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"Texting the boyfriend?" Chimney asked in a teasing tone as he sat on the couch next to Buck in the loft of the firehouse.
Eddie glanced up from the book he was reading on the other couch, much more interested in whatever conversation was about to take place. Buck had only recently told them all that he'd been seeing some guy for a few months now. Eddie was convinced this was a red flag, considering Buck normally talked about his love life pretty openly. But beyond that and his inherent disdain for the way this stranger was monopolizing Buck's time, he had no real reason to be suspicious of his best friend's boyfriend.
"Shut up, Chim," Buck muttered, not even looking away from his phone. The little grin on his face as he typed made Eddie's stomach churn.
"That's a yes, then," Hen chimed in with plain amusement as she joined them all in the lounge area, taking a seat next to Eddie and taking a sip of her water.
"Do we ever get to meet this guy?" Ravi inquired from where he was playing some video game on the TV. Eddie watched the TV screen for a moment, trying to feign disinterest in the conversation. Especially since he could practically feel Hen glancing at him from the corner of her eye.
Hen and Karen were the only ones who knew how Eddie felt about Buck, considering the two women had helped coach him through his speed run of a sexuality crisis. A crisis that had been prompted by some very intense dreams about his best friend that forced him to confront the feelings that he'd been avoiding for several years now.
"Maddie hasn't even met him." Chimney's words, successfully stirring the pot as intended, made them all look at Buck with surprise. Even Ravi paused his game and turned halfway on the ottoman he sat on to partially face them.
"Is he ugly or something?" Eddie asked before he could stop himself, something in him feeling ridiculously pleased at the idea. Like it mattered if Eddie was more conventionally attractive than whoever Buck was with, which of course it didn't.
Buck looked up from his phone with a scowl. "Of course not," he said, a little petulant and huffy like the very idea was insulting. "I'm just… taking things slow this time."
"Oh, he must be hideous," Hen joked, knocking her shoulder against Eddie's as they all laughed. Buck's scowl deepened and he tapped away on his phone for a second before turning it to face them, a picture pulled up.
And Eddie's laughter died, his smile faltering. Because of course the man on Buck's phone was unfairly hot. Tan skin and brown eyes and dark brown curls, shiny white teeth showing in a crooked but charming grin. Jealousy coiled like a snake in Eddie's gut, strong and green and venomous.
Eddie wasn't normally a jealous person. He had never had any reason to be, he'd always felt secure in his place in Buck's life. Sure, he'd never really liked Buck's exes, but it hadn't mattered much. Buck had still spent most of his time with Eddie and Christopher, and what they had seemed untouchable.
Until this guy. Callan. Buck seemed to be busy all the time the past few months, and Eddie missed him. It made Eddie realize just how much he'd taken for granted that he and Christopher had always come first in Buck's life, even when Buck was dating someone else. He couldn't even blame Buck for trying to do things differently this time, not really. Things with them weren't sustainable, weren't entirely healthy. Eddie still wanted it all back, though, even if it all didn't mean the same thing to Buck that it did to him.
"Okay, yeah, he's not bad," Hen admitted with a dramatic sigh. Eddie just nodded in silent agreement, and Buck moved to show both Ravi and Chimney. Ravi let out a wolf whistle and Chimney just gave a hum of approval.
"He's hot and he's sweet—"
"He looks familiar," Ravi interrupted Buck, brows furrowed slightly.
"He has a bit of a following online," Buck said, something sheepish in his expression. "We met at the gym, he's a fitness influencer."
"A true L.A. love story," Chimney teased, nudging Buck in the side playfully. Buck just rolled his eyes.
Eddie had to bite his tongue to hold back a smartass remark about what a stupid job that was. How could someone like Buck, who risked his life every day to save people, be content with someone who posted pictures of himself flexing for a living? Sure, Buck liked to work out and he had only gotten stronger and more muscular the past few years—a fact that Eddie's subconscious liked to haunt his dreams with—but he wasn't some meathead gym bro like this guy probably was. Okay, maybe that assumption was a little unfair.
