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“Well if it isn’t my two bestest friends.”
Chimney appears in front of Buck at what seems like lightning speed—Buck could’ve sworn he was downstairs only a second ago—speaking a bit too enthusiastically. Buck steals a glance at Eddie sitting next to him on the couch, seemingly unimpressed by Chimney’s antics. Guess only Buck thinks his attitude is weird, considering the three of them spoke literally fifteen minutes ago.
“How are you guys?” Chimney asks, a bright smile on his face.
“Um, goo-”
“What do you want from us?”
Buck gets cut off in the middle of his half-assed reply to Chim by Eddie, rather rudely. Buck glances at him, a smile threatening to appear from looking at his bored look, his eyes still glued to his phone.
“Jeez, can’t a guy want to talk to his friends anymore?” Chimney makes an exasperated gesture with his hands, as if Eddie is being ridiculous.
“You’ve never once spoken to us that way.”
Chimney’s hands now rest on his hips, an inevitable dad habit Buck has noticed on everyone he knows with kids.
Eddie is looking at him through his lashes, awaiting what his friend is about to request. A smirk forms on Buck’s lips, totally amused by this interaction, and he wishes he’d brought a bowl of popcorn with him to the couch.
Chimney sighs. “Fine. Listen, you know it’s Valentine’s tomorrow, right?”
Eddie’s brows furrow, though Buck can sense what’s about to come.
“Is this going to be a dig at me—and him,”—he points to Buck with a hand still clutching his phone—“for being single on Valentine’s day?”
Buck lets a chuckle escape. “So not cool, Chim.”
“No, you idiots. Well.” He looks up, as if in thought. “It’s relevant.”
“Oh my God, Chim, just spit it out. His hair is turning gray.” Buck reaches a hand out, running it quickly through Eddie’s hair to prove his point, but only getting a smack instead.
“Can you please babysit Jee tomorrow?”
Chimney’s words come out so quick and jumbled that Buck barely catches them, but once he registers what he’s said, he thinks Chimney is stupid for even being nervous to ask this.
“Are you kidding? I’d pay you to let me babysit Jee,” Buck says, only mildly exaggerating.
Chimney pumps his fist victoriously, again, stupidly. “You’re the best, Uncle Buck!”
Buck smiles at that, then turns to Eddie. “You in?”
Eddie seems to consider this, lips pursed and looking at the ceiling, as if it’s going to give him an answer, though Buck knows he’s going to say yes.
“I don’t have anything better to do. But it has to be at my house, I have Chris too.”
“I knew I could count on my single friends. Thank you guys!” Chimney points at them celebratory as he turns to leave.
“Just call us slurs next time,” Buck quips as Chimney retreats before even giving them details about their babysitting duties, but oh well, they’ll figure it out.
Buck doesn’t get to even turn his face to Eddie, let alone joke about it with him, before the bell rings and they both hastily get up, rushing to the engine.
“Heeeey, guys.”
“You, too?” Buck asks in bewilderment when Hen approaches him and Eddie right as they climb out of the truck, not giving them a second to catch their breath.
Hen furrows her brows, looking back and forth between the two of them, annoyed to have been discovered so quickly.
“What, can’t I talk to my-”
“Please save it. Chim gave us enough of that already,” Eddie stops her, shutting the door behind them and crossing his arms.
Hen groans and Buck watches with an amused smile as she starts explaining.
“Okay, okay. It’s one of the rare Valentine’s days when Karen and I both have days off, and Chim and Maddie can’t watch the kids because they apparently had the same idea, sooo. You’re my last hope.”
“Why does no one get actual babysitters, huh?” Buck asks, mimicking Eddie in crossing his arms. “What if I had plans too?”
Eddie frowns, turning to Buck. “Do you?” And Buck swears he hears something else underneath the confusion. Could he… No. Anyway.
“Dude, it’s a hypothetical,” he whispers, though Hen obviously hears him.
Eddie exhales in… relief? Or is Buck imagining things? He must be. It’s nothing.
“Why waste money when we have Uncle Buck and Eddie?” Hen smiles brightly and Buck never even considers saying no. He’d babysit those kids any day of the week, screw nonexistent plans.
“We’ll do it, Hen,” Eddie affirms with a nod, already shrugging his heavy turnout jacket off.
“You’re the best.”
