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Jee points at Eddie’s eye, “Did your mommy kiss you better?”
Eddie blinks down at her, adorably confused and fond, before turning to Buck with a furl in his brow.
“No,” Buck says helpfully as the front door opens, Maddie murmuring something to Chimney that he can’t hear. “Eddie’s mommy lives far away.”
Jee tilts her head, twisting around as Maddie enters the room with a big, tired smile. “Mommy?” She asks, pointing to Eddie with her entire arm like nobody will see him if she doesn’t. “Uncle Eddie—“ oh, why does that make Buck’s stomach twist like that? “—needs a kiss to make it better.”
Maddie’s eyebrows rise, and she looks past Buck to Eddie, the corners of her mouth curling upwards. “My kisses don’t work on Uncle Eddie,” she says, and if she thinks Buck misses the way she says it—Uncle Eddie—she’s sorely mistaken. He knows exactly what she’s doing.
And he realizes too late that that means he should probably be afraid.
Jee gasps, eyes going wide. “What?” She asks breathlessly. “Then how will his ouchies get better?”
Maddie hums thoughtfully—performatively—before her eyes slowly slide over to Buck. He starts to shake his head, unsure exactly what she’s about to do but deeply aware that he’s not going to like it. “I have heard,” she says, leaning into her like she has a secret, “That best friend kisses are just as good as mommy kisses.” She tosses her hair over her shoulder and looks at Chimney. “And almost as strong as daddy kisses, too.”
Jee gasps, following her attention to Chim.
Chim glances between the two of them and then over to Buck, quick. Buck widens his eyes purposefully, slowly shaking his head side to side in a don’t you dare motion. But Chim’s eyes slide back over to his wife and daughter and Maddie does that thing with her eyes and Buck watches in real time horror as Chim melts.
“Oh, yeah,” he says, quickly, smacking his gum and leaning into them. “Best friend kisses are super magical.”
Bucks putting itching powder in his turnouts first chance he gets.
Jee whips around. “Uncle Buck!”
Oh no.
Buck takes a step back, forcing a big smile. “Isn’t it bedtime?” He asks, nodding. “It’s been a—”
“You can give Uncle Eddie a best friend kiss to his ouchie to make it better!”
He loves his niece.
But she’s too damn smart.
Little Baby Nash wouldn’t do this to him. He’d be a helpful ear for Buck to vent about how hard it was getting that text from Harry, and the promise of taking Harry’s latrine duty for a month in exchange for which hospital and floor Eddie was on. He wouldn’t judge him or lure him into a trap. He’d probably even offer a cute little snore or two in consolation.
“Oh,” Buck laughs, shaking his head, brows furrowing as he desperately seeks out some kind of excuse for why he can’t kiss his straight best friend.
“That,” Maddie says, standing upright and grinning brightly as Buck turns to her. “Is such a great idea.”
Traitor, he thinks.
Her smile sharpens at the corner, and he knows she knows she’s won, because she turns to Eddie, narrowing her eyes almost imperceptibly. “Isn’t it, Uncle Eddie?”
Buck doesn’t look at him.
Can’t.
Just waits for the—
“I mean,” Eddie says, tone light and breezy. “It does hurt.” Buck whips around to look at him. Eddie’s attention is locked on Jee. “And there was so much loud noise tonight.” He shakes his head, like it’s a tragedy that can’t be helped, and Buck’s mind goes dangerously quiet as Jee turns to him expectantly.
“Uncle Buck.”
Her tone is disappointed and demanding. Like she expects him to already be jumping over the back of the couch in his desperation to get to Eddie to stop his pain. And he would. If they weren’t talking about Buck kissing him.
“Jee?” He says, lightly, hoping if he acts like his world isn’t upending itself in front of most of his most important people, she’ll just drop it.
No such luck.
His niece is stubborn.
She raises her eyebrows in a manner that is identical to her mother—the kind of well? I’m waiting that usually sets Buck to action—and crosses her arms. It’d be adorable if she weren’t, again, waiting for Buck to kiss his very straight best friend.
“How come you’re not kissing his ouch?”
Buck blinks.
Behind her, Maddie grins, tilting her head to the side. “Yeah,” she says. “How come you’re not kissing his ouch?”
