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Eddie leaving for Texas hits Buck harder than he’d thought it would. He had already been struggling with Chris being gone, but at least having Eddie in L.A. made it better. Nights at Eddie’s weren’t the same, but they could still watch movies, cook dinner, drink beers, and find little moments of happiness even with the ghost of Eddie’s fourteen-year-old lingering around them. So, when Eddie confessed that he was going to move to Texas to be with Chris, Buck knew it was going to sting. However, he didn’t realize just how big of an ache he would have without Eddie with him.
They’ve been talking on the phone daily and texting frequently, but it’s not the same. Not having either of them… Buck feels like there is a huge piece of his heart that is 800 miles away in El Paso, Texas, and he doesn’t know how to make the pain go away. He tried finding things to dull it, but so far they’ve been unsuccessful. For the first two weeks, he baked so many loaves of bread that the 118 told him that he had to stop because they were gaining weight from that many carbs. The next week, he binged six murder mystery podcasts, which have all given him nightmares. The following week, he’d spent countless hours in the gym, which just left him sweaty, tired, and sore.
After that, he thought maybe weightlifting was a bad plan and decided that maybe he should just take up running again instead. He found a popular blog that recommended a run through the more suburban parts of the city to give him a little more scenery, and a playlist titled “happy vibes,” hoping to spark any amount of joy in him. A week into the running, he’s feeling a little bit better, but not much.
The endorphins from the exercise are helping, but it’s not enough, and he’s just about to turn back and give up this next endeavor when he stops to catch his breath in front of a building that he’s passed many times this week, but never really noticed until now: Happy Tails Pet Rescue. The building is a baby blue, with a mural of different pets on the walls, all wagging their tails comically. The paint is chipped and faded, like the place is a little run down and most likely underfunded, but there is a cute little open sign in the glass door that says, “We're open! Please come in!”
After five weeks of feeling lonely, he thinks maybe a little dose of puppy love will do the trick. So, he takes a deep breath and pushes through the door. The lobby matches the outside, with the same muted colors on the walls and the furniture. But directly across from the entrance is a photo wall with the title, “I found my forever home,” with photos of pets and their smiling owners. Buck doesn’t take the time to count, but every inch of the wall surrounding the heading is filled, and seems to be spreading to the adjacent walls. The people in the photos range in age, some older couples, teenagers, young kids, and small families in the frames. But the one thing they have in common is everyone looks so fucking happy, and Buck… fuck, Buck needs some of that.
Growing up, he always wanted a pet - a dog specifically - but his parents would never go for it. Maddie was the only one who gave him any love and attention, and when she was gone, he felt so lonely all the time. So, one time, when he was fifteen, he brought home a stray lab. Buck had found him on his way home from school, sad and limping, and Buck couldn’t help but gravitate towards him. He knew his parents didn’t want a dog, but he couldn’t just leave him alone, so he took him home and sneaked him up to his room, hoping to hide him away. His parents never paid him any attention anyway, so he figured they wouldn’t even notice.
For two weeks, Buck took care of him, sneaking him extra food from meals, nursing his hurt leg, and cuddling him up in bed with him. For the first time since Maddie left, he was actually happy to go home in the afternoons, because he knew someone was waiting for him, was loving him, there. Buck should’ve known that happiness would come to an end, though, because one afternoon he came home to his parents being overly annoyed, and their announcement that they’d found the dog and taken him to the pound. He was completely heartbroken.
Seeing the faces on the wall reminds him of those two weeks of happiness, of unfiltered, unconditional love from the lab he rescued, Charlie, as Buck had called him. The pain of losing Charlie was hard, but he doesn’t regret those two weeks with him at all. So, when an older lady, named Patty, according to her name tag, walks out and greets him and asks what she can help him with, he doesn’t hesitate before he replies, “I’m looking to adopt a dog.”
