Work Text:
Eddie hears the giggling first. It’s coming from a pack of yet-to-be seen teenage girls if his ears are right, directed at the lithe form of a tall man wearing a drab uniform apron, in the midst of stocking candles onto the shelves above his head. Eddie frowns as he watches the man freeze for just a moment, ducking his head as the giggling and whispers get louder. He can’t see the man’s face, only his broad shoulders stretched beneath a white t-shirt. The back of the collar is dingy grey, no doubt rubbed off from the black apron strings tied against it, and Eddie finds himself inexplicably charmed by the sight.
“Just go talk to him, Aimee!”
Eddie’s eyes dart over to the group of girls that he finally spots, half hiding behind a large pile of unopened inventory boxes. They’re young, way too young for the man in question unless high schools really have started pumping in growth hormones through the vents like Fox News says.
Aimee, an adorable but clearly terrified girl, shakes her head, causing one of the other girls to scoff and roll her eyes.
“I’ll do it then,” she says, flipping her hair over one shoulder in a move straight out of every 90s chick flick Eddie has ever seen.
“Gemma,” Aimee says with a sigh. “I don’t want to get kicked out of here, I still need to get my grandma a candle for Christmas.”
Gemma ignores her and squares her shoulders as she heads towards the man. Eddie, still tucked against a wall across the room, clutches the silver Tinsel in Times Square to his chest and watches the scene unfold in the way driving rubbernecks watch the aftermath of a wreck.
By the time Gemma reaches the man, Eddie can’t hear her speak over the assaulting volume of Santa Claus is Coming to Town, but he can definitely see the way the man takes a step back as he turns to face her. And oh. It’s no wonder the girls were giggling, Eddie thinks, as he takes in the man’s pink pillowy lips and eyes so blue that he can see them from across the room.
Eddie startles as those blue eyes find his for just a second, wide with panic as the girl reaches out to tap her tacky acrylic nails against his apron. Eddie watches as the man shakes his head again, giving the girl a tight smile as he takes another step back. Either far too bold, or completely oblivious, the girl just follows. Eddie spares a glance to her group of friends, who have vanished into the pre-Christmas crowd of the packed store. He glances towards the registers, hoping to find someone that looks vaguely managerial that he can alert the damn near harassment to, but finds only incredibly stressed looking young women rapidly wrapping candles in protective tissue paper as their lines grow and grow.
Eddie looks back just as the man’s gaze catches his again, the picture of discomfort, and he’s not sure what happens, but suddenly his feet are moving and he’s plastering an exaggerated smile on his face as he approaches the man and teenage girl.
“There you are!” he says to the man, sidling up between him and the suddenly scoffing girl. “You forgot your lunch at home, honey. Thought I’d come by and we could eat together.”
“What,” the man says, blinking rapidly in confusion before it all clicks. “Oh! Right, yeah, my lunch! You know me, babe. So forgetful.”
“Lucky you’re so cute, then,” Eddie smirks, before tilting his head toward Gemma. “Are you done helping this customer?”
“Um,” the man stammers, before nodding. “I think so. Did you need anything else, miss?”
Gemma looks between them, dark eyebrows raised dubiously, before rolling her eyes and sighing.
“I should’ve known. The hot ones are always gay.”
“Actually, I’m…” the man starts before stopping himself short. “Yeah, actually. Sorry. Super gay.”
“The gayest,” Eddie deadpans.
“Ugh, whatever,” Gemma says, spinning on her heels and disappearing back into the crowd.
Eddie watches her go with no small amount of satisfaction.
“Jesus,” the man says once she’s gone. “She was intense. Thanks for that, man.”
“Eddie, actually,” he can’t help but joke as he holds out a hand. “But yeah, no problem. Figured you didn’t want to get in trouble if you yelled at her or something.”
“Buck,” the man introduces himself, wrapping his chilly hand around Eddies before pulling away. “And yeah, I didn’t want to get fired. Last time I complained about a customer harassing me, my boss told me to be grateful and to “use that pretty face to sell the premium collection, kid.” He’s such a dick.”