“What else is new?” Buck jokes and Eddie smacks him—twice in a day, wow—on the back of his head.
Only belatedly does Buck realize he’s actually never babysat all the 118’s kids simultaneously, so, naturally, he’s not prepared for the chaos.
The only thought that crosses his head as soon as he walks into Eddie’s house with Jee-Yun held comfortably with one arm, is Thank God they’re not doing this at his house.
Eddie had gone to pick up Mara and Denny about half an hour ago, and Buck was on Jee duty, who momentarily fell asleep in his car, only to wake up with a jolt as soon as he unlocked the door, which he thinks was an excuse to be carried. Even though he’d do it anyway.
As Buck steps in the house, he doesn’t spot Eddie initially. The first thing he sees, after letting Jee down, who laughs wildly while running to the living room, is the couch pillows thrown to multiple sides of the room, the coffee table pushed to the side, while the seat cushions are constructed in a way to build a fort, three—too big to fit comfortably—children sitting in it.
Chris’ legs are peeking out from one side, laid in front of him, while Denny’s hair is sprawled out on the front and Buck can tell he’s lying on his stomach. Mara must be further in, because Buck doesn’t see her, only hears her constant giggles.
Jee immediately joins them, and, if Buck understands his groan right, tackles Chris.
“Oh, good, you’re here.”
Eddie appears from the kitchen, a towel draped over his shoulder and a box of mac and cheese held firmly in his hand, as if it’s going to escape from his grasp.
“I was going to get started on dinner. The kids are… I don’t even know what they’re doing under there. They were supposed to be playing video games. Things escalated.”
Buck lets out a chuckle, then heads into the kitchen, forcing Eddie to follow him back. And Buck thinks this is where the chaos starts, and not back in the living room.
On the counter are six boxes of instant mac and cheese, staring at Buck rather offensively.
“You are not feeding the kids that.”
“What’s wrong with mac and cheese? Kids love mac and cheese,” Eddie argues, leaning against the counter as he watches Buck assess the situation.
“Maybe. But they’re not having instant mac and cheese of all things when I’m involved. Get out, I’ll cook.” He softly pushes Eddie away so he can get to opening cabinets, already picturing the lasagna recipe in his head.
“You can’t kick me out of my own kitchen.”
“Someone has to watch the kids, right?”
Eddie sighs, but retreats without another word, trusting Buck with his precious kitchen.
Buck is in the middle of pushing the pan of lasagna—that he thinks is going to turn out chef’s kiss —into a very preheated oven, when Jee comes up behind him, wrapping her small arms around his legs in an attempt to grab his attention.
“Uncle Buck!” Her little kid voice warms Buck up, more than what the oven ever could.
“Jee!” Buck matches her tone, promptly shutting the oven door and turning to face his niece, who seems to be holding something behind her back. “What have you got there?”
Jee giggles, her eyes crinkling adorably as she tries to show Buck what she has—a drawing apparently—though she ends up bringing it forward upside down so Buck can’t see anything.
“What’s this?” he asks in excitement, gently taking it from her hands and twisting it, and notices Eddie lingering at the kitchen door out of the corner of his eye.
“I drew you!”
Jee is so excited that Buck can’t let his face fall or even let out a laugh, both of those things threatening to happen at once.
Sure, whenever a four year old claims they’ve drawn something specific, you can’t have high expectations. But, Jesus, Buck didn’t think his niece had that little artistic ability.
She’s drawn a body—more like a lump—with bright yellow marker, covered by a black doodle that he thinks is supposed to be his turnout, or maybe just regular clothes. His hair is just a smudge of orange marker, while Jee has drawn a stickman face on him. But the worst thing is his big elephant ears. They’re basically two yellow circles, but they take up most of the page and Buck doesn’t know whether to laugh or to cry.
“Wow, is that me? I’ve never looked better,” he lies easily, anything to keep his silly niece happy.
“Will you put it on your fridge?” Jee asks happily, and Buck of course will, because he’d be a monster to wipe that smile off her face.
“Right in the middle where I can see it every day.” Buck instinctively turns around, and finds one of the many magnets to stick the drawing to the fridge, before-
Oh.
Your fridge, Jee said. Not Eddie’s fridge.
Buck is suddenly self-conscious about Eddie’s eyes on him from where he’s still standing at the door.
