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They had travelled basically all day, the desert sun, as beautiful as it was at sunset, was beating them to a sweaty pulp while they waited for their shitty motel room to be ready.
They had just got to town, the only one for hundreds of miles, and the only one that wasn't abandoned, at first glance. They had gotten gas from a gas station that looked almost as if they had travelled through time, the prices practically matched it. After they had filled their tank they drove through the empty streets as the sun lowered in the sky and stumbled upon a motel, the air conditioning in Buck’s car working double time to keep up with the southern blaze outside.
They got out of the car, the heat hitting them like a solar flare, walked up to the glass door, and walked inside. The air conditioner barely penetrating the heat coming from the plains around them. There was a delayed ding from the bell on the door.
"Howdy, how may I help yall.” the man behind the counter chirped in his thick southern accent.
“Just a room, two beds.” Eddie was already sweating through his shirt, his throat dry and he was starting to get out of breath. He had served two tours in the desert, lived in Texas for the majority of his childhood. Why was this any different?
“Oh, sorry, all of our double bed rooms are booked. But I bet yall don't mind that.” the man behind the counter, his name tag said Craig, put on a sly smirk that neither of their heat compressed brains could even begin to unpack.
“We’ll take it.” The words slipped out of Buck’s mouth.
“Okay, we’ll have that ready for you in a few minutes.” He handed Eddie the key and they went back out to Buck’s car.
“ I wonder if there’s a diner or some kind of restaurant around here that we could go get something to eat after our room is ready.” Buck suggested and Eddie nodded along, not really paying attention. The cool air washed over them and it helped to let Eddie sink into his thoughts.
We’re best friends, we’ve been best friends for eight years. Why does sharing a bed suddenly make me feel weird…..it’s not like we haven't done this before.
Before he could finish his train of thought, the man from the motel waved at them through their windshield, signaling for them to come back.
They gathered their suitcases from the back, shut the car off, and walked to the side of the motel where their room was.
When they got inside, it was like a portal back into the sixties. Orange floral sheets, pink carpet in the bed/living area and neon green carpet in the bathroom. Even the TV was a relic, box and heavy with dials on the face of it and antenna coming out the top of it.
Buck tried not to think about all of the bacteria that probably infected them just stepping foot inside. It was a lot on the eyes, but Buck set his duffle down and got to work untying his shoes so his feet could breathe.
“What side do you want?” eight years of friendship and closeness and Eddie didn't know what side of the bed Buck slept on.
"I’ll take this side, you take the other.” the bed creaked as he lifted his leg to get the shoe off.
“Okay,” things felt awkward but at the same time everything felt the same. The bed predicament was the least of their worries, finding a place with edible food in a town of one was the thing they should be focusing on.
“Soo, food?” Eddie asked when they had both climbed onto the bed and settled their things beside each of their sides.
“Yes food, the Wi-Fi is shitty here so no google maps and i don't want to be trapped in that oven until we have to be back on the road, so grab water and walk around?” Buck rambled out a plan while he laid there with his feet up. Eddie could smell the dust on the sheets….Eddie could smell Buck too, a deep earthy scent that didn't get overpowered by sweat. It was Buck.
“Okay that sounds good, let’s do that.” Eddie snapped himself out of his trance.
“Okay, it should also calm down after sunset”
“It needs to, I can't take anymore of this heat.”
They got up, put their shoes back on, grabbed water from the case in their trunk and walked down the road. Again the streets were empty, not a soul in sight, Buck was even convinced he saw a tumbleweed.
They eventually found a yellow dinner, a good portion of the paint peeling but the neon open sign glowing like a flair in the dark. They rushed over, crossed an empty street, and almost ran through the door.
Three workers in waitress uniforms looked up at the two of them as they walked in. they continued with their chitter chatter as Buck found them a booth.
One of the three waitresses came up to them, she was holding two menus and chewing obnoxiously on a piece of bubblegum.
“Howdy, what can I do for you boys?” her accent was as thick as the man at the motel’s.
“Two waters to start.” Eddie answered before Buck could even get a breath in.