Patty is overjoyed by his answer and takes him to visit all of their available dogs. Lots of them seem excited to see him, and Buck can’t help but give each of them little scratches through the fences. Patty tells him about each other their names and their stories. All of them make Buck’s heart ache, and if he could, he’d fill Eddie’s house with all of them, but unfortunately, he can’t. He’s having trouble figuring out which of these dogs to take home when he spots one in an enclosure on the far wall who isn’t jumping for joy at the sight of him.
It’s odd compared to the rest of the bunch, and Buck can’t help but gravitate towards the cage. “What about this one?” Buck asks as he approaches, taking in the golden retriever.
“This is Honey, she’s nine years old,” Patty tells him. “Don’t be offended that she’s not as excited as the others. She’s a bit wary of adults. Police dropped her off with us after they had received a complaint of animal abuse.” Honey is lying towards the back of her cage, head balanced on her paws as she stares at him from afar. Her coat, while a little dirty, is a beautiful golden color, but what really strikes Buck is her eyes. One is a bright blue, while the other is a milky white, with scar tissue surrounding it.
“What happened to her eye?” Buck asks gently, never taking his eyes off Honey.
“We aren’t exactly sure, but I have a feeling it has something to do with the animal abuse. The vet said something must have slashed at her eye, and now she can’t see out of it. Which makes sense because the police told us that her owner became a drunk after he lost his wife and kid to a car accident a few years ago, and apparently, he took out all of his anger on her. If I had to guess, he’s the reason for her injury and likely the reason she’s scared of adults.”
Buck can’t imagine someone wanting to harm her. She’s precious, just a little sad. She was probably hurting too with missing her owner and the kid, and then that guy… fuck, Buck wants to find him and give him a good punch in the nose for even thinking about hurting her.
“She’s been with us about a year, and while she’s great with kids, it took her a long time to warm up to me.” He can imagine so. After someone hurts you, you tend to grow wary of them. This poor girl doesn’t know who’s safe and who isn’t; no wonder she’s been there so long. No matter how good she might be with kids, if she’s growling at the parents, they aren’t going to bring her home. It’s just a defense mechanism, kind of how he was when he was just a rookie at the 118. After years of neglect from his parents, Buck had pushed any real relationships in his life away so that it wouldn’t hurt so much when they dropped him, too. The 118 taking a chance on him, opening him up… He learned that he could trust them, and then he latched on hard.
“Most of the time, when another adult comes near her, she’s snarling at them, but you… You’re the first adult that she hasn’t growled at. Maybe she likes you?” He’s holding eye contact with her, and he can tell she seems sad, like maybe she’s resigned herself to staying at the pet rescue forever. But, there’s also this tiny glint in her eye, accompanied by a tilt of her head as she stares back. The slightest indication of curiosity, like she’s wondering about Buck.
He doesn’t know what she sees in him that’s different from the other adults that have come and gone through this place over the past year, but it’s something, and Buck feels the ache in him fade just a little from that. “Can we open the door and see if she’ll come to me?” He asks, looking up at Patty from his low position.
“We can try,” Patty tells him, and makes for the latch on the gate, pulling the door and leaving it open. Buck drops to his knees to make himself more comfortable and waits, giving her time to decide.
She stays still at first, just watching him from her same position on the floor. Even when Buck beacons her over with a wave and a soft cooing of her name, she doesn’t seem to budge. But Buck knows he needs to be patient, so he waits and waits. But just as Patty tells him she thinks it’s time they give up and goes to close the gate, Honey pushes up on her feet, and tentatively starts walking towards the door. Once she’s outside, she stops, head bowed, but eye still on Buck. Carefully, he holds out his hand for her to sniff, and she pushes forward just a little more and lets her nose rub up against his fingers. Not long later, she’s stepping closer and pushing her nose into his palm completely and letting Buck softly comb his fingers through her fur.
“I can’t believe she’s letting you do that,” Patty says, voice filled with awe. When Buck looks up at her, she’s got her hands clutched in front of her chest, and looks to be on the edge of tears. “She’s only ever let the kids pet her, and she barely tolerates when I bathe her. Buck… I don’t mean to be dramatic, but this feels like she’s been waiting for you.”