“I’ll put it here now for safe-keeping.” He saves it at the last moment, finishing sticking the piece of paper, before facing Jee again. “Alright, why don’t you go join the others again, hm?”
Jee doesn’t waste a second in running off, mission accomplished.
Buck’s gaze reluctantly finds Eddie’s, only to see him leaning on the doorway with his arms crossed, an amused smile etched on his face.
“What?” Buck asks, uneasy, and he turns around to check if he’s set the oven to the right temperature, but really he’s just looking for an excuse not to look Eddie in the eye.
Is he embarrassed by Jee’s odd depiction of him? Hell no. But, is he embarrassed that he almost referred to Eddie’s fridge as their fridge? Maybe just a smidge.
“Nothing. How’s that lasagna coming along?” Eddie takes a few steps, ending up right next to Buck in front of the counter.
“Some of my best work. I hope the kids still have some energy left in them, ‘cause it will be another hour,” Buck explains, finally brave enough to face Eddie, and he kinda wishes he hadn’t.
Eddie’s face is flushed, probably from singing all sorts of Disney songs with Jee and Mara while Buck was busy cooking, and his hair is disheveled, a product of the fort the kids had built fitting an oversized Eddie in it, before toppling on them all.
Buck allows himself a moment to think about how good he looks.
“Oh, definitely. They’re still preoccupied with Fortnite. Although it’s more Chris and Denny playing and Jee and Mara screaming at them about what to do.”
As if on cue, Jee lets out a yelp.
“Denny, you died!” Mara complains through a fit of laughter, and their shouting is all jumbled, creating a sense of juvenile camaraderie only a big group of kids could produce. Buck can’t help smiling.
“Buuuuck!” Chris drags, the sound slightly muffled through the walls.
“Well. Duty calls.” Buck tilts his head with a grin, already turning to leave the kitchen.
“Slow down, Buckley. Want to set a timer for that or do you intend to burn my house down?” Eddie gestures to the oven, where the lasagna has already started cooking, slowly but surely.
“Already did.” Buck holds up his phone to indicate that he has indeed set a timer, before realizing how his response sounds. “Set a timer, I mean. Not burn your house. Although, even if I did, we’re firefighters. Or did you forget?” God, what’s wrong with him? One minute he’s playing along with Jee, the other he’s stumbling over his words while talking to Eddie.
Eddie doesn’t say anything, only huffs out a laugh and smiles crookedly, before Mara runs in the kitchen, the braid her hair’s pulled into bouncing behind her. She goes up to Buck, gently tugging at his sleeve, forcing his attention off Eddie.
“Buck, come on, we want you to play. Denny keeps dying.”
“I didn’t see you do any better, Mara!” Denny’s voice sounds from the living room, petty, but still giggling through the sentence.
“I’ll play, don’t worry, we’ll win,” Buck agrees, letting Mara grab his hand and lead him into the living room.
“Hey!” Eddie calls back and Buck turns, stopping in his tracks, despite Mara’s silent protesting. “What am I, chopped liver?”
His arms are crossed, his lips forming a soft pout, and God how is this man real? A simple childish gesture and Buck is swept off his feet, needing to close the distance between them.
But he can’t. Eddie’s straight .
“We can play against each other?” Buck suggests, looking down at Mara to get her approval, but really, to avoid Eddie’s criminally beautiful face.
“Yes!” Chris shouts from the living room, and Buck stays impressed at how good these kids’ hearing is. “Dad sucks at Fortnite. It’s gonna be great.”
“Hey!” Eddie complains, for the second time in a row. “Ganging up on me now, are we?” He moves to exit the kitchen, passing Buck to get to the living room first, not without patting his back for a split second, a casual gesture Buck has gotten used to by now. And he doesn’t know if he’s imagining this, but maybe Eddie’s palm lingers for a split second more.
“Uncle Buck?” Jee asks through a mouthful of lasagna, sauce dripping down her chin as she chews with an open mouth.
Buck smiles, and brings her tissue up to her mouth to wipe away the excess food going everywhere but her stomach. “Yes?”
Jee finally swallows, so Buck finishes wiping at her mouth so she can speak. “Why aren’t you and Eddie on a date?”
Buck freezes.
His smile slowly drops from his face because what the fuck did Jee just say.
He notices the three older kids stealing glances at each other while trying to stifle their giggles, but he doesn’t dare look at Eddie. At least not yet.