"What's that face about?" Buck asked suddenly, something defensive in his tone. Eddie startled out of his thoughts when he realized Buck was looking right at him, and Eddie realized he had been glowering.
"That's just my face," Eddie said lamely, not sounding very believable at all. "I was lost in thought a little, don't worry about it."
Buck's eyes narrowed, searching Eddie's face for a long moment. Before he could speak, the bell rang—Eddie had never been so grateful for a call.
-
Christmas rolled around a few weeks later, and on Christmas Eve the 118 and their families gathered at Bobby and Athena's place as they usually did. Christopher had run off to play with Denny on his Nintendo Switch pretty much immediately, so Eddie ended up seated beside May and talking to her about how college was going. He was listening, but he was also doing his best to pretend that he wasn't nervously awaiting Buck's arrival with his boyfriend. It would be everyone's first time meeting the mysterious man that Buck had been seeing for almost seven months now.
Eddie had convinced himself—and Hen, after they had a little too much wine one night and he began lamenting about Buck—that he was going to be so normal about this. He was going to be nice and give the guy a real chance. Buck was his best friend, after all. Eddie wanted him to be happy, even if the thought of him being happy with someone else made his chest ache.
Buck and Callan were the last ones to arrive, about half an hour late. God, the asshole was even more attractive in person. Wait, no, not an asshole. Buck's boyfriend. Just thinking the words left a sour taste in Eddie's mouth, and he took a sip of his beer as if to wash it away.
It took less than twenty minutes for Eddie to decide that he was in fact correct and this man was an asshole. He was quick to seek out Hen and tell her so.
"He's acting so comfortable," Eddie grumbled, taking a pull from his third beer of the night. Good thing he and Chris had taken an Uber.
"I think he's just trying to be friendly," Hen said, leaning back against the wall and crossing her arms over her chest. They were tucked away in the hallway, still able to clearly hear everyone chatting in the living room as Bobby—and Buck probably, now that he was here—finished plating up the food. "It's probably a front, if anything. Walking into this group as a new person can be a lot."
Eddie resisted the urge to huff like a pouty child. "I'm telling you Hen, something is off with that guy. I don't trust him."
Hen's expression softened from amused to sympathetic and a little sad. "Buck seems happy," she murmured gently, and Eddie's shoulders slumped. "I'm sure that hurts, but we both know he deserves it."
"Of course he does," Eddie retorted, sounding a little too defensive even to his own ears. "I just…" But he didn't have anything to say, because he didn't really have any reason to dislike Callan. It was just a gut feeling, but no one else seemed to be feeling the same way. Eddie knew his family well enough to be able to tell if anyone was feeling off, but they were all welcoming the man in and laughing at his (stupid) jokes while Buck looked at him like he hung the damn moon.
They heard Bobby call everyone for dinner, and Hen gave Eddie's shoulder a comforting squeeze before heading back out to rejoin the others. Eddie slumped back against the wall and took another sip of his beer. He only let himself sulk for a moment before he forced himself to rejoin the party.
Like usual, they all squeezed around the table—extended by a folding table and chairs—as best they could. The kids were gathered at one end, so Eddie found himself next to Buck. Of course, Callan was seated on Buck's other side. Great. Eddie would've preferred Chris sit with him, as he would've shamelessly used the twelve year old as a buffer. Instead, he just had Ravi on his other side.
The chatter settled for a few moments as they all passed the serving dishes around and loaded up their plates. It only resumed once everyone had taken their first few bites and thanked and complimented Bobby, who waved it all off like always, though the warmth of his smile showed that their words did mean a lot to him.
