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The doorbell rings exactly 43 minutes before Eddie needs to leave for his date.
A first date.
His first date with a man.
No, he is not nervous at all, thank you very much.
The doorbell rings and Eddie doesn’t budge. He knows that Buck and Chris are seated on the couch playing some video game or other, and that Buck has finally settled in with them enough to open the door without prompting.
So Eddie, instead, keeps his eyes trained on the mirror in front of him. Towel still tied around his waist, he kicks the door closed just a little further. He’s not one to put on a show, especially if it’s Mrs. Kathy from down the street. She's been trying to sneak peaks at him or Buck doing yard work for years and she has been less than successful. He wants to keep it that way.
So Eddie stays hidden with his hair dryer, a round brush, and patience. Just like Chris had taught him.
Going on this date, or saying yes to any date for that matter, was a spur of the moment decision. He got asked out on a call earlier that day. The guy, Quinn, said he knows the best bar in town to play pool at and was pretty. The guy’s eyes were a piercing blue, his lips so pink, and Eddie couldn’t think of a good enough reason to say no.
So he agreed.
The moment their truck pulled into the station, Eddie called Buck. He was on one of his few days off that didn’t overlap with Eddie’s, meaning he was likely incredibly bored. Eddie took the chance to redeem one of Buck’s child care favors. Plus, Buck never passed up a chance to spend time with Chris, so Eddie knew it was a sure fire shot.
There’s some commotion at the door and Eddie nods to himself in recognition. Maddie, he thinks.
It wouldn’t be out of the ordinary. She’s been stopping by with Jee and the baby almost daily to keep them all occupied. And probably to get a little break.
“Hey Maddie!” He calls, poking his head out the door for a second before getting back to work. She shouts back a hi, he thinks.
It’s hard to hear over the dryer, but Eddie can make out some particularly noisy giggles from the living room every now and again. He also hears Chris’s crutches clicking in the hardwood before a knock on the door.
“Daaad,“ he draws out, almost as petulant as the toddler currently running circles around his house can be, “It’s my turn. I need the bathroom!”
“Ok, ok,” he laughs, “One second mijo.”
Eddie takes one last look in the mirror before he deems his hair good enough and moves to the bedroom past his annoyed teenager of a son. He reaches out, ruffling his son's hair as Chris tries his best to evade him.
The second doorbell rings just about 15 minutes later, and that piques Eddie’s interest more than the first.
Outside of his room the house has been relatively quiet, so Eddie assumes that Maddie and the kids must’ve left. That, or they’re in the backyard giving Eddie the space he needs to get ready. He’s not sure. He’s not gonna go out there and check either.
He has decisions to make. Important ones.
Right now he’s stuck, trying to pick out what pants match what shirt and how tight his jeans should be, so, again, he lets Buck answer the door for him.
But then hears more feet and apologies and giggles and Eddie can’t help himself.
He does take a few more minutes to settle on a black cable knit sweater and his normal favorite pair of blue jeans before his curiosity pulls him to the living room.
He can hear Buck talking to Chris about some science thing he can’t fully make out right now as he walks down the hallway.
Glancing at his watch, Eddie makes a note that he’s got 20 minutes till he has to leave. Perfect. Just enough time to say goodbye and freak out in his car. And then freak out once he gets there.
Eddie stops in the doorway, shoulder to the wall, and looks up to see Buck—
Eddie feels like the wind gets knocked out of him at the sight he finds.
Buck is wearing a baby.
He’s got little baby han strapped to his chest with what looks like one long piece of fabric and is standing right next to the TV.
He sees Chris sitting on the ground with Jee in his lap, both watching Buck intently.
He also sees Denny and Mara sitting on his couch, attention rapt on Buck too.
There’s a plate of carrots, hummus, little peppers, and crackers on the coffee table. Eddie watches as Chris reaches over blindly, grabbing a pepper and shoving it in his mouth.
Voluntarily eating a vegetable.
One he insists he hates when Eddie buys them.
Eddie might faint.
Buck turns then, eyes moving from the TV and landing on Eddie. He smiles as bright as the sun when their eyes meet and it feels like a thunderclap sounds throughout his body. Like being shocked back to life by a life pack. Like he’s been shot for a fourth time and instead of blood he bleeds…
He bleeds love.
If Eddie wasn’t already trying his best to catch his breath he would’ve lost it again.
He is helpless to do anything but smile back.
Eddie stays there for a few more minutes, listening to Buck lecture to his captive audience of children about the science of photosynthesis and how that relates to the coral’s life cycle. Somehow, at some point, Buck took the time to make a whole presentation about it.
And, well, Eddie actually doesn’t listen so much as he watches. He hears Buck’s excited lilt, sure, but he can see the genuine happiness in his face.
He sees the love Buck has for Christopher, who’s raising his hand in question. He sees Buck holding the baby's chubby hands, bouncing his weight gently back-and-forth to keep him calm. He sees Buck’s eyes flicking back to Eddie every few seconds and the blush that creeps up his cheeks when they catch.
He sees things he hadn’t seen clearly before, and everything settles in him.
Eddie pulls his phone out of his back pocket and shoots off a quick text. He doesn’t think too hard about what to say. Something came up. He’s not gonna be free for a while. Turns out he’s in love with his best friend. He’s not sure what he lands on, but Eddie knows he’s not leaving the house tonight.
“Ok, wait,” Eddie says, moving to take a seat in the armchair in the corner of the living room, “I missed it, can you start over?”
The kids all groan, except Jee who abandons her post in Chris’s lap to climb and cuddle into Eddie’s.
For his part, Buck doesn’t ask about his date. He doesn’t ask why he isn’t leaving or argue that Eddie needs to leave. Eddie can see the furrow in his brow, the questions practically bubbling up inside of him, but he holds them back.
Mara says something about having missed most of the beginning too, though, and it’s enough to wash his questions away. Buck happily flips back to the start of his presentation and begins explaining it all again.
Eddie settles in.
Tonight, he thinks. He and Buck will talk tonight. But for now, he’s happy to hear all about algae and coral surrounded by his favorite kids.