“Um… W-Why would we be on a date, Jee?” he settles on, eyes still staying trained on his niece and not the inevitable that he has to face on the head of the table, opposite him.
“Mommy and daddy are. Mara and Denny’s mommies are. Why not you? Did you fight?”
Jee is pouting as she speaks, and for a second, Buck is scared she’s going to cry over something he didn’t even know she was thinking about. At that moment, he finally manages to look up from her and face Eddie, who, to his credit, doesn’t look as horrified as Buck feels.
Eddie’s brows are slightly raised, while his lips are tugging at a smirk. He spares a glance at Chris, who is still giggling, before finding Buck’s gaze, and laughs. Eddie laughs.
“We didn’t fight, Jee. Your uncle Buck just didn’t ask me.”
What. The. Fuck.
“Um,” is all Buck can manage before Mara is shooting out of her seat.
“We have to do something!” she announces, like this is a national tragedy. “Jee, come on, I brought my markers.” And Jee gets up too, giggling like a maniac, as the two girls rush to the living room where Mara has discarded her bag, to do God knows what, while Chris and Denny also get up and start clearing the table.
“What is happening right now?” Buck asks, looking between the kids and Eddie, who is still smiling fondly, holding his head up with a palm on his jaw.
“I think we’re going on a date, Buck.”
Jee and Mara have created a big mess on Eddie’s coffee table.
Their plan, apparently, was to make decorations, all out of paper, of course, which didn’t take very long, so they came out… messy.
An insane amount of hearts, of all shapes and sizes, are taped to the wall—Eddie might be screaming internally—as well as sprinkled on the floor, all of them sloppily painted red or pink.
Mara even took the time to make some semblance of a few origami flowers, placing them inside a glass in the middle of the dining table—couldn’t be bothered to find a vase, not that Eddie would have one.
The coffee table is overflowing with paper, full unused sheets or the outline that was left of the hearts, as well as markers rolling everywhere, and Buck thinks he sees a speck of pink staining the table.
The boys, on the other hand, took it upon themselves to set the table for two, placing two plates of a single serving of lasagna divided into two small servings, opposite each other.
Chris wanted to add a few candles too, but Eddie promptly shut him down, not needing kids to be involved with fire at all.
Buck didn’t even manage to so much as interact with Eddie during this chaos. He was too busy making sure Jee didn’t hurt herself with the scissors.
Eddie, on his side, was just quietly observing, keeping an eye on everything, offering no comment for any little mess the kids created. Like a true cool uncle.
When it’s finally time for the date , Chris asks them to follow him to the dining room, playing the role of the waiter.
Buck pushes himself up from his spot against the wall, and Eddie comes back from the kitchen where he’d momentarily been in to check in with Chimney and Hen.
Buck and Eddie share a look, and Eddie’s lips pull into a smile. Buck could melt.
They take their assigned seats under Chris’ strict instructions (“Dad needs to be on that side, Buck on the other, don’t ask questions.”)
“Thanks, buddy,” Eddie tells Chris once he’s seated, placing a palm on his back to indicate he can leave.
“Have fun you two,” Chris responds with a smirk etched on his face, then leaves them be.
Buck anxiously rubs his palms on his thighs—is it hot in here?—and finally meets Eddie’s eyes. He’s still smiling like an idiot.
“Hey,” Eddie starts, as if this is totally normal. They’re on a makeshift date on Valentine’s day and Buck seems to be the only one out of six people freaking out.
“H-Hey,” he tries, feeling his face flush at this stupidly awkward moment for him. He’s still not sure what’s happening.
“Buck, relax. It’s just me.”
“I know, I know. It’s just… Is this only crazy to me? Why did the kids-”
“Sometimes you’re so oblivious, it hurts to watch,” Eddie cuts him off before he gets a chance to continue his ramble.
Does this mean what Buck thinks it means?
Whatever. They’ve come this far, he can say it.
He takes a shaky breath. “Well, I was under the impression you were…” He gestures vaguely with his hand towards Eddie.
Eddie crosses his arms, leaning back in his chair. “Straight? Yeah, so you’ve said.” He shrugs.
Buck is at a loss for words again.
“Um, so. Aren’t you?”
“I wouldn’t be sitting here if I was.”
Oh.
“I’d say congratulations for coming out, but this is… still kind of crazy.”