“Okay, you two need a minute?”
“Uh..yes, we do.” Buck answered this time.
“Okay, alright, well I'll be right back with those waters.” she snapped her gum as she turned around, her heels clicking on the title floor all the way back to the counter.
“ I think I might just get a sandwich, says here they have a pulled pork barbeque sandwich. Looks pretty good.” Buck set the menu down, his eyes landing on Eddie lost in thought.
“What about you?” he tried to shake him out of whatever trance he was in.
“Don't you think it’s weird that all of the double rooms were booked but it seems like no one’s here?” Eddie asked, his fingers finding his mouth like he used to fidget with them, he had stopped that habit years ago, before he had met Buck, another indicator of the weird.
Before Buck could answer, the waitress appeared again,
“Alright, you two figure out what you want?” she popped her gum one more time
“Yes, he’ll have the pulled pork sandwich and I'll just have the cheeseburger.” Eddie ordered for both of them, still lost in thought.
Buck didn't know what to think, first the weird questions and now ordering for him, it was out of character for Eddie, maybe the heat was getting to him.
After the waitress had left, the click of her heels echoed across the empty restaurant, Buck leaned in as close as he could to Eddie.
“Are you alright?” he asked, the concern etched into his features.
“It’s just a feeling, this place gives me the creeps. I feel like my abuela would break out her cross and holy water and start blessing us.” he laughed but a twinge of sadness clouded his expression and Buck could feel his heart clinch but he laughed it off.
“She was a lovely woman.” he said in solemn remembrance
Before either of them could speak again, a steaming hot tray of food was placed between them, the sandwiches looked just like the pictures on the menu and, with the heat and dehydration they were facing, absolutely delicious.
After scarfing down the food and drinks they were provided they paid, grabbed their phones and went back out into the dessert.
It was a weird feeling, their phones didn't have any service and the town was practically empty. They were finally alone for once, and Buck could finally hear his thoughts without feeling like everyone was listening. At least out here the only thing listening were the stars.
They had made it back to the motel in no time, it was a short walk, Eddie still lost in the thought of how different this was to his normal. He knew, obviously, that a road trip was a different type of existence, that the road between point b and home was uncharted territory. He knew that anything could happen, and staying in a one bed shitty motel room for a night wasn't life or death but for some reason his nervous system thought it was.
This was nightmarish for Eddie, the uncertainties cropped up as soon as they found the motel, but what made them worse were his unchecked feelings. Hell, they were as checked as a beat up hockey player but still, they felt as wild as the tumbleweeds blowing across the roads outside.
Maybe it was because he had just come to terms with who he was, had been all along, or because they were both about to be sleeping as close as possible on a barely-bigger-than-twin sized bed. And Eddie may have also come to terms with who awakened those identity thoughts.
And it wasn't at random, it had been a long time coming, from Eddie putting Buck as Chris’ guardian in his will after he was shot to letting Buck bet on him in the Bachelor auction last week. Every action for Eddie and Christopher had put a hitch in his breath and a pit in his stomach. Something about being alone right now in a dessert that didn't know their names, amplified these feelings tenfold. Even if he suppressed this feeling, and oh boy does a lifetime of catholic teachings teach you how to suppress things in new ways, it still cropped up and to Eddie it felt like something could happen, anything could happen.
Buck had opened the door for Eddie, the creak of the door hinges bringing him back into the present.
—--
Buck needed to peek inside Eddie’s head, he needed to peel away the steel walls he had built up while Buck was mourning in the corner. He needed to know what changed between funerals, pick him apart until he figured out the cause for this new way of being.
He contemplated asking on the way to the motel but he enjoyed the little bit of silence that settled over them as they walked back. It was nice, being out here, in the desert where no one knew them as BucknEddie, as the two best friends who were inseparable, joined at the hip, until they weren't. No family drama and no masks that covered up their..everything.