Chimney, seated across from Callan, struck up a conversation with the man about his job as a fitness influencer. Eddie glared down at his plate as he debated stabbing himself with his fork just to get out of having to listen to this man speak. Was he technically saying or doing anything wrong? No. Eddie was convinced there was something wrong with him anyway. Callan was kind of full of himself. And possessive apparently, seeing as he hadn't gone more than a second without touching Buck in some manner since they arrived. Eddie could just barely see the man's hand resting high on Buck's thigh and he grabbed his beer, downing the rest of it in one gulp before he could say something stupid.
"Thirsty, are we?" Buck asked teasingly, leaning in towards Eddie slightly so he could hear him over the conversations around them. Eddie narrowly avoided choking on his drink in surprise, swallowing and giving Buck a smile that felt forced at first, though it shifted into something more soft and real almost immediately.
Buck just looked entirely too good right now. His curls were artfully mussed, his blue eyes bright and happy as he grinned at Eddie. He was wearing an ugly Christmas sweater that was God-awful and—oh my God, the stupid thing had lights. Eddie was going to kiss this man within an inch of his life.
"Does your sweater light up?" Eddie asked dumbly, trying to focus on anything other than the fact that Buck's birthmark was the same pretty shade of pink as his lips.
"It does!" Buck confirmed, his face lighting up with that excitement that Eddie found oh-so-endearing. "Let me find the…" He fiddled with the hem of his sweater before finding a little black box and flicking the switch. The little lights spread across his sweater came to life, blinking in a pattern. Okay, bad idea to ask about the lights. Because between that happy look and the way the lights reflected in Buck's eyes, making them literally sparkle, Eddie was incredibly close to doing something very stupid.
"God, not the lights," Callan suddenly groaned, pulling Eddie's attention towards him. Eddie watched Buck's smile dim ever so slightly, something sheepish and almost embarrassed replacing the joy in his eyes. "They're so obnoxious." The other man's tone was just light enough to pass as playful, but Eddie caught the way he rolled his eyes.
"I think they're cool," he snapped before he could stop himself, his harsh tone making everyone around them glance over with some concern. Eddie straightened up in his seat, feeling his cheeks heat in a blush under all the eyes as Callan gave him a surprised look. There was something hard in those brown eyes, though, even if Eddie was the only one that could see it. He cleared his throat. "It's, uh, festive," he added lamely, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.
"Trust Buck to wear a sweater with lights," Karen said with a light laugh, coming to Eddie's rescue and breaking the uncomfortable pause.
"Evan and his love of holidays," Maddie chimed in, shaking her head as she looked at her little brother with a fond smile.
The conversation carried on around Eddie as he sunk in his seat, staring hard at his plate and pushing his food around with his fork as he did his best not to look like a sullen brat. He pointedly ignored Buck's occasional glances that were part confusion and part concern.
-
"I feel like I'm still hungover from Buck's party," Ravi groaned as he walked into the kitchen at the station, where Eddie was waiting for the coffee to finish brewing.
Three days ago, Buck had had a New Years Eve party and almost all of them had gotten sufficiently shitfaced. Eddie hadn't allowed himself to get drunk, because Buck was already suspicious that Eddie didn't like Callan and Eddie knew himself well enough to know he was already too expressive when he was sober. He hadn't wanted alcohol to make it worse.
"Speaking of Buck's party," Eddie started, because Buck and his stupid boyfriend seemed to make him completely insane and unable to shut the hell up. "What do you think of Callan?" He pointedly avoided Ravi's eyes as he waited for an answer, leaning back against the counter with feigned casualness.
"Um, he seems cool I guess," Ravi said uncertainly, and Eddie could feel the perplexed look the younger man was giving him. Eddie chewed the inside of his cheek to keep himself from scowling. "Do you not think so?"
"We've met him twice and both times he was all over Buck, like he has some kind of claim on him," Eddie muttered, knowing he sounded bitter and irrational. The coffee finished brewing and he straightened up to get himself a mug from the cabinet. He wordlessly passed one to Ravi too.
"He is his boyfriend. They seem pretty serious, too," Ravi pointed out. Eddie let himself scowl this time, since his back was to Ravi as he grabbed the pot to pour some coffee into his mug.