The untouched lasagna grows cold in between them, the small dinner the kids put together serving as a base for something much larger.
Eddie shrugs again. “I’ve known for a while now. I just didn’t know how to tell you without scaring you off with what would come after.”
Buck frowns. “What would come after?” he questions, tilting his head.
“Buck, come on. You should know by now.”
Buck’s going to die. He knows it. He’ll collapse on the cold lasagna.
He doesn’t die then, though. Instead, he shakes his head.
“No, no. You can’t- I’m in love with you . You can’t reciprocate it.”
Eddie startles at that, his head jerking back. “Why on earth can I not reciprocate it?”
“Because! You’re…”
“Straight?” Eddie raises an eyebrow. “Thought we got past that.”
Buck groans. “Eddie, are you serious?”
“Very serious.” He leans forward, forearms resting on the table as he stares right into Buck. He pushes the ice cold lasagna to the side, reaching a hand out. Buck looks down at it, takes a deep breath, then reaches his own out, intertwining them. “Buck,” Eddie continues. “I am in love with you. I’ve just been too stupid to realize it.” He laughs. “I actually think the kids just pressed some kind of button in me that made me fully realize it. You’re my partner, in more ways than one. And I love you.”
Buck stares at Eddie, his best friend , who he’s been hopelessly in love with for God knows how long. And sure, half the people in his life have been hinting at it for ages, it seems like everyone knew something Buck didn’t and it drove him crazy. But to have it actually confirmed? Now he’s going twice as crazy.
He finally manages to push down all the thoughts swirling in his mind, and uses his other hand to cup their intertwined ones.
“You know I love you too,” he says, his voice coming out as a whisper. “Hell, everyone knows.”
Eddie lets out a silent chuckle. “Even the kids.”
“Even the kids!” Buck repeats, for emphasis, then sighs. “You know, I’ve sort of known it, too. I guess I’ve just been… repressing it, because I never thought you’d feel the same.” He shrugs.
Buck looks down momentarily, self-conscious about his own feelings. He still can’t even believe this is happening.
In the middle of rethinking every interaction of the day, he feels Eddie’s thumb caressing his hand, a gentle reminder that he’s there and he sees him. Buck looks up just in time for Eddie to get up—Buck already misses the warmth of his hand—and take a seat on the chair on his left, scooching closer so their knees are bumping.
“Sorry it took me so long to say something,” Eddie says, hand travelling up Buck’s shoulder and staying there, repeating its previous caressing motion.
Buck finally allows himself to smile, a smile that reaches his eyes, and he feels it in his bones.
“Well, let’s not waste another second, then.”
Eddie smirks at Buck’s suddenness, but does exactly what he’s told. He leans in, connecting their lips and Buck melts against his, letting himself get lost in the kiss.
One hand slides up Eddie’s thigh, resting there, while the other cups the nape of his neck. Eddie’s own hand moves from Buck’s shoulder to his back, as the other mirrors Buck’s and hugs the back of his neck.
Buck itches to get closer, as he feels every thought he’s ever had disappear, his mind only consumed by one thing.
Eddie.
He doesn’t know how long they’re at it before he pulls away for air, and oh God, this is when he will die.
Eddie’s cheeks are flushed cutely, whereas his lips are hot pink and swollen as he lets out short breaths, similar to what Buck is doing. Buck is about to say something, when-
“Eddie!”
Eddie startles at Mara’s voice as her footsteps sound closer, and Buck barely has time to disentangle himself from him, before she makes it into the dining room.
“Yes?” Eddie replies, hastily getting up and messing with his hair—had Buck messed it up?
“Do you-” Mara cuts herself off, her gaze wandering from Eddie to Buck, then back and forth for at least half a minute. “Oh my God, it worked!”
“You-” Eddie starts, frowning for only a second before a fond smile takes over his face. He doesn’t get to continue, because cheers are heard coming from Chris’ room.
“Oh my God,” Buck mumbles through fits of laughter.
“Congratulations on finally figuring it out,” Chris says from the doorway. “Only took you seven years.”
“Hey,” Eddie warns, pointing a finger at his son. “Don’t be all sassy now.”
Eddie and Chris go at it for a while, the sound drowning out amongst the constant chatter and laughter of the kids. And Buck can’t help thinking he’s right where he should be.