Buck had noticed it back at the diner, Eddie had started fidgeting. His best friend of eight years who had never fidgeted before had done so at the first sign of something weird going on. It was interesting to see, Buck watched him as his fingers found his mouth as they sat there waiting for their drinks. His teeth softly pierced the flesh of his thumb like he didn't know if he wanted to eat it or just lightly suck on it. Buck fixated on the memory, he felt his face get hot at the thought of his thumb being the center of Eddie’s fidgeting.
He shook his head and the memory went away, the blush did not.
There had been moments like that all throughout his life, before he thought he was bisexual, before he even realized what he was feeling when he would check a guy out. Moments when he would check Eddie out, or think about kissing him, or while he was with Tommy, imagine it was Eddie getting him to the finish line.
Buck knew what this feeling was, why he was feeling this way, why he kept fixating on the little details and why he wanted to know what had changed. He just couldn't admit it, not when it was this close to being a possibility. The possibility was so fragile even thinking about it might break it in Buck’s mind.
So he sat and he ate and he indulged in the unindulgent company of one Eddie Diaz while they stayed in a shitty one bed motel room two inches apart from each other on a barely-bigger-than-twin sized bed.
And that was enough for him, because he was best friends with one of the greatest men he knew, and that was enough.
If only Buck knew.
he opened the door to their motel room, the creaking of the hinges was loud in his ear. He finally decided to ask,
“Are you sure you're okay?” Eddie heard Buck ask as they entered the room.
“I’m fine Buck, let’s just get ready for bed.” he lied, the nervous energy spilled off of Eddie in waves but Buck, feeling the day’s heat wear off and his eyes become heavy, decided to just take it at face value.
Buck broke into his suitcase, the zipper echoing in the dark room. Eddie was brushing his teeth, the neon green carpet was soft under his feet, he welcomed the texture.
Buck got one of his night shirts and his sweatpants out and undressed. He pulled his sweat-infused t-shirt off and pulled his jeans off. His red boxers stood out against all of the orange and yellow of the room. He let the now-working air conditioner blow cold air over his exposed body, it felt good.
Eddie walked out of the bathroom, his new socks in hand and stopped dead in his tracks, staring just like a deer in headlights.
“Oh, uh, sorry.” Buck apologized and tried to cover up with his night shirt.
“No, don't apologize, we’re both grown men.” he explained with a smirk like he was trying not to laugh, maybe he was just trying not to go insane.
“Oh okay..” he quickly got dressed before the awkwardness settled over them.
Eddie had changed in the other room, it felt normal, once his anxiety had settled, they had fallen into normalcy. A routine they had never realized they had.
Buck crawled into bed, pulling the sheets back and hitting the pillow to fluff it up.
“Goodnight, eds.” The nickname hit Eddie as he lay there, and as much as he was tired he knew this was gonna be another night of fighting with his insomnia. He could feel it, an unrest in his bones, it always started there.
“Goodnight, Buck.” Buck turned on his side, trying to forget that he was lying next to the man he had a crush on since before he even knew him. In truth he didn't think he’d get any sleep tonight. He’d lay awake with thoughts spinning around his head trying to keep himself from spiraling.
Before they knew it they were both fast asleep. The dark room and the semi comfy bed helped aid them, the warmth of another body beside them also helped.
A scream and a crash and suddenly Eddie was transported back to the other desert, the one he can't go back to, the one he will never return to. He jumped out of bed, phantom commands and ghostly weight making him disoriented, he stumbled around to Buck’s side of the bed.
“We…we need to go.” His mouth was dry and his voice was coarse as he tried to pull buck out of the bed. He adjusted gear that wasn't there.
Another crash and he ducked for cover, he trembled on the ground at the side of Buck’s bed and prayed for the assault to be over. He clutched at a necklace that wasn't there.
Buck startled awake at the third crash, green light came in from outside their window. He felt Eddie’s hand on his arm and instinctually grabbed onto it.
He could hear Eddie mumbling something below and he got off the bed slowly, still holding Eddie’s hand.
“Eddie, Eddie, it’s okay.” he whispered at him, the green light grew outside but Buck’s focus was on Eddie.
“We have to go,” were the only words that came out of his mouth.
“We’re okay, c’mere.” Buck pulled Eddie into a hug, trying to ground him until whatever episode he was experiencing was over.