"Okay, but he didn't need to be all up on him the whole time," Eddie insisted, stepping back once he'd finished to let Ravi pour himself some coffee too. "And did you notice the way he was constantly whispering in Buck's ear? Even if Buck was trying to talk to someone else?"
"Are you homophobic?" Ravi asked bluntly, setting the coffee pot down and looking at Eddie with his brows furrowed.
"What? No!" Ravi didn't seem to believe Eddie, and his next words slipped out without thought. "I'm literally gay—"
"Oh," Ravi said, his suspicious expression relaxing. Then his eyes widened, like he had just put the last piece of a puzzle into place. "Oh."
"No, no 'oh'," Eddie muttered, eyes wide and panicked as he shook his head.
"Do you—"
"No," Eddie said firmly, getting himself under control because he did not panic, thank you very much. Of course, 'getting himself under control' did just mean shoving his feelings down and putting his usual calm and collected demeanor back into place. "I just don't want to see Buck get hurt."
"Right," Ravi mumbled, stirring in the cream he had just added to his coffee and still watching Eddie with a look that said he didn't quite believe him. Eddie dropped his gaze, looking down at his own coffee and suddenly wishing he could drown himself in it. "If you're worried about Buck, you could just… talk to him."
"It's—I don't want—" Eddie scrambled for a reasonable explanation as to why he absolutely could not speak to Buck, considering he had nothing more than a bad feeling to go off of.
He was saved from answering by the appearance of Buck himself, though his presence made the whole situation feel like a bomb about to go off. Eddie just had to hope Ravi wouldn't say anything stupid.
"Good morning, guys," Buck greeted with his usual easy smile, stepping past them both to get to the coffee maker.
"Morning," Eddie mumbled into his coffee before he took a gulp.
"You and that boyfriend of yours are evil, Buckley," Ravi complained. "What was in those drinks?"
Buck laughed, and Eddie let out a quiet sigh through his nose. He was probably staring at him like a lovesick fool, but he couldn't help it. He watched as Buck poured his coffee and spoke. "They were insane, right? Cal made them."
"I'd swear I'm still hungover."
Eddie watched as Buck took a sip of his coffee without even adding anything to it. That's odd. Buck normally used so much sugar and cream that he'd get teased about how he couldn't even call whatever was in his mug coffee anymore. He never drank his coffee black, he hated the taste. As if on cue, Buck's nose wrinkled slightly as he swallowed his sip.
"That's not your usual cream and sugar with a splash of coffee," Eddie couldn't help but point out. Buck gave a shrug.
"Tryna cut back a little, y'know."
Cut back? What the hell for?
"Cut back?" Eddie echoed, taking a sip of his own coffee but keeping his gaze on Buck.
"Yeah. Cal is going on a cut, so I'm cutting back a little too," Buck said like it was simple. Like Eddie wouldn't notice the flash of something in those blue eyes that he knew all too well.
"Solidarity, nice," Ravi hummed.
"Something like that," Buck agreed with a smile, taking a gulp of his coffee. Eddie resisted the urge to snatch the mug away when he saw how Buck's face scrunched up a little in distaste.
-
"You don't think Buck seems off?" Eddie demanded, arms crossed over his chest as he stood in front of Bobby's desk. Bobby leaned back in his seat and sighed.
It was almost April now, and Buck had been weird since New Years. It started slowly at first, with small things—like the coffee. Then Buck stopped snacking between meals, and a little after that he started eating less at meals. He started to spend more time in the gym during downtime on shifts. He had lost weight, that layer of soft pudge that covered his muscles melting away.
Eddie tried to talk to Hen and Karen about it, and then in a moment of desperation he had even asked Ravi if he had noticed. Eddie was careful to steer clear of Chimney, though, considering the man was known for his inability to keep a secret. No one seemed to share his concerns, because Buck still seemed to be acting the same. He hadn't lost a concerning amount of weight, and nobody else seemed to notice the way he had started to become a little more subdued as the weeks passed.
