Work Text:
The clinking of silverware and the soft music of jazz filled the upscale Italian restaurant. It was a rare sight.
Buck, Maddie, Margaret, and Phillip Buckley all sitting at the same table, and an even rarer sight, everyone was actually smiling.
Phillip swirled the last of his wine in his glass, looking more relaxed than Buck had seen him in years. "So," Phillip began, exchanging a warm look with his wife. "Margaret and I have some news."
Buck immediately sat up straighter, his mind running through a rolodex of emergencies, but Maddie just tilted her head curiously.
"I have officially put in my papers," Phillip announced, a proud smile breaking across his face. "I'm retiring. We have sold the house, and we are going to travel. Italy, France, maybe even spend a few months in New Zealand."
"Mom, Dad, that is amazing!" Maddie beamed, reaching across the table to squeeze Margaret's hand. "Congratulations."
"That is really great, guys," Buck added, the tension leaving his shoulders. "I hope you enjoy yourselves."
"Thank you," Margaret said softly. "But selling the house… well, the market was very kind to us. We ended up with quite a bit more than we expected, and have more than we need. So, we have decided to put a portion of it away." She looked between her two children, her expression turning deeply earnest. "We are setting up college funds for the grandkids. Everything is completely taken care of, so neither of you have to worry about paying for your kids college."
Maddie’s jaw dropped. She blinked, her eyes instantly shining with unshed tears. "Mom… Dad, I...no, I can't take that. That is your retirement money, spend it, enjoy it."
"Nonsense," Phillip said firmly, though his voice was gentle. "It is for the kids, Maddie. We want to do this."
Maddie sniffled, wiping an errant tear from her cheek. "Thank you. Jee and Robbie … they both are going to be so grateful. We all are. I am"
Margaret smiled warmly at her daughter before turning her gaze to Buck. "And of course, Evan, Christopher will be fully covered as well. And if you and Eddie decide to have more, adopt a little girl or something...we will set them up too. Whatever you decide."
Buck’s brain effectively flatlined.
He stared at his mother, the words echoing in his head like a skipped record. Christopher. You and Eddie. Adopt a little girl. "What?" Buck choked out, his voice higher than normal.
Phillip set his wine glass down, looking at Buck with completely unbothered logic. "Well, you and Eddie are together, aren't you? Since you and Tommy broke up, we just knew Eddie was it for you. You two are practically glued at the hip, and the way you talk about him everytime you talk with your mom and I on the phone. Eddie this, Chris that. We put it together, we realised you broke up with Tommy for Eddie. We couldn't be happier, you have a great family there."
Margaret nodded in agreement. "We are so glad you and Eddie are together, Evan. He is a wonderful man. And of course, that means Chris is basically our grandchild now. We can easily afford to pay for his college, so if you and Eddie accept, we would love to do this for your family."
Buck just sat there, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. He looked at Maddie for help, but his sister was currently hiding a massive, delighted grin behind her water glass.
"We," Buck stammered, his face flushing violently red. "Mom, Dad. We aren't together."
Margaret and Phillip both paused. They looked at each other, then back at Buck, perfectly synchronized in their utter confusion.
"Why not?" they asked at the exact same time.
"Because!" Buck sputtered, his hands flying up in a panicked gesture. "Because Eddie is straight? And a renter?!"
The absurdity of his own defense hung in the air. Maddie completely lost her battle with composure, letting out a bright, bell like laugh.
"I still don't think it is so crazy," Maddie chimed in. She took a slow, deliberate sip of her wine, her eyes practically dancing. There was a smug, deeply knowing look on her face. It was the exact look she got when she knew a secret she wasn't allowed to share. It gave off the distinct vibe that she and Eddie had shared a very revealing cup of coffee recently, and Buck was entirely out of the loop.
"I don't understand," Margaret said, her brow furrowed. She reached out, placing a gentle hand over Buck's vibrating one. "Life is short, Evan. You have spent so much time searching for where you belong, and I regret that alot of why you did that, is because we weren't there for you. If you want Eddie and Chris to be your family, you need to tell him."
"I can't," Buck whispered, the panic draining out of him, leaving behind a sudden, heavy vulnerability. He looked down at his plate, twisting his napkin into knots. "He is straight. And he is my best friend. If I say something and I am wrong… it would ruin us. I can't lose them."
A soft, collective sigh went around the table.
Maddie leaned forward, exchanging a very pointed, confident look with her parents. She didn't reveal whatever secret she was clearly holding onto, but her smile was overwhelmingly reassuring.
Margaret, Phillip, and Maddie looked back at Buck, and almost in perfect unison, they said "I think it's mutual."
---
Buck didn’t remember the drive from the restaurant to Eddie’s house. He must have used his blinkers, stopped at the red lights, and parked the Jeep, but his brain was entirely consumed by a singular, echoing loop of his parents’ and sister’s voices.