“I’m right here.” he repeated over and over until Eddie’s mumbling stopped and his breathing slowed.
“B-Buck?” he tried to pull out of the embrace and Buck let go.
“You were having some kind of nightmare” he explained, Buck’s heart ached a little as he felt the warmth that Eddie provided go away.
“I heard something.” His voice sounded uneasy, Buck hadn't seen that side of him in a while.
“I did too,” they looked to the window, and saw the green light peeking through.
“What the fuck is happening.”
They put on their shoes and walked outside. The light was filtered by the dark curtains, their eyes strained from the light outside. It was brighter than the stars, the light blocking them out for the most part. They walked closer to it and the closer they got the brighter it glowed.
And then suddenly their ears popped and their hearing went out, their vision got blurry and the light in front of them ceased its relentless brightening.
And then everything went back to normal, except, green tiny dots floated through the air like tiny fireflies. It was beautiful but Buck and Eddie could feel them as they breathed in the tiny specks, the air was thick all of a sudden and before they could even reach out to each other they were on the ground, passed out.
In the dark of unconsciousness, there was only truth, and the truth was that Buck loved Eddie and there was no denying that, there was no doubt about it Buck had fallen hard. But he had already known that, calling it feelings instead of tacking down the exact feeling was enough but now, experiencing whatever he was, wherever he was, it was like all that doubt and worry was gone. And as he lay there unconscious, he could feel Bobby’s presence and the last words he had said to him echoed in the cavernous space of his mind. They’re gonna need you, tears rolled down his dust covered face as he heard those words over and over again until they started to sound like they’re gonna need you like Christopher and Eddie were gonna need him and for once since that day those words finally started to make sense. A heavy hand brushed through his hair, I love you kid drifted on the air, and for once since Bobby died Buck felt like a weight had been lifted off of his chest. And a feeling came over him, a general overwhelming feeling that he hadn't felt for a while, it felt like he could finally speak his mind.
Eddie wasn't afraid or worried of saying the quiet part out loud, he knew what he felt. It was the guilt that ate at the part of him, the guilt of loving another man, of replacing Shannon, or what felt like replacing her. He would never love another woman but he would also never love anyone like he loved Buck. It was like he was finding himself for the first time since realizing who he actually was. And in the dark of his mind he knew this, and knew it was okay. As he lay there unknowingly still in the desert, it was almost as if Shannon was there with him. He could feel her hand on his face and hear her ghostly whispers of it’s okay wash over him. Tears ran down his dust covered face and for once since Shannon died he felt like he could finally feel everything without consequence and like he could finally speak his mind.
Buck opened his eyes, the green specks had stopped, it looked like it was dawn by the way the sunlight had entered the horizon. His limbs felt heavy as he lifted himself off the ground.
Eddie finally came to, tear streaks down his face that cut through the dust that caked everything around them, matching Buck. He went to get up and found his arms to be sore.
“What the hell happened?” Buck was the first one to speak, his mouth dry and his throat hurt to speak.
“I don't know.” Once Eddie stood up it felt as if a weight had lifted off of his chest, the crushing feeling of everything, of carrying around all of his trauma, was seemingly gone from him.
“Let’s uh, let’s get back to the motel.” Buck felt weird, the back of his throat felt gummy and no matter how much he swallowed he couldn't get rid of the feeling. He dusted off his hands, wiping them on his sweatpants but he still felt weird. There was something he was missing, and when he examined himself he found he was missing the pain in his chest, and the headache in the back of his head.
They got back to the motel room, it looked practically the same as they had left it.
“Do you think we could sleep a little more before we have to go or do you think it’s too late for that?”
“I think it’s too late, but if you want to get a few more winks in then I'll get the car ready.” Eddie offered and buck nodded, falling back onto the bed.
“Can we talk about what happened?” the words fell out of Buck’s mouth after a moment like the filter they kept up had turned to dust.
“What, when?” Eddie asked, not exactly recalling what he was asking about.