“Sounds like it,” Eddie says with a snort. “Oh hey, is this one in the premium collection?” he asks, tapping his fingers against the candle still cradled to his chest.
“Nah,” Buck says, unconcerned. “Those ones are like fifty dollars for no freaking reason. It’s basically just fancy packaging and no dyes.”
“Personally,” Eddie says dryly, “I only want a genuine Liberty Candle if it’s chock-full of dyes. Gimme all that red dye 40, baby.”
Buck laughs, his entire face brightening with it, and Eddie has the insane thought that he could watch that face laugh for the rest of his life.
“I like that one a lot, actually,” Buck says, gesturing to the candle. “It smells like a Christmas tree in snow.”
“It does,” Eddie agrees. “Hopefully my abuela likes it.”
“I’m sure she’ll love it,” Buck says, shrugging slightly. “People mostly just want to be remembered, I think.”
“I could never forget my abuela,” Eddie says seriously. “She’s one of the few good things I have in the world.”
“Oh my god, shut up, you’re adorable,” Buck laughs, blushing as the words stumble out of his mouth. “I mean,” he stammers, “sorry. I wasn’t trying to… I know you were just being nice so that girl would leave me alone…”
“Relax,” Eddie says quietly, giving Buck a tiny smile. “You might not actually be gay, but I am, and if that was you trying to flirt, I’m 100% on board.”
“I’m bi,” Buck says faintly, swallowing around a dry throat. “And I wasn’t trying to flirt… but like, if that’s an option, I can try again.”
“Don’t hurt yourself,” Eddie teases lightly. “How about you actually just come get lunch with me? I hear the food court makes an incredibly mediocre burger or two.”
“I’d love to,” Buck says, before frowning. “But my lunch was an hour ago, I’m stuck here for so many more hours today.”
“Can I have your number, then?” Eddie asks.
Buck nods eagerly, taking the offered phone from Eddie and adding himself to the contacts, before texting himself a row of random emojis in order to save Eddie’s number.
Eddie laughs as he takes his phone back and squints at the screen.
“Do I wanna know what christmas tree, boxing glove, ghost, robot, thumbs up and are those lungs means?”
“It obviously means that I’m actually a robot hosting the soul of a ghost who died of a tragic blood clot in the lungs during a boxing match on Christmas day,” Buck says, grinning widely at his own ridiculousness.
“Right,” Eddie says. “It’s all so obvious when you lay it out like that,” he laughs. “But what about the thumbs up?”
“Oh,” Buck says, humming as he thinks. “I guess that one is just to be like yeah, I know I’m a tragic ghost boxer or whatever, but like, it’s all good.”
“Because of Christmas spirit?” Eddie guesses.
“Because of Christmas spirit,” Buck confirms, grin settling into a softer smile as they settle into the moment.
“We could really use some help up here!” a voice calls out from the register, breaking them from said moment, and Buck gives him an apologetic look.
“I should go ring,” he says. “Poor Hannah is eight months pregnant and might actually kill a customer if one more person asks her a stupid question.”
“Godspeed,” Eddie says, “I’ll be your first customer.”
“You just wanna cut the line,” Buck teases, even as he takes the candle from Eddie’s hands and heads towards the registers.
“I admit nothing,” Eddie says as he follows Buck through the crowd.
Buck rings him up quickly as the line builds up almost immediately, but Eddie still makes sure that their fingers brush as he takes the small paper bag from Buck’s hands.
“Have a nice day, sir,” Buck says, lips stretched in a wholesome and innocent grin that Eddie doesn’t buy for a single second.
It still makes his entire body tingle though.
Text me when you’re off, Eddie mouths as he walks away, pushy customers already demanding Buck’s attention.
Despite being lectured by an old woman about coupons, Buck grins as he nods, watching fondly as Eddie heads for the exit.
Eddie makes it all the way to his truck before remembering he was supposed to stop at the Lego store for gift ideas for Christopher.
Oh well, he thinks to himself. Looks like he’ll have to come back to the mall another day after all.
The horror.
It’s not until Christopher is tucked up in bed, bony ankles sticking out of the pajama pants he’s outgrown again, that Eddie’s phone lights up with an incoming text that makes him snort with laughter when he sees the contact saved as “Buck (Candles)”.