And next to her, Chim clicks his tongue. “You have the power to help and you’re just letting him suffer.”
Traitors. All of them.
Emotional manipulators.
Enemy combatants.
Total and utter—
“Not very best friend behavior of you,” Eddie says.
Be—
Wait.
Buck whips around to look at him, the room tilting dangerously with how fast he moves, eyes wide where they land on Eddie—Eddie who’s watching him like he hasn’t just joined the Buckley-Han clan in asking Buck to kiss him.
Eddie gently taps the side of his black eye, raising an eyebrow. “Best friend magic, right?”
“You—“ Buck's voice cracks, and he clears his throat, “You want me to?”
“How else will it get better?”
Buck’s jaw might as well fall off its hinges.
Eddie stares at him. Patient. Like hes giving Buck’s mind time to buffer, to catch up to whatever the hell is happening, but he’s not sure that’s happening any time soon. Because Eddie’s straight and this is just about appeasing a toddler and not about the very not real feelings Buck is definitely not harboring for him.
If it were anyone else—this would feel like something.
Like a door cracking open.
But it’s not.
It’s just—
He just needs to kiss Eddie’s black eye. To appease his niece. And her meddling parents. And Eddie—Eddie’s going along with it because he doesn’t want to disappoint Jee while she’s staring up at them with those big, round eyes.
He forces himself to nod. “Right,” he says, his own voice sounding far off. “How else will it get better.”
Eddie nods. “Exactly.” He tilts his head to the side, away from Buck, as if putting the black eye on display.
Buck swallows. Looks at his niece, where she’s clutching her hands together under her chin excitedly, the prospect of best friend magic enough to get her bubbling with energy. He ignores his sister, knows exactly what he’s going to find on her face. Smugness. She thinks she’s going to jolt Buck into a feelings realization but jokes on her.
He can platonically kiss his best friends ouchie.
Because he’s not in love with him.
He sighs and moves around the couch towards Eddie. Eddie’s chin tips towards him, watching him make the short trek. It’s barely seven steps but it might as well feel like climbing Mt. Everest with the way Buck’s hearts slamming against his chest. It’s not because he’s in love with Eddie. He’s not. It’s just—well.
He’s never kissed him before.
In any capacity.
Held him while he cried. Held his hand in a hospital bed and all his secrets to his chest. Followed him into countless emergencies with no guarantee of making it out the other side. He’s hugged him more than anyone else in his life. Probably has a space carved out in his shoulder in the shape of Eddie’s hand from how frequently he places it there. Even shared a bed with him a few times.
But.
He takes the space in front of him and hesitantly reaches out to cup the side of Eddie’s face. Part of him expects Eddie to pull away, point, and laugh. But instead, his eyes flutter shut and he lets Buck direct him into position like it’s exactly where he wants to be. His skin is warm beneath Buck’s palm, and what’s left of the days cologne and aftershave coast over Buck’s senses.
If his knees buckle it’s because it’s been a long day.
Not because this is doing anything to him.
His free hand comes up to settle on the opposite side of Eddie’s throat, a careful base to hold the weight so his neck doesn’t hurt from the position.
And carefully—slowly and so carefully—Buck leans in and presses a gentle kiss to the very edge of the bruise where it’s blossomed on the rise of Eddie’s cheekbone. He holds his lips there for a moment, his breath hitching as his eyes flutter shut.
Distantly, he hears Jee cheer.
And Maddie say, “Well, it’s getting late. We should head home.”
When Buck pulls away and opens his eyes, they’re already gone.
He swallows, a heavy breath catching and then riding the wave of an inhale. Eddie’s eyes flutter up, and he starts to move—and Buck doesn’t know what compels him, doesn’t know why, but he moves to the top of the bruise, right where it disappears into Eddie’s eyebrow, and presses a second kiss there.
Holds his lips to it in a moment that feels as infinite and endless as it does fleeting.
A hand fists in the fabric of his shirt at his hip.
Buck pulls back just enough to look at him. To watch as Eddie’s eyes open, and those pretty brown eyes meet Buck’s.
“Did it help?” Buck asks, hoarse.
Eddie blinks up at him.