“What happened last night, when you thought we were in an active war zone.” Buck put it plainly because that’s all he could do. His head felt lighter, like a dam had broken and all of the thoughts and questions that were built up inside had flowed down to the tip of his tongue. He could still think for himself but those thoughts he had desperately tried to hold onto were falling from his grip and that was a problem.
“It was an episode, Buck, I get them from time to time, y'know PTSD and all.” Eddie admitted, his head feeling lighter than normal, his mind still trying to keep up with last night’s events.
“You’ve never told me that.” Buck got off the bed and picked up his duffle.
Eddie knew something was wrong, they needed to get back to LA before it got too late.
“Yknow, it was nice, comforting you last night.” Buck blurted out, he quickly looked away before Eddie could even process what he heard.
“I thought it was nice too, your arms were comforting.” Eddie blurted back. Blush rising to his face.
There was a ping at the back of Buck’s head, like the silent alarm going off, hair was standing up on the back of his neck. Something was wrong.
“What is happening, and why do I feel like it has to do with that pollen?” Buck questioned.
“We need to talk about last night.” Eddie blurted out,
“I've been hiding an allergy from you.” Buck interrupted Eddie, not making eye contact like a scared horse.
“What kind of allergy?” Eddie was stunned, “you’ve never brought this up?”
“It’s nothing serious, i mean i don't get anaphylaxis just a slight rash like eczema.” he justified,
“You still haven't told me what your allergic to” Eddie pointed out, and almost as if Buck didn't have a choice, which is to say he didn't have a choice,
He blurted out, “Blueberries, I have an allergy to blueberries.” he gave up.
Eddie wanted to laugh, “that’s all?”
“Well, I mean I just haven't been able to tell you, you know how much Christopher likes blueberry pancakes, I actually think that kid is 50% blueberry at this point. The amount of times we make them together is getting concerning.” he chuckled at the memories and Eddie smiled at him.
“Okay fair point,” but before he could say anything else the feeling was there again at the back of his throat like something was forcing his words out of his mouth and without any warning Eddie gasped for air and practically yelled out,
“I failed my drivers test multiple times when I was younger, but I would just steal my father’s car when I needed to drive somewhere.” He looked away from Buck, embarrassed. This was all too perfect.
“You never told me that,” Buck’s eyes were wide and Eddie felt a stab of pain right above his heart. Of course.
It wasn't like Eddie was hurting because he’d never told Buck, he didn't even know why he was keeping that from buck. It was such a minute secret he had forgotten about it.
But knowing Buck, this whole situation was just perfect.
“Of course, of course, Buck I think you were right all those years ago, the universe is out to get me.” He laughed and grabbed his clothes and stuffed them haphazardly into his suitcase.
“Okay, now I know there’s something wrong. Eddie Diaz telling Evan Buckley he’s right about something. The world must be upside down.”
“Hey, I tell you you’re right all the time, Buck, I try to at least. ” He shrugged and Buck collapsed back onto the bed with a huff.
“Soo, what the hell happened, why are we like this?”
“This close or in this situation?” Eddie asked without hesitation.
“What?” Buck lifted his head up to look at Eddie,
“What?” Eddie replied.
“Nevermind, why do you think we’re in this situation? What the hell happened last night?” he eyed Eddie suspiciously. Deciding to ignore what he had just said.
“Probably the thing that exploded all that pollen-like stuff at us.” he shrugged again putting his suitcase on the ground.
“So this pollen-like stuff, we breathed it in, and suddenly we can only tell each other the truth,” he explained.
“Seems like it, Buck.” Eddie agreed. and they fell back into whatever they were doing.
There was a lapse in silence, the two of them staring at the wall, the suitcases forgotten. Buck was lying down and Eddie was sitting next to him.
“I was told by my priest to find my joy through a metaphor about juice and I'm still convinced he-” Eddie put a hand over his mouth to muffle the rest of the words and Buck sat up still staring at the wall.
“I hooked up with Tommy in your house while you were sub-letting it to me and I kicked him out because he told me the reason he broke u-” Buck muffled the rest of the sentence before he could finish it out loud. They mirrored each other until the words finished spilling out.