When Buck looks back at Honey, and she leans in to lick a stripe across his cheek, Buck can’t help but say, “I think I’ve been waiting for her, too.”
Eddie’s - Buck’s - house isn’t anywhere near ready for Honey, so he can’t take her home that day. But once he leaves the pet rescue, he’s running home, grabbing his keys, and heading to the nearest pet store to get everything he might need for her arrival. He even calls Bobby and asks for a personal day, prompting Bobby’s instant concern, but Buck assures him that he’s okay, he just has some important things to do, and he’ll be back and ready for his 12-hour shift on Friday.
He brings Honey home on Tuesday and gets her accustomed to the house. He’s got some dry food, but he’s also meal prepped some fresh-dog food from some recipes he found online for dinners for her, stocked in his fridge. A nice comfy bed and a soft basket, overflowing with chew toys and a few tennis balls, is set up in his living room as well. She gravitates towards it immediately, snags a stuffed bunny rabbit, and plops down on the bed as she gnaws on it, enjoying the squeaks it makes.
There’s a dog park two blocks from his house, so Buck takes her there later that afternoon to get some fresh air and roam. He makes sure to stay clear of pet owners for the most part, but when she’s off leash inside the enclosure, she does wander up to a girl, Kendall, whom he recognizes because she lives down the street from him, and her dog. She’s fourteen and has an adorable little cocker spaniel puppy with her that seems instantly love Honey. Kendall takes to Honey immediately as well, and asks Buck so many questions about her while she pets her, and Buck does the same with her puppy, Winston. After a while, her mom joins them, and while Honey shies away and hides behind Buck, she doesn’t growl, and Buck feels a swell of pride at that little moment of growth.
Kendall’s mom, Morgan, is very kind, and when Buck and Honey walk them back home, Buck learns that Kendall is doing virtual school. Apparently, she had been bullied so badly in her eighth-grade year, and for mental health purposes, Morgan and Kendall’s therapist thought it might be a good idea to try virtual school for a little while. The addition of Winston to their family was to bring a little joy back into Kendall’s life, similar to Honey in Buck’s. Since she’s going to be home most of the time and Honey seems to like Kendall, Buck works it out with her and Morgan for her to be able to check in on Honey on days that he’s going to be gone for work. He ends up giving her a spare key so she and Winston can come visit and make sure that Honey gets taken out, fed, and has company on those days.
From there, everything is pretty smooth sailing. Buck gets to go to work, and when he comes home, it's not to an overly quiet, empty house. And every minute he’s playing with Honey, she’s curled up with her head in his lap, or she’s asleep at the foot of his bed, he forgets about that ache of missing Eddie and Chris for just a little while. It’s still there, but it’s not all he can think about. He can breathe again when he sees their photos on the fridge or hangs up a FaceTime call with Eddie. In moments when he’s a little extra sad, Honey seems to sense that, and makes sure to snuggle up closer to him, or grabs one of her toys for Buck to throw to distract him.
He seems to be doing good things for Honey, too, getting her to open up to more people. Now that Kendall has been taking care of her when he’s at work, she’s been more open to Morgan. When Maddie and Jee stopped by one afternoon for lunch, Honey didn’t shy away from her, but instead approached her, and then laid at her feet while they ate. Of course, Jee took to her right away and wanted to spend all afternoon with her. She played with Honey’s toys with her, brushed her, and even clipped little bows in her fur around her ears, all while Honey sat patiently. Both Buck and Maddie snapped a billion photos of them together, each of them making his heart melt. Before they left, Jee colored a picture of Honey as well, insisting that Buck hang it on his fridge, which he did, right next to one of Chris’s old drawings.
He even took her to the firehouse about a month after bringing her home, and while she was still cautious, she opened up to most of the team, letting them at least pet her for a minute or two before she moved on to someone else. When he drops off a photo of him and Honey to Patty at Happy Tails, she is over the moon, gushing about her growth, and Buck can’t help but swell with pride for his girl.