His mouth opens once, twice. And then his gaze flits over Buck’s shoulder, before flying back to Buck. His free hand comes up and settles on the side of Buck’s throat, hot and a little clammy. “No.”
Buck’s brows furrow.
“W—“
But whatever he was about to say disappears into the hot press of Eddie’s lips against his own.
He doesn’t move or think or breathe—doesn’t dare to. Did he do this? Did he—cross a line he swore to himself he wouldn’t? For a second it felt like Eddie kissed him, still does—Jesus, it still does—but that can’t be true. That can’t be true because—
He inhales sharply through his nose and yanks himself away. Panic curls tight like a viper in his gut.
What’d he do?
What the fuck did he just do?
“Buck.”
Buck shakes his head. “I’m so sorry,” he breathes, eyes burning beneath his eyelids. “I—I don’t know why—“ His fingers twitch and he realizes he’s still holding Eddie. Abruptly, he pulls his hands away and clenches them into fists at his sides.
God. He’s ruined everything.
“Open your eyes, Buck.”
He shakes his head again.
“Why are you sorry, then?”
“I kissed you.” He’d been doing so well. He’d rounded up every possible non-platonic feeling and buried it so deep he’d been convinced he’d never be able to reach it. Only it’s been clawing its way out, hasn’t it? This entire time. Making its way to the surface. Feelings he didn’t want, didn’t ask for, doesn’t need, determined to ruin his life.
Eddie huffs. The hand still hot on Buck’s cheek slips forward a bit, the tips of his fingers breaching Buck’s hairline, and the hand on Buck’s hip smooths out to lay flat on Buck’s waist.
“Are you taking credit for me making the first move?” Eddie asks, his thumb sweeping up and down against the fabric of Buck’s tank. He doesn’t sound angry, more like he’s pushing down laughter.
Buck opens his eyes.
Eddie’s watching him, one eyebrow quirked, like he finds this whole thing funny. His gaze dips, fast, to Buck’s lips and then back up, darting back and forth between Buck’s eyes.
“The—“ Buck cuts himself off, blinking rapidly.
“First move, yeah.”
“Um.”
Eddie’s brow furrows, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Buck’s eyes, Adam’s apple bobbing. “Unless,” he says, withdrawing his hands from Buck entirely. All that warmth goes with him as he takes a step away. “You aren’t interested.” He nods, like he’s connecting dots he hadn’t imagined needing connecting. His lips purse in that complicated way they do when he’s experiencing more feelings than he’s ready to admit to and couldn’t even if he wanted to.
“Interested?” Buck asks. “In—in what?”
Eddie takes a big breath and brings a hand up to his hair, winding his fingers through it and holding on like he needs grounding. “I didn’t think past that. I just assumed we were on the same page.”
“Wait,” Buck holds up a hand. “Just—w—what are we—what even is the page?”
Eddie’s hand slips out of his hair. “I kissed you, Buck,” he says on a deep sigh, tossing his hand out at his side. “I think it’s pretty clear what page I thought we were on.”
Buck shakes his head dumbly. “No,” he says, pointing. “No, I’m gonna need more words on the page to understand where I’m supposed to be right now.”
“You’re not supposed to be anywhere. I just. Thought you were there with me.” He sniffs, nodding. “That’s on me. It’s all good, man. Seriously.”
He can’t mean what it sounds like he means.
“Eddie,” Buck steps in towards him. He doesn’t need to look down to know his hands are shaking, can feel it all the way up to his ears. “What page did you think I was on?” He’s not sure he’s ever sounded so serious in his life, even as every atom in his body vibrates with—
Fuck, that’s hope.
If he’s wrong this is going to hurt.
Eddie’s eyebrows twitch together. “I kissed you.”
“No,” Buck says. “I kissed you.”
A frown unravels on Eddie’s lips and he steps in towards him. “You kissed my black eye,” he says, slowly. “But then I kissed you.”
“But you wouldn’t kiss me.”
Something undefinable passes over his face. And then he lets out this manic little sound that sounds like it’s half laughter half disbelieving scoff and spins away from Buck. “Oh my god,” he mutters under his breath. “I’m in love with an idiot.”
Buck stumbles back a step.
“You’re what?”
