and he needed to leave. But on the other hand he liked to gossip, and had never been ashamed to admit to being nosey. And it wasn’t like leaving the bunkroom would magically change the fact that Ravi had been standing there, nor that he saw– whatever the fuck that was. So Ravi just, well, stood. Standing, observing, and gawking at his coworkers.
Buck turned his head towards Ravi, “Dinner.” was all he said
Which, “Huh?”
Buck dropped his hands from Eddie’s waist and turned to fully face Ravi. And when the fuck did his hands get there. Ravi’s mouth had apparently decided —Without checking in with his brain, mind you— to keep going.
“Wait, what– no. Huh? What, Wh– no.”
And Eddie, the asshole, laughed at Ravi, folding his arms over his chest, before saying the first coherent thing he had said since waking up. “You alright, kid? Bobby made soup.”
And that had, quite literally, nothing to do with anything. Both Eddie and Buck were looking at Ravi expectantly, as if he was the one who needed to explain himself. He sat down on his bunk —Crumpling the covers he had just finished straightening out— with a loud groan. Buck tilted his head and squinted at Ravi, seemingly trying to understand why he was acting weirdly.
“Why has no one warned me about all–” he cut himself off and waved his hand aimlessly towards the couple. “that?”
That apparently made it click for Buck, he spoke hesitantly, as if he was piecing together brand new information “No one... no one told you we’re married?”
And... what? “No? You two are married?”
Now, it wasn’t like Ravi hadn’t immediately upon meeting Buck and Eddie assumed they were together, because he had. But Hen had seemed so earnest when she had told him they were just friends.
“Hen lied to me.” He didn't really say it to anyone in particular, he just, kind of, said it.
It was Eddie's turn to be confused now, “What?” he chuckled, and oh god.
Ravi covered his face with his hands. “This was totally some elaborate prank wasn’t it? Everyone pretends you two aren’t together, just to see how long it takes before I figure it out. Oh my god.”
The realisation felt heavy with embarrassment on Ravi’s shoulders, he slumped forward, groaning again.
“Why would we do that?” Eddie’s voice was gentle, like he was comforting a child. The worst part was that it was actually comforting.
Ravi dropped his hands into his lap, staring at them as he picked on his cuticles, shoulders slumped. “I don’t know, some sick initiation bullshit maybe? How am I supposed to know?” God, he felt like a kid.
Buck’s voice was just as soft as Eddie’s had been when he spoke “Probie, this is a workplace, not a gang. We don’t do initiations.”
Ravi huffed, ignoring the urge to correct Buck —Because Ravi wasn’t a probie anymore— “Whatever.”
Eddie continued where Buck left off. “And no one is pranking you. At least not that we know of.”
Ravi felt like he was being scolded by insanely concerned parents. He looked up at the older men, and now he definitely needed the subject to change because they were both looking at him with soft, unreadable expressions that made the skin on his back itch.
Any other subject, something that wasn’t related to Ravi. “How long have you been married?”
And that was clearly the right thing to ask, because both their faces lit up, and Eddie sounded, in Ravi’s opinion, disgustingly happy when he said “Well, Christopher was five, so about nine years.”
“Oh?” Ravi hoped he would just keep talking, which he did.
“Yeah, we wanted to wait until he was big enough to take part in it.”
“That’s cute.” Please, please, please, just keep talking.
“Yeah, Buck insisted.”
“Huh.” Shit.
The silence wasn’t uncomfortable, it was just that Ravi was uncomfortable. Anything, good lord, just say something.
“What kind of soup did Cap make?” Good, that was good.
Buck hummed slightly before answering. “Pumpkin, I think. C’mon, let’s go.”
Ravi followed behind the other two, stopping for a moment to contemplate re-making his bunk, but Eddie hadn’t even pulled the duvet properly on the bed, half of it was on the floor, so Ravi decided it didn’t matter.
(Buck was wrong, it was some kind of fish-something. How he had managed to mix up pumpkin soup and something that was honestly more fish stew than soup, was beyond Ravi.)