Because things were going smoothly, Buck thought that everything would stay that way. However, after a month of having Honey home, they hit a snag. While Honey is helping him greatly, he’s still lonely for more human connection. So, Hen suggests he try going out on some dates to see if that sparks anything. So, Buck tries it, and meets a guy, Adam, online who’s a cop at a precinct on the other side of the city, and asks him out for drinks. Buck can tell that Adam is not his forever person, but it has been a while since he’s had sex with anyone since he and Tommy broke up, so he tries to take Adam home.
Tries is the key word, because just as Buck tugs him inside and has him pressed up against the door in a steamy kiss, Honey is furious. All the progress Buck thought he had made is wiped out, as she weaves her way between them to push Buck away and snarls angrily at Adam. When he goes to pet her, she snaps her teeth, urging him to rip his hand away before she can latch on. Buck tries calming her down, but the only thing that gets her to stop is Adam scurrying out of Buck’s door with a quick apology. She’s immediately better once Adam is out of her sight, and is wagging her tail happily as she pants up at Buck with her tongue sticking out. He wants to be mad at her for cockblocking him, but god, how can he be when she looks so fucking cute like that!
Hoping maybe it was just a fluke, he tries again and again. For the next few weeks, he brings home three people. Two men, one woman, and each time, Honey can’t stand their presence. Each of them is out the door within two minutes of Buck bringing them home, and Honey is perfectly happy the moment they leave, loving on Buck instantly to soothe the sting of the rejection she caused.
“I don’t know what happened.” He groans as he tells Eddie when they’re FaceTiming the day after his latest date. They’re curled up on the couch, Honey’s head in his lap, and the phone propped up against a few books on the coffee table. “She’s been so much better with everyone lately, I thought she’d be okay, but… God, you would’ve thought all of them were going to kill me the way she reacted.”
“I don’t know if ‘kill you’ is the right phrase, but maybe she sensed something off about them?” Eddie suggests. “Didn’t you tell me that dogs can tell when someone is a threat to you? Maybe she wasn’t trying to protect herself, but rather she was trying to protect you.”
“Maybe… They seemed nice enough, though.” Buck shrugs.
“It’s not like you always have the best taste in people,” Eddie says. “Abby, Taylor, Tommy…”
A little taken aback, Buck scoffs, “I thought you liked Tommy?”
“I did.” Eddie says pettily, “But then he broke your heart for a shit reason, so fuck him. I’d happily let Honey eat him if she so desired.”
“Eddie!” Buck can’t help the laugh that escapes him. “You wouldn’t!”
“I would! You’re incredible, Buck. He was lucky enough to have you, and he threw it all away for what? Some ridiculous reason about being your first and not your last? Just because you’re new to the whole dating men thing doesn’t mean you don’t know what you want. You can be someone’s first and someone’s last because you’re everything . He’s never going to find anyone as good as you, ever, for the rest of his hopefully miserable life.”
The hand that was stroking Honey’s fur stills immediately at Eddie’s words, as he is nearly frozen with surprise. Eddie’s looking at him adamantly, like he fully means every word he just said. His arms are crossed and eyebrows furrowed, his face a little flushed with anger as he speaks, and Buck… Buck can’t help the tears that start brimming in his eyes. “Eddie… no one… no one’s ever said that to me before.”
“Then they’re idiots.” Eddie sighs, and Buck watches as his face softens while he runs a hand through his hair. “Look, if being in Texas has taught me anything, it’s knowing just how lucky I have been to have you in my life. It took me being away for so long to realize that and now I finally get why I’ve been here for two months now with this hole in my chest because I miss you so fucking much.”
“I miss you, too, Eddie.” He says, exhaling shakily. Honey snuggles up closer to him, rubbing her head comfortingly against his hip, prompting him to resume petting her once again.
“No, Buck, you don’t… You don’t understand what I’m trying to say.” The hands Eddie had running through his hair tighten as he tugs on the ends of it harshly before finally letting go and settling back into his seat and meeting Buck’s gaze. “Chris and I have been talking a lot when I see him. We’ve talked about Shannon and Kim… but we’ve also talked a lot about you, and what you mean to us.”