But Eddie noticed. He'd always notice.
He'd gone to Bobby because he was getting more than a little distressed, but even the man who was practically Buck's father didn't seem to be picking up on the signs that something was wrong. Sure, said signs were pretty subtle, but still. Eddie was starting to find everyone's apparent obliviousness infuriating.
"He said he's still adjusting to the move," Bobby said patiently. Of course, he was referring to the fact that Buck had moved out of his loft to move in with his boyfriend, but—
"It's been almost two months," Eddie scoffed, pacing back and forth in front of the desk. "That doesn't make sense."
"It can be a big adjustment for a relationship," Bobby pointed out. "Bringing together two different people who may have different living styles, as well as going from having their own spaces to suddenly being stuck together most of the time. It would make sense if there was some conflict going on."
"If there is, it's probably Callan's fault," Eddie muttered petulantly, still pacing.
"Eddie." Bobby's serious tone made Eddie still and reluctantly face him. "This isn't really about you worrying about Buck, is it?"
Eddie hated Bobby's knowing look, not only for the hint of pity in it but also because he was wrong. His jealousy or whatever aside, Eddie really did think something was going on with Buck. And he was convinced Callan was somehow behind it. "It absolutely is. I'm allowed to worry when being with this guy has changed him."
"He hasn't changed, Eddie. His priorities are just different now. I think he really sees a future with this guy. You should be happy for him." Bobby's tone was firm but not unkind, and Eddie wanted to scream.
He didn't, obviously. He deflated instead, the more rational part of his brain winning out over his instinct. Maybe he was just being irrational, letting his hopeless feelings for Buck cloud his judgement.
"I am," Eddie muttered. "I want him to be happy."
"Then let him be happy," Bobby said gently. "I know things are different with you two now. You're used to you and Chris being the center of Buck's world. But you have to know that wasn't fair to him. He deserves someone that's all in with him."
Eddie's shoulders hunched a little, like he was trying to curl in on himself. Shame fought with the coiled snake of jealousy that had lived in his gut for months now. "I didn't mean—I'm just worried, Cap." He hated how small his voice sounded. He cleared his throat and forced himself to straighten up. "But you're probably right. I'm probably just… adjusting too. Forget I said anything."
"Are you sure?" Bobby asked quietly, eyes searching Eddie's face. For a moment, Eddie wanted to just collapse in one of the chairs in front of Bobby's desk and let out all his woes. It was that paternal look, warm and concerned and gently probing.
"I'm sure," Eddie said instead, ignoring the urge to throw himself down and wail about being in love with his stupid best friend but realizing it too late. God, maybe he really was going crazy.
-
Eddie was able to convince himself he was just being irrational for about another month. But then Buck started some weird juice cleanse even though he had already lost all of his pudge and even some of his muscle, too. His eyes seemed a little less bright lately, an air of fatigue hanging around him like a storm cloud. Eddie was sure he wasn't eating enough, and he was beyond sure Callan was behind it.
One Monday they had off and Eddie had had enough. After he dropped Christopher off at school, he headed to Callan's apartment that Buck now lived in. He'd been there once before, when he and Chris had come over for a movie night after several weeks of Buck being unable to make it over to their place. Callan had spent the whole time 'working', aka sitting on his laptop with headphones on.
Buck's head tilted slightly in question when he opened the door to find Eddie standing there with a Tupperware container. "Eddie? Did we have plans?"
"We need plans to hang out now?" Eddie raised an eyebrow, trying to hold back his annoyance. Before Callan, they'd hung out all the time, usually without previously established plans.
Buck shook his head quickly, eyes a little wide. "No, of course not," he said, stumbling a little in his haste to step back to let Eddie walk in.
"It's not a bad time, is it?" Eddie was only pretending to care. He intended to get to the bottom of this, and he was already walking over towards the kitchen as Buck closed and locked the door.