Heeeeey. Buck’s text reads. I think we should ban candles. For the greater good.
Eddie shakes his head with amusement as he replies.
I’ll get right on that. Also. Buck(Candles)? How many Bucks do you think I know?”
The reply comes in barely a minute later and Eddie laughs again as he reads.
I don’t know, man! Maybe you only talked to me because you have a weird fetish for dudes named Buck. You could have several Bucks stuffed in your closet right now like some sort of super niche serial killer.
“Where would I keep my jackets?” Eddie muses aloud before replying.
I spent way too long in the closet to keep anything but clothes in there. I bury all my bodies, like a goddamn adult.
The phone is silent for a long two minutes, and Eddie wonders if he’s freaked Buck out, but then a gif appears, the guy who plays Captain America slapping his own chest in hysterical laughter, and Eddie relaxes.
I’ll be your alibi, Buck’s next text reads. But please don’t ask me to dig. That’s where I draw the line.
“Good to know,” Eddie says to the phone, before texting back.
When do you have a day off? I owe you a mediocre burger. No digging required.
Instead of another text, Buck’s name appears on the screen as he calls, and Eddie startles just a bit before picking up.
“What kind of millennial are you?” he teases as he answers. “We don’t make phone calls unless someone is dying.”
“My last girlfriend was older,” Buck answers with a laugh. “We talked on the phone a lot. It can be kinda nice, actually.”
“Damn,” Eddie whistles. “You’re cougar bait and jailbait bait. Do I even stand a chance?”
“Have you seen you??” Buck says dramatically. “Better men than me have done terrible things for eyes like yours.”
“Gay,” Eddie drawls, equal parts flattered and embarrassed by the compliment.
“Kinda the whole point, yeah,” Buck agrees. “Normally by now the hot guy has sent me like ten different dick pics, and tried to get me to suck him off in some public bathroom.”
“But the germs,” Eddie says, cringing. “I promise I won’t try to get you to do anything in a public bathroom. And I’ve never sent a dick pic that wasn’t asked for.”
Buck laughs quietly, before huffing out a breath as Eddie assumes he plops back onto his bed.
“Is it weird that that kinda makes me want to suck you off in a public bathroom?” he asks.
“Maybe,” Eddie says, shrugging. “But I’m still getting my dick sucked in this scenario, so, I’m not judging.”
“I thought you were worried about germs,” Buck laughs, and Eddie groans.
“My brain is concerned about the germs! My dick is extremely fucking interested in the other part.”
“You mean the sucking,” Buck says with a smirk evident in his voice.
“Yes, I mean the sucking, you absolute menace,” Eddie says. “But also, maybe we could go on an actual date first. You know, if that’s something you’d want. With me.”
“I really would,” Buck says quickly. “Plus, half my store thinks I’ve been hiding a secret boyfriend from them now, so I could use the corroboration.”
“Ok, SAT words,” Eddie laughs. “You asking me to be your fake boyfriend to save face at work?”
“No,” Buck says, before sighing. “I mean, yeah, I guess, kind of! I want you to be my fake boyfriend, but I also want to actually go out with you and see where it goes.”
“So, you want it both ways, then?” Eddie teases gently.
Buck laughs, and Eddie can imagine his pretty eyes crinkling at the corners as he nods.
“It’s my god-given right as a bisexual.”
Eddie snorts a laugh as Buck continues.
“Adam and Eve, Eddie! Who am I to defy God’s slutty expectations of me?”
“You’re insane,” Eddie says, far too fondly for having met the man less than ten hours ago.
“I’m running on nothing but redbull and a dream here, man,” Buck says around a yawn. “Cut me some slack.”
Eddie yawns in response, before scowling playfully at the phone.
“You made me yawn,” he complains. “Go get some sleep, man. You can call me again like a Boomer tomorrow if you want.”
“Don’t wanna,” Buck mumbles sleepily. “I like your voice.”
“Weirdo,” Eddie says, flushing pink at the words, before speaking again.
“I like your voice, too.”