“That’s… that’s good.”
“Do you want to know what Chris told me? He said when he was little, he used to think that we were together, and not as best friends but… that we were dating.”
Buck shouldn’t be as taken aback by the statement as he is. Over the years people have assumed that he and Eddie were a couple on several occasions: one of elves when he and Eddie took Chris to see Santa, one of the workers at the zoo who took their photo for them when they were feeding the giraffes, their favorite checkout lady at the grocery store, and he’s 95% sure most of Chris’s teachers over the years have assumed it too. But none of those people actually know Eddie and Buck. Chris, on the other hand, very much does.
“He realized that we weren’t when I started seeing Ana, but he never gave up hope that we would. He’s been hoping for years that we’d finally figure it out and you’d officially be his second dad, and he thought maybe after you came out that I might realize, but then the whole Kim thing happened… Part of the reason he wanted to come to Texas was because he’s been frustrated with me for being so blind to what’s right in front of me.”
Buck does his best not to lose his mind over the fact that Eddie just referred to him as Chris’s second dad - and that Chris seems to believe that, too - and instead asks, “And what’s right in front of you, Eddie?”
“You, us. The fact that we’ve been co-parenting a kid for years, that you’ve been practically living out of our home (are living out of it now), that you’re the person who completes our family… That I’m being a fucking idiot just like Tommy, Abby, and Taylor Kelly of all people for not understanding that there isn’t anyone else in the world that I’ll ever want or need as much as you.”
“You… you want me? Like, to date me?” Buck asks, blinking rapidly as he begs for clarification. Eddie is straight , well as far as Buck knows anyway. He’s only dated women, only ever talked about dating women. Yet, so did Buck up until eight or so months ago… But this is Eddie! Who else knows Eddie better than Buck? Hell, Buck likes to think that sometimes he knows Eddie better than Eddie knows himself. So, he has to be mistaken for thinking that Eddie might want something more than friendship… right?
So, when Eddie replies with, “I love you, Buck,” Buck nearly swallows his tongue in surprise. “I’m in love with you, have been in love with you for years, I just couldn’t see it before now. If I’m being honest, I fell in love with you the day of the tsunami where you fought a fucking ocean for my son. That’s why I brought him back to you the next day, it’s why I put you in my will as his legal guardian, it’s why I told you you’re not expendable, and why I was devastated when you got struck by lightning and I thought I’d lost you. Fuck, Buck, I’ve been so stupid because I gave away the other half of heart to you ages ago, I just didn’t know it.”
“Eddie…” There are very few times in Buck’s life when he has been truly speechless, but now is definitely one of them. Those tears that were brimming before finally spill over onto his cheeks.
“You don’t have to say it back. You don’t even have to feel it too, I just… I need you to know. Whether Honey likes them or not, don’t settle for someone who doesn’t know how incredible you are, Buck.”
This is definitely not a funny moment, but Buck can’t help the laugh that tumbles past his lips. How does Buck go from having a conversation with his best friend about how his dog won’t let him get laid to crying because that same best friend just confessed to being in love with him? As if that wasn’t perfect enough, Honey sits up just enough to lick his cheek, wiping away a few stray tears with her tongue before flopping back down into his lap dramatically.
“Sorry for laughing, I just…” Buck starts as he resumes petting Honey with a wide smile on his face. “I’m really glad that I have Honey, but do you know why I walked into the pet rescue in the first place?”
“Why?” Eddie asks, his tone curious.
“I needed something to make me happy, because I have been absolutely miserable with you.” When he looks up from Honey to meet Eddie’s gaze through the screen, his best friend is looking back at him so softly, and right then, he knows exactly what he needs to say. “Eddie, you and Chris were all I could think about. I was barely functioning, trying to find ways to distract myself from the debilitating pain of missing you both. I knew I loved Chris like a son, but you… Eddie, I have been wondering why it hurts so much to miss you, and now I know. Of course, I love you. Fuck, Eddie I think I’ve always loved you.”