"No, not at all," Buck assured as he followed Eddie. He took a seat at the island. Eddie could feel him watching as he opened a few cabinets before finally finding the plates. "What are you doing?"
"Tía Pepa made too many tamales when she had us over for dinner last night. She misses you, by the way. Asked how you were." As he spoke, Eddie took some tamales from the container and placed them on the plate to heat them up. Even though his back was to Buck as he typed in the correct time on the microwave, he could picture the slight wince and guilty look that probably flashed across Buck's face.
"I guess it's been a while," he admitted quietly, the stool creaking as he shifted in his seat. Eddie turned to face him and leaned back against the counter. "But I can't eat any right now."
"Can't? Or won't?" Eddie challenged, crossing his arms over his chest.
Buck's frown deepened. "I'm doing that juice cleanse—"
"Why? I feel like you hardly eat as it is." Eddie was quick with it, trying to get Buck to answer without thought. Not that Buck was a very good liar (he was terrible), but he was stubborn, so Eddie figured the only way he'd get answers was if he startled them out of the other man.
"Of course I—"
"You've lost weight," Eddie continued like Buck hadn't been speaking. "I've noticed. You started eating less."
Buck's eyes were wide. He looked caught, but he still tried to lie. "Eds, I don't eat less—"
"Prove it." The microwave beeped as if on cue and Eddie turned towards it. He grabbed the plate and placed it in front of Buck. Buck closed his eyes and swallowed thickly as the smell washed over him; Eddie knew his mouth must be watering. "If everything's normal and I'm being crazy, forget your stupid juice cleanse for a minute and eat this. Prove me wrong."
"You're being ridiculous," Buck muttered. But he did in fact start to eat. Eddie felt some of the tension leak from his shoulders, unable to stop himself from studying Buck for every minute change of expression. It was silent, and Buck had just started on his second tamale when the door to the apartment opened.
"Baby? What's that smell?"
Eddie tensed all over again at the sound of Callan's voice, especially when he noticed the guilty look on Buck's face, like he was being caught doing something he wasn't supposed to. Callan was walking into the kitchen a moment later, an irritated look flashing across his face as he saw Eddie.
"You didn't tell me you had plans," Callan said, annoyance plain in his voice as he mostly ignored Eddie and walked towards Buck. He rested a hand on his shoulder, a silent way of staking his claim. Eddie chewed the inside of his cheek, silently fuming.
"We didn't, really," Buck mumbled.
"I thought we were doing a juice cleanse." Callan's voice was sharp, and Eddie could see his hand on Buck's shoulder tighten slightly. "Don't want you to bulk up again, do we?" His tone was light, aiming for joking but missing the mark because Eddie could sense the seriousness behind his words.
What the fuck?
Buck's eyes went wide and he shifted uncomfortably, dropping his food back onto the plate. Eddie couldn't stay quiet, not at that dejected look on Buck's face.
"What the hell is wrong with you?"
Callan looked up to meet Eddie's gaze, his eyes hard. "Excuse me?"
"Eddie—"
"Shut up," Callan snapped lowly. Buck flushed a deep red, looking mortified. Eddie's fists clenched at his sides, his nails biting into his palms to try and ground himself against the rage that burned hot in his chest. He spoke before Buck could get the chance to.
"You don't get to talk to him like that," Eddie said firmly, trying to keep himself from flipping out as his protective instincts went wild. "You don't get to control what he eats, or comment on his body—"
"Please, he needed a reality check," Callan retorted with a roll of his eyes. "He looks so much better like this."
Buck looked like he wanted to sink through the floor, straight down until he melted in the Earth's molten center. He looked so small, it was jarring. Sure, Buck had his issues with abandonment and self-worth, but he'd grown so much over the last several years. Eddie had watched as their family built Buck up until he no longer put up that cocky front and just had a genuine peace and confidence in himself and the space he took up. Looking at Buck right now felt like he was looking at the charred remains of those efforts. There was no other reason Buck would tolerate—had been tolerating this treatment for months, unless Callan had managed to undo all of that work. Unless he had managed to dig up those old beliefs and reinforce them. Beliefs like Buck being hard to love, even though loving him was one of the easiest things Eddie had ever done.