Eddie spins back around, pointing. “To be fair,” he says, nodding, “you called my black eye sexy. So. My confusion is entirely your fault. And your sisters. She insisted you feel the same.”
He can’t even process the Maddie of it all because—
“Can we go back to the in love with an idiot thing? Am I the idiot?”
“Who the hell else would be?”
Bucks mouth opens and closes uselessly a few times. “Well—I—I. A beautiful woman? A—Alex? I don’t know!”
Eddie frowns, shaking his head like Buck’s just said the most ridiculous thing he’s ever heard. “Alex? Why the hell would I be in love with Alex? I don’t even know her!”
“Well, you’ve been spending a lot of time with her! And, I—I thought you were straight!”
“You also thought you were straight!”
Well.
That’s. True.
He rears back, blinking. “So,” he says, nodding to himself. “You’re—you’re not straight and you’re in love with me.” Pauses, frowning. “And my sister told you I’m in love with you?”
“Why else do you think I asked her to bid on me tonight?”
Huh.
He stands up straight, hand dropping to his belt buckle. “You’re in love with me.”
“Jesus, yes, can we move past this now?”
“Do you want to date me?”
Eddie frowns. “What?”
“I mean. If—If you’re in love with me. It’d make sense. That you’d want to date me.”
He narrows his eyes like he’s thinking. “I guess,” He says, shrugging. “Probably?”
Buck nods, swallowing and taking a slow step in towards him. “And . . . kiss me?”
Eddie huffs, crossing his arms. “I think we already know that.”
Oh.
Something bubbling and bright settles in Buck’s chest. The corner of his mouth tugs upwards. “Is that all?” He asks, inching closer to him and ducking his head.
Eddie tilts his head, watching Buck move in, eyes dragging over the entire length of him before swinging back up to meet his eyes. “You coming on to me, bud?” He asks. There’s a quiet confidence in the statement, the kind that starts small until it overtakes the statement entirely. He stands up straighter and raises his eyebrows at Buck like he’s finally starting to understand.
“I . . . guess that depends.”
Eddie huffs, reaching up to scratch at his eyebrow. “Oh, yeah?” He asks, dropping his arm and waving the hand like an invitation. “On what?”
“If you think you can handle it.”
His eyebrows go high. “You think I can’t?” And then he leans in so he’s right in Buck’s space, so close he can feel him breathe out slowly. “Or are you worried you can’t?”
Buck scoffs. “I could take you,” He says, smirking.
“Don’t threaten me with a good time, Buckley.”
“What if it’s not a threat?” He swallows, eases back. “What—if it’s a promise? You saw my video tonight. I don’t want . . . things the way I used to. I want,” He inhales slowly and trails off, brows furrowing.
How does he explain it? He’s been circling the drain of forever for almost a decade now, and it’s not like—
“I know what you want,” Eddie murmurs. “Because it’s what I want.”
Oh.
“Yeah?”
“We’ve always been on the same page, man,” he says, reaching out and gently grabbing Buck’s shoulder—warm, solid, sturdy. “Might’ve been in different languages at times. But we were always headed to the same ending, I think. You’ve been my person since the day we met and I—”
“Have been the sun my entire revolves around?” Eddie’s gaze softens, and Buck dips his chin. “I do have a question, though.”
“Shoot.”
He glances back up, meeting Eddie’s eyes. “Which one of them did you bribe? Maddie? Or Jee?”
Eddie laughs, his free hand coming up to settle on Buck’s waist and drag them into each other. “Your niece is a willing accomplice,” He says, grinning.
Buck gasps.
Baby Nash would never betray him like this.
“Do you wanna keep talking or,” Eddie looks up at him from beneath his lashes, squeezing his waist. “You wanna get started on this whole rest of our lives thing?”
He pretends to think about it, before wrinkling his nose and ducking down for a kiss. Eddie exhales, like he’s perfectly content, and Buck freezes because he forgot something. The most important something.
He pulls back, just enough to look at him, and Eddie blinks up at him, frowning.
“I forgot to tell you I love you, too,” Buck whispers.
Eddie offers a breathy laugh, a quiet, “No, you didn’t,” as he shakes his head and pulls him back in for the kiss like he’s been waiting for it even longer than Buck has.