Memories of jealousy over the new guy, promises of having each others backs in hospital parking lots, his hand being held as a firetruck crushes his leg, grocery store feuds, relief that floods him as Christopher is found after the tsunami, clawing through forty feet of mud with his bare hands, then using those same bare hands to stop the bleeding in the back of a firetruck, are all mixed in with comforting words of “there is no one in this world I trust with my son more than you,” and “you think your expendable, but you’re wrong,” and an “I forgive you,” that couldn’t have come at more perfect time. All of those things should’ve clued him into how much he loves him. At least now he’s not so oblivious anymore.
Upon hearing Buck’s reciprocal confession, Eddie’s face lights up, and with pink cheeks and a never ending smile, he tells Buck, “Fuck, I really want to kiss you right now.”
“Me too.”
“I’m coming home.” Eddie declares and immediately picks up the phone as he wanders in the direction that Buck thinks must be the kitchen.
“Eddie, you can just get on a plane because you want to kiss me.” Buck laughs, even if he desperately wants Eddie to do just that.
“While that is an excellent reason to come home, that is not the only one,” Eddie tells him as he tucks his keys into his pocket and starts tugging on his shoes. “I’m going to the school to tell Chris that I finally got my head out of my ass, that you love me too, and that it’s time we go back to California to be an official family.”
“You mean that?” Buck asks, tears slipping down his cheeks again.
“Yeah, I do.” Eddie says, and then surprises Buck once more when he adds, “We’re moving back in with you and Honey and your fancy kitchen equipment, but, we’re getting rid of that shitty couch of yours.”
“‘I love you.’ ‘We’re moving back in.’ You’re just pulling out all the stops today, aren’t you?” Buck laughs, feeling so happy he’s a little hysterical.
“I’m done wasting time, Buck,” Eddie tells him sincerely. And you know what? So is Buck.
“What if Honey doesn’t like you?” He says it jokingly, but there’s just the slightest bit of anxiety in his voice at the prospect of that happening, just like all the others he’s brought home. He loves Eddie more than he ever thought was humanly possible. Yet, he cannot even fathom the thought of letting Honey go if they don’t mesh. He thinks it might kill him.
“Then I will beg her for forgiveness every day and bribe her with treats and toys. Whatever it takes because I know how much you love her, and I love you.”
Buck feels like today is going to be a never-ending cycle of happy tears when he replies wetly, “I love you, too.”
One Week Later
For the past few days, Buck has been boxing up all of the items in the house that need to be moved into storage and donated so that they have enough room once Eddie and Chris move back in. He surprisingly has more boxes than he thought for someone who only recently purged his apartment, so he has them stacked up on the front porch as he shuffles them to the Jeep. Honey, feeling the need to supervise, but not actually help, lies in a shady spot on the front porch, nibbling on a tennis ball as Buck works.
He’s just loaded the last box that can fit for this trip into the back when he hears, “Hey, Buck.”
When he turns around, Kendall is behind him, with Winston’s leash gripped loosely in her hand. The pup is still freakishly small, so she barely has to hold the leash to keep him in place. “Hey, Kendall. What’s up?”
“Are you moving?” She asks, frowning.
“No, not really, just making some room.”
“Room for what?”
Instead of telling her outright, he says, “You remember Eddie, right?”
“Your boyfriend, who moved to Texas?”
“He’s not - well, he wasn’t,” Buck stammers at the clarifying question. He’s not really sure how to classify Eddie and him right now. They’re in love and moving in together, but they didn’t really discuss labels the other night on the phone when they agreed to this. Are they boyfriends? He and Tommy were boyfriends, but that’s because it was new. He and Eddie… they’ve been building to this forever. They’ve been partners in nearly every sense of the word for years, so maybe that’s what they should go with? Instead, he just fumbles through a, “Yeah, that Eddie,“ with a blush high on his cheeks.
Nervously, she asks, “You said you’re making room, so you aren’t moving to Texas to be with him, right?”