They didn't acknowledge how both of those sentences were going to go, however they did notice that the more they muffled their truth the more sore their throats were getting.
They were starting to get concerned, how long could they go with having this thing inside of them, whatever it was, feeding on their misery.
“Want to get a drink?.” It was a terrible idea but Eddie would never knock a cold beer when it was offered.
“Sure.”
They made their way to the bar, conveniently connected to their motel, and sat down inside.
The same man from behind the motel counter took their orders. Two beers, that's it.
They sat there drinking, not saying anything, not even looking at each other, trying not to risk another burst of truth out of either of their chests.
After a while, a few tequila shots, and a bowl full of limes they walked out of the bar and back to where this thing started. The crater from the meteorite was as black as night, with a wilted flower in the middle of it. It confused them to look at it.
Their knees were wobbly as they clung to each other looking down at the odd flower.
And then it exploded from Eddie, in a burst of pure desperation that Buck could hear in his voice, Eddie said,
“I don't want to lose you.” his brown eyes watery and huge as he looked at his best friend.
Buck wanted to combust into flames right there on the spot but he swallowed and asked,
“Why would you lose me?” his confusion evident on his face.
Eddie pushed him away, “because this was a different kind of us, Buck, this was our own private Idaho."
“I didn't even know you watched movies like that,”
“There’s a lot you didn't know about me, Buck.”
“Like what?”
“Like what? Like how I used to steal my dad’s car or watch old queer movies or…" He covered his mouth and tried desperately to fight whatever was in his system. Not here, not now, please god why now why like this? He prayed to a god he wasn't sure he believed in anymore, shutting his eyes, this couldn't be how he comes out, he wouldn't allow it.
“Or what?”
“I’m gay!” he yelled so loud he heard the echo come back to him like a boomerang hitting him straight in the gut. It was like his entire body had been taken over, it was involuntary, invasive. And no matter how much he wouldn't allow it, it was already out there, in the vast, dark, echo-y dessert they were trapped in.
“You of all people know I don't care about that.” He smiled at Eddie, and then a look came over his face, something mixed with remorse and embarrassment before he involuntarily confessed,
“Tommy broke up with me because he saw you as competition,”
“He’s an asshole, I've always thought that.” he laughed,
“He also told me that you might be gay, and so has my sister.” Buck looked up at Eddie through his lashes and Eddie could have sworn his heart skipped a few beats.
“Well I guess they were right, but screw Tommy.” He made sure that was his main point.
They sat in the sand-like dirt together, feeling better but still infected and still drunk but at the same time shockingly sober.
There was something they were both neglecting. The warmth between them wasn't just from the setting sun in front of them. And the ache to reach out and grab the other wasn't because of the pollen they had inhaled.
They had reached that quietness that haunted their road trip while they sat in the sun in a town that seemingly had no people.
Eddie looked over at Buck, his eyes grew soft, filled with love and it just slipped out.
“I think I'm in love with you.” This time his confession was more quiet, soft spoken, and so very sober it was scary. And as soon as Eddie heard what he said he turned away from a too-stunned-to-speak Evan Buckley.
“Are you sure?” Buck asked, after a moment had passed, uncertainty crossed his face mixed with confusion. This was a lot to take in, his best friend had just confessed to being a). Not straight and b). In love with him. And to top all of that, Buck couldn't help but feel the same way, for the first time since meeting Eddie he let the mask fully come away. He let himself feel all of those feelings he had been repressing and locking away for the sake of their friendship.
“I can't lie to you, we’ve already proven that.” Eddie looked at him and saw the love and compassion in Buck’s eyes and it shocked him. He gasped for air he didn't know he was denying himself and Buck caught him in his arms.
Buck didn't need to say anything, but he did anyway,
“I love you too, i think i have for awhile now.” he laughed and Eddie joined with him until their laughs turned to sobs and they were holding onto each other for dear life.
The town and the surrounding desert eroded away in their minds, it felt like they were the only souls in the universe and Eddie got addicted to the feeling.