I think it's mutual.
Before he could lose his nerve, Buck was at the front door, knocking with a little more force than necessary.
The door swung open a few moments later to reveal Eddie in gray sweatpants and a perfectly worn in Henley.
He looked tired but instantly relaxed at the sight of Buck, leaning against the doorframe. "Hey. Thought you had the big family dinner tonight. Escape early?"
"They offered to pay for Chris’s college," Buck blurted out.
Eddie blinked, his welcoming smile freezing in place. "Uh. What?"
Buck pushed past him, stepping into the familiar warmth of the Diaz house, unable to stand still. He started pacing the length of the living room. "My parents. They sold their house, dad retired, and they are setting up college funds. For Jee, Robbie, and Chris. Oh! And any future kids we choose to have or adopt."
Eddie shut the door slowly, turning to watch Buck wear a groove into his rug. "Buck, slow down. They want to pay for Christopher’s college? Why?"
Buck stopped dead in his tracks, turning to face Eddie. He threw his hands in the air. "Because they think we are together! They think we are dating, Eddie. They literally said, 'Since you and Tommy broke up, we knew Eddie was it for you.'" Buck ran a frantic hand through his curls. "I told them we weren't! I told them you were my best friend, and straight, and... a renter."
A slow, confused furrow appeared on Eddie's brow. "A renter? Buck, what does me leasing this house have to do with anything?"
"It is a thing, don't worry!" Buck practically yelled. "That is not the point! The point is, they, they thought we were a family. And Maddie… Eddie, Maddie just sat there and laughed, and gave me this look. Like she knew something I didn't."
Eddie’s posture shifted. The confusion melted away, replaced by something much softer, much quieter. He took a step toward Buck, slipping his hands into his sweatpant pockets.
"She did, huh?" Eddie asked, his voice dropping a register.
Buck swallowed hard, his heart hammering against his ribs. "Eddie. Did you… did you talk to my sister?"
Eddie looked down at the floor for a second, a small, sheepish smile tugging at the corner of his mouth before he met Buck's eyes again. "I might have bumped into her at the grocery store the Tuesday before the bachelor auction. And I might have… asked her for some help, and some advice."
"Advice about what?" Buck whispered. The air in the living room suddenly felt very thin.
Eddie took another step, closing the distance between them until he was standing right in Buck's personal space. The scent of Eddie’s cedarwood body wash and laundry detergent was entirely distracting.
"About how to tell my completely oblivious best friend that I am in love with him," Eddie said simply, honestly, stripping away all the panic and leaving only the truth. "And that I have been for a long time."
Buck stopped breathing. He stared at Eddie, searching the brown eyes looking back at him for any sign of a joke. But there was only an overwhelming, grounding affection.
"You… you're not straight?" Buck managed to croak out.
Eddie let out a soft, huffing laugh, reaching out to gently wrap his hand around Buck's wrist, his thumb stroking the pulse point there. "Buck, I am definitely not straight. Maddie told me to talk to you, I was waiting for the right time."
"She knew," Buck breathed, the pieces falling into place. "My parents knew."
"Apparently, everyone knew," Eddie murmured, his gaze dropping to Buck's lips before flicking back up. "Except you."
"I was terrified," Buck confessed, the last of his walls crumbling. His voice cracked, the raw honesty spilling out. "I told them I couldn't say anything because it would ruin us. You and Chris… you are my whole world, Eddie. If I told you, and you didn't feel the same, I wouldn't survive that."
Eddie’s expression broke. He let go of Buck's wrist, instead moving his hands to cup Buck's face, his thumbs gently sweeping across Buck's cheekbones.
"I'm never pulling away, Evan," Eddie said fiercely, the promise vibrating in the quiet room. "You are my family. You have been my family for years. I just… want to be yours in every way that counts. If you will have me."
Buck didn't need to say a word. He surged forward, closing the final inch between them, and pressed his lips to Eddie's.
It wasn't hesitant or clumsy. It felt like coming home. Eddie immediately melted into the kiss, his arms wrapping tightly around Buck’s waist and pulling him flush against his chest. Buck tangled his hands in Eddie's hair, a soft, relieved sigh escaping him as Eddie kissed him back with a desperate, pent up energy that told Buck exactly how long he had been waiting to do this.
When they finally broke apart, both of them breathing a little heavier, resting their foreheads together, Eddie was grinning.
"So," Eddie whispered, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Does this mean your parents are paying for Chris's college?"
Buck let out a wet, genuine laugh, wrapping his arms around Eddie's shoulders and pulling him into a tight hug. "Yeah, and future kids too apparently."
Eddie smiled, "I do love the sound of that."