“No,” Although Buck probably would have if Eddie had asked. “He and his son are coming back to L.A. and they’re moving back in, with me this time.”
“Okay, good.” She says, relaxing a bit with the confirmation. “ You’re like one of my only friends right now, and I was going to - Well, Winston was really going to miss Honey if you guys were leaving.”
“We would miss you, too, kiddo,” Buck tells her, and the younger girl flushes and tucks a stray hair behind her ear. “You know, Eddie’s son, Chris, is your age. Maybe you can bring Winston over later this week and meet him? Just so you can have some more friends, of course.”
“Yeah, I’d like that.” She smiles brightly before picking up her puppy, who keeps clawing at her sneakers in a very obvious attempt to be held. “I actually came over to see if you could watch Winston for a few hours. Mom and I are going to see a new school this afternoon, and I can’t exactly bring him.”
“You’re thinking of going back to school?” Buck asks, heart melting a little at the progress she’s made over the past few months.
“Not right now, but in the fall.” She shrugs casually. “We’re looking at one today and then two tomorrow. Mom and I are calling it our version of Back to School Shopping.”
“Well, I hope you like one of them,” Buck tells her. “Maybe you’ll even end up at the same school as Chris.”
“Maybe.” She smiles and then holds out the puppy in her arms. “So, is that a yes to watching him?”
“Of course,” he replies, taking little Winston in his arms. She heads off after another few minutes of chatting, and Buck decides he can haul the boxes off later since this is more important. Instead, he closes the Jeep’s trunk, abandons the rest of the boxes on the porch, and ushers Honey to follow him inside.
Once the door is closed and he’s sure the puppy won’t escape out into midday traffic, he sets him down. He’s adorable and he speeds over to Honey on his little legs, weaving his way through hers. The golden retriever seems slightly annoyed by him and picks him up by the back of his neck with her teeth and carries him over to her bed, dramatically dropping him into a pile of her stuffed toys before settling down herself.
Buck can’t help but laugh when he flops out of them and crawls up on Honey’s paws and starts nibbling on her ears. She simply huffs in response and lets him continue. Buck quickly snaps a photo to send to Kendall and wanders off to the kitchen to make himself an afternoon snack.
Not long later, he’s putting the finishing touches on a sandwich when there’s a loud knock on his front door. It hasn’t been long since Kendall left, but he supposes she could have vetoed a school pretty quickly. Especially a high school full of annoying teenage boys.
The sound must draw the attention of Winston because he starts yipping happily at their visitor. “It’s only been like half an hour-” Buck starts, as he sweeps up Winston into one arm so he won’t flee, and swings the door open. However, while he is fully expecting to see a fourteen-year-old on the other side of the door, the one that greets him is not the one he thought it would be. “Chris?”
“Am I losing it, or did Honey shrink?” Chris asks, pointing confusedly at the puppy that is excitedly trying to jump out of his grip.
“This isn’t… this is Kendall’s dog, Winston. I’m just watching him. What are you… I thought you weren’t coming back for a few more days.” Buck stammers out.
“Surprise.” Chris shrugs before reaching forward to scratch Winston’s head. “Now, where’s Honey? I have been dying to meet her.”
“Living room,” Buck directs, stepping aside to let Chris in. The teen carefully steps through the doorway, slips off his shoes, and makes a beeline for Honey, who has perked up from her bed. He’s still in a bit of shock as he watches Chris lean his crutches against the fireplace and sink to his knees to gently pet Honey’s head. Immediately, she’s leaning into his touch and nosing at him happily as he coos at her.
In his arms, Winston gets antsy, so he sets him down and watches him wander over to Chris and jump into his lap as he competes with the older dog for the teenager’s attention.
“I think he’s in heaven.” A familiar voice says, and Buck nearly jumps as he turns his attention away from the adorableness in front of him to see Eddie leaning against the doorway, watching them. “He didn’t stop talking about her for hours on the way home. He loves you and has been excited to see you, but he’s wanted a dog for so long, Buck.”