Buck was the first to pull away, but not because he wanted to, because he felt the instinctual urge to gag and did not want Eddie to hear that right in his ear.
“Ohh oh no,” he gagged full force which made Eddie gag too, but not from the noise Buck made. No, Eddie was also experiencing nausea.
An intense pain in their chests, like a heart attack, a great big zapping pain attacked them until they were both on their knees gagging and gasping for air. It felt like their ribs were on fire, their hearts aching and beating as fast as they could, like twin hummingbirds were trapped in their rib cages. They reached out for each other, their muscles aching and the zapping feeling growing with each passing second.
This is how we die, gasping for air in a deserted dessert with no phones and no way to call for help. All because we were hiding our true feelings. They thought in sync.
And then in one big burst, like a sneeze, something came out of both of them. It was covered in flower petals from a flower neither of them recognized, through the dark red that was blood mixed with mucus and stomach acid there was a vibrant blue-green that reminded them of the light that had started this all.
Then all at once the pain stopped, the splitting headache dissipated, and their heartbeats returned to their normal rhythms. Like nothing had happened, like the entire day had just been for nothing, all of that for this pile of goop and flower petals that laid at both of their feet.
The silence stretched between them as they processed everything that had just happened. cold and unforgiving silence, it surrounded the town. they just hadnt noticed until then.
But something inside Eddie stayed, the same feeling of want that he’d been ignoring the entire trip. He got up, dusted his hands off on his pants, determined to do something to make sure what they had just said to each other was real and not some coma dream,
But before any of that could happen, without a sound or a peep from him, Buck intercepted Eddie’s body, carefully enough that Eddie melted right into his touch, and kissed him with enough force to knock him off his feet. Buck held him in place, making sure he wouldn't fall away from him.
They stood there kissing, under the moonlight until they needed to separate for air, in which Buck gently kissed Eddie on his forehead.
“I’m sorry,” Buck broke the silence. They were smiling as they walked back to the motel, holding hands.
“For what?”
“For being so stupid, I should have known you’d been harboring feelings this entire time.” he laughed.
“You couldn't have known, I wasn't ready to tell you.” Eddie stopped walking, looking at him, a single curl had come down from his hair and was resting on his forehead like Superman, he moved it back up into the mess of curls. Gaining a blush from the taller man.
“I-i guess you’re right.” he sighed involuntarily at Eddie’s hands in his hair. Which gained a grin from Eddie.
“Okay, what do you say to us packing up the car, and leaving for LA right now?” Eddie suggested, to which Buck’s eyes widened.
“Hell yes, let’s get out of here.”
“Okay,” Eddie squeezed Buck’s hand and led him back into the room.
They packed their things up and put them in the back of Buck’s car. It was close to midnight but after all that had happened they just needed to get out of town.
They returned their key to the front desk, the guy behind the counter was missing from the seat next to the dusty old computer.
They tried not to think about how quiet it was when they went back out to the car, or how they hadn't seen any cars the entire time they’d been there, they just focused on each other and the road ahead of them, the road back to LA.
They sped all the way back to LA trying to get away from the ghost town they had visited, as soon as they got into town their phones blew up. Missed calls and texts and everything in between just trying to get a hold of them. They had to pull over and call their friends and family to tell them they were alive…and also officially together all to their surprise and celebration.
They finally made it back to Buck’s apartment, with Christopher at Carla’s place for the week, they made the safest bet of sleeping in the same place for the night and gathering with everyone for brunch in the morning.
When they got inside they tossed their suitcases in the living room, turned on the porch light and collapsed into bed together. Wrapped in each other’s arms they quickly drifted off to sleep and dreamed peacefully of flowers and dessert tumbleweeds and of a town with no people. Those memories were far in their minds by now but the beautiful consequences were ever so present.
There was a silence that stretched over the house that was not of a creepy nature like the town they left behind but of a soft comfortable nature that only happens when you’re sleeping in the arms of the person you love. It stretched over them like a warm blanket, it calmed them and made the worst of the memories from that town melt away, leaving only the good parts for their memory to keep for the rest of their lives.