Arguing with Callan suddenly didn't seem to matter at all, no matter how much Eddie ached to tear the man a new one. He focused in on Buck instead, leaning forward against the island to meet Buck's lowered gaze. "He's wrong, Buck," he said firmly. "You don't need to change for him. You're making yourself smaller, literally and figuratively. You shouldn't have to. That's not love."
Buck held Eddie's gaze, something searching and aching and desperate swimming in Eddie's favorite shade of blue. Eddie knew what he had to do. It wouldn't undo the damage Callan had did, but it would be a start. Because even if Buck didn't feel the same way about Eddie, he trusted him. He'd believe him.
"You've never had to try to be loved, Buck. Loving you means loving all of it—your fun facts from late night research binges, your love of holidays and that awful sweater with the lights, your unfailing kindness and excitement over little things, and all the space you take up. Including physically, because your body… Jesus, Buck, your body…" Eddie shook his head, his face hot with what he knew was probably a wicked blush. "You've always driven me crazy, and you didn't have to change a single thing. Loving you, as you are, has always been as easy as breathing. No changes necessary."
Eddie didn't, couldn't wait around after that. Especially because Callan looked about ready to murder him. Not that Eddie was scared, he could take him. Easily, and with entirely too much pleasure. But that wasn't what Buck needed right now. Buck, who looked completely shellshocked, like he was still trying to process everything Eddie had just said.
"I mean it, Buck. Stop trying so hard for this asshole when you're already so loved just for being you," Eddie said, the words coming out a little thick but undoubtedly sincere. With that, he left. He had said his piece, there was nothing more he could do.
-
Two weeks later, Eddie walked into the lounge area of the loft at the station. He was a little late, but nothing terrible considering the shift had only started ten minutes ago. He hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, though he definitely wasn't complaining.
Hen, Chimney, Ravi, and even Bobby were in the lounge, chatting as they drank their coffee. Once they looked over, though, any conversation died almost instantly.
Eddie gently squeezed his hand that was wrapped around Buck's when the other man shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Buck relaxed slightly, squeezing back as their coworkers—their family, really—exchanged disbelieving looks before looking back at them.
"What—"
"When—"
"Are you two—"
"Hen, you owe me—"
Buck let out a laugh as all four of them spoke at once, leaning a little closer to Eddie so their shoulders brushed. Eddie pursed his lips to keep himself from grinning like an idiot.
Ravi was the first to speak up after they all had stopped talking over one another. "What happened with Callan?"
Buck's smile faltered slightly, and Eddie leaned a little more firmly into his shoulder, a silent show of support. "He, uh… he wasn't really a good guy," Buck admitted. He didn't say anything else, but the weight of his statement was obvious.
Bobby frowned, looking troubled at those words, at the thought of Buck in a bad relationship. "Guess I should've listened to you, Eddie," he said after a beat, giving Eddie an apologetic look.
"I can't believe you clocked it from the start," Hen added, shaking her head slightly.
"I just thought you were jealous," Ravi chimed in.
Chimney looked between all of them, looking thoroughly confused. "Wait, what? Eddie admitted to not liking Callan?"
Hen gave a snort of laughter. "Are you kidding? He didn't shut up about it."
Eddie felt his face heat up and he cleared his throat. "I was right, wasn't I? Maybe now you'll all learn to listen to me." He hadn't wanted to be right, obviously, hadn't wanted Buck to suffer. But he was glad he'd listened to his instincts, glad he hadn't listened to the others and just left it alone like they suggested. Because now Buck was free of that asshole, and Eddie could help heal the damage that had been done.
"They probably won't," Buck hushed, giving Eddie an amused look despite the heavy topic of his shitty ex boyfriend. "I would've believed you, y'know."
"I know."