“Are we sure I’m not the one in heaven?” Buck asks, giving his arm a slight pinch, wincing at the pain. “Are you really here?”
“I told you I was tired of wasting time, didn’t I?” Eddie smirks as he steps inside and gently closes the front door behind him.
Buck feels his cheeks heat as Eddie’s playful flirting washes over him. Two can play at this game, though, Buck thinks. “You did.” Buck agrees and takes a step closer to his best friend, letting his hands settle on his waist. He cheekily adds, “I think you also said something about really wanting to kiss me.”
“Hmm, that does sound like something that I would say.” Eddie hums and brings his hands up to loosely wrap them around Buck’s neck.
“Then kiss me already, Eddie.” Buck orders and leans in, letting their noses brush. “You’re not the only one who is done wasting time.”
So Eddie does that just that, and closes the very minuscule distance between them. Buck has had a lot of first kisses in his life. A tentative brushing of lips when he was just a teenager, drunken, sloppy make-outs at a frat party in college, stolen kisses at a dive bar in Peru, rushed ones that felt more like the hot gasps as he hooked up with girls in bar bathrooms and the back of the 118’s firetruck as a probie… Yet, this first kiss - this kiss with the man that Buck knows with absolutely certainty is the love of his life - beats all of those.
It’s slow and unhurried, like they have all the time in the world, which Buck supposes they do now. Eddie’s lips are warm and soft, and mold perfectly against his. He thought he might feel sparks or a tingly feeling in his gut the first time their lips touched. Instead, he just feels settled and whole as the missing piece of him finally slots back into place. Knowing Chris is in the room, they keep their kiss relatively tame without sweeping tongues, the tugging of hair, or moans. Buck doesn’t care, though; they’ve got plenty of time for that in the future. Right now, he’s kissing his best friend, and that is more than enough.
He’s not sure how long they’re kissing for, but eventually he feels a brushing up against his calf, and pulls back to see that Honey has slid up next to him. Knowing how she has reacted to him kissing others in this doorway, he’s initially a bit worried. However, she’s not immediately growling at Eddie, so that has to be a good sign, right?
With a quick peck to Buck’s cheek, Eddie slips out of his grip and sinks down to his knees to greet Honey. Just like Buck did at the shelter, Eddie holds out his palm for her to sniff. “Hey, Honey, I’m Eddie. Buck has told me so much about you.” Maybe it’s because she recognizes his voice from their FaceTime calls, or she can really sense his good intentions, but it doesn’t take more than a few seconds before she gives a hot lick to the center of Eddie’s palm, and then pushes forward into his chest as she snuggles up close to him.
Buck cannot even begin to describe the relief he feels that his best girl isn’t actively trying to maul his partner right now, but rather seems to love him instantly. He shouldn’t be surprised, though. Loving Eddie Diaz is the easiest thing he’s ever done. No wonder Honey loves him immediately, too.
He doesn’t realize he’s crying until Chris slides up to him with a sleeping Winston in his arms and asks, “Are you okay, Buck?”
“Yeah, Buddy.” He tells him honestly, before wiping his cheek with the sleeve of his hoodie and then wrapping his arm around the fourteen-year-old’s shoulders. “This is just everything I’ve ever wanted.”
Later that evening, after they’ve unloaded most of Eddie and Chris’s boxes, scarfed down some pizza, and Kendall has come by to pick up Winston, Buck finds himself tucked between Eddie and Chris on the couch. A nature documentary about the lives of jellyfish plays on the TV in front of them, but Buck hasn’t been paying much attention to it. Exhausted from their drive from El Paso, Chris has fallen asleep on his right shoulder, while Eddie has nodded off on his left. Honey, too, is passed out, softly snoring with her head in Chris’s lap.
Buck should wake them up and move them to their respective rooms, but he’s been waiting for this moment for too long. Having Honey and his boys together after all this time… Buck doesn’t care if that means he’ll wake up with a crick in his neck or a sore back. This moment is too perfect to go to waste, and after all, Buck is done wasting time.