There’s nothing but dead air and the vague sound of breathing on the other end of the call, and Eddie finds himself grinning down at this phone as he presses the end button.
“Goodnight, Buck,” he says to his empty bedroom, cradling the phone to his chest as falls asleep.
“You know,” Eddie says when Christmas is passed and Buck can breathe at work again. “You’ve cancelled on our first date four different times now. A more insecure man might take that personally.”
Buck leans across the register counter at work, eyeing the thankfully empty store and giving Eddie a sad look.
“I swear I’m not doing it on purpose! Half our staff is out with the flu, so I’ve been covering for everyone. And then last night I really really wanted to go, I swear.”
“You can’t help a stomach bug, ba..Buck,” Eddie says, flushing at the slip up. “I’m only teasing you, I know you want to go out as much as I do. Which is why I brought you ginger ale and crackers and the best chicken soup that the Euro deli down the road had to offer.”
“Eddie,” Buck says, looking far too close to tears for Eddie’s liking.
“I thought you’d be happy!” Eddie says, frowning. “Did I overstep?”
“I am happy!” Buck says with a wet-eyed laugh. “I cry. You get used to it.”
“Noted and filed,” Eddie says, nodding. “I have to get Chris from school, but make sure you eat, ok? Call me later?”
Buck nods, before reaching out and grabbing Eddie by the collar of his t-shirt and pulling him into a brief but enthusiastic kiss.
“Thank you for the soup and ginger ale,” he says when they pull apart.
Eddie is delighted to see Buck is just as flushed as he feels.
“You’re welcome,” he says, biting down on the urge to thank Buck for the kiss.
“You should come over for New Year’s Eve,” he says instead. “Chris and I are gonna eat too much junk food and probably crash before midnight, but I can probably make it to midnight if you’re there to kiss me again.”
“I work until 8,” Buck says apologetically. “But I can come over after?”
“Definitely,” Eddie says. “Chris can’t wait to meet you, ever since I told him you also love Legos.”
“If only everyone was as easy to impress as a seven year old,” Buck laughs, before smiling softly. “I can’t wait to meet him, too. Any kid of yours has to be pretty great.”
“He is,” Eddie confirms fondly. “Now go eat your lunch, Buckley. I’ll see you in two days.”
“Go fight those fires,” Buck responds, waving Eddie off as he realizes how late he’s running and heads for the door. “Be safe.”
Whatever Eddie says is lost under the blaring sound of Taylor Swift in the air, but Buck is just glad it’s no longer Christmas music.
“Aw, bud,” Buck says to the sound-asleep Christopher passed out against Eddie’s side. “You almost made it.”
“I’ll try to wake him up when the ball drops,” Eddie laughs, ruffling Chris’ hair with one hand and reaching out to grab Buck’s hand in his other one. “It’s only a few minutes now.”
Buck squeezes his hand back, leaning up against one side of the couch with Eddie beside him, Chris snoring on Eddie’s other side.
“I know it’s only been a couple of weeks,” he says, shaking his head at himself. “But is it crazy to say it’s been the best couple weeks of my life so far?”
“Maybe a little,” Eddie allows, before dropping his voice to a whispered confession. “But the day we first met? You laughed at some dumb joke I made, and I thought I want to make him laugh forever, actually. So, if you’re crazy, I’m crazy too.”
“Compatible crazy, I guess,” Buck says, grinning. “I can work with that.”
“I think I can, too,” Eddie says, before glancing at the TV where Ryan Seacrest is talking to an actress who looks vaguely familiar from that show about liars that he barely remembers.
“Countdown is about to start,” he says, grinning at Buck before shaking Chris slightly to rouse him.
“Wake up, mijo, it’s time for the 3-2-1,” he says, but Chris just grumbles.
“Maybe next year, then,” Eddie whispers, before meeting Buck’s eyes as they join the crowd on TV.
“Five, four, three, two, one…” Eddie says before tugging Buck into a sweet kiss.
“Happy New Year, baby,” he says, kissing the pleased little grin right from Buck’s pouty lips.
“And many more,” Buck sings back, soft and not remotely in the right key.
Eddie can’t help but think it’s still the best song that he’s ever heard.
The End