Work Text:
Dating your best friend is great. It’s fantastic. It’s the smartest thing Buck has ever done in his entire life. Except for when you lose your boyfriend and your best friend at the same time.
Everything is so much colder without Eddie around. He has to pile up five blankets just to go to sleep. He finds himself reaching for too many scoops of ingredients when he makes dinner, instinctually wanting to make three portions when all he really needs to make is one. He’s numb, he’s walking around the house that used to be theirs and expecting to see someone around the corner. But he never finds anyone. Because Eddie, the love of his life, has left him.
Sunday 4:32 PM
118 Family ❤️
Chimney: Family dinner at ours this week? How’s Tuesday at 6:30?
Karen: We’re in.
Buck: don’t know if i’m really up to it yet, sorry guys
Buck: everything feels empty
Hen: You have to stop this. He has only been in Texas for four days.
Maddie: You were there two days ago.
Ravi: he what
Buck: i can still feel him sometimes
Maddie: He flew to Texas like 12 hours into his 48 off and flew back in time for none of you to notice.
Buck: can you not??
At least Buck is able to enjoy sad music again. It’s been months and months of “Downtown” by Macklemore because that was the only song that could possibly match the feeling of absolute elation he’s had from being with Eddie.
It was supposed to just be for the long weekend. One excruciatingly long weekend where Eddie would celebrate his mother’s birthday and potentially drop the news of their relationship on his family and then run out the door. Then, he and Christopher were supposed to come home to Buck.
That’s what was supposed to happen, that is, until Eddie dropped the bomb only four hours after Buck arrived back in California after his spontaneous – and expensive – trip to Texas.
“I have bad news,” Eddie said over the phone after sending Buck an ominous call me, “Well– not bad really, but you’re not going to like it.”
“Okay, what’s up?” He should have known.
“My sister’s been doing some remodeling on her house, right, and apparently the contractor is a huge asshole and he left her with a completely unusable kitchen and living room,” Eddie explained, “So I think…”
He took a moment to sigh, like he knew he was about to ruin Buck’s life.
“I’m going to see about taking more time off work and staying here for a couple more weeks to help her fix things.”
Buck’s heart dropped to his stomach, but swelled at the same time, which was definitely a strange feeling. Because how could he not swoon a little at Eddie being a good brother? His loyalty is probably the hottest thing about him. But also, how was he supposed to live without Eddie? A weekend was already hard enough.
“Oh,” Buck said dumbly, “Well– I used to do construction, I could–”
Eddie cut him off like he’d already thought about the option. “Trust me, I wish. We can’t be down two men at the firehouse.”
“Right, no yeah that– that’s fair.” Buck huffed into the phone. “So this is it, then? You’re gonna leave me just like that?”
“Okay–” Eddie laughed, breathy and soft. “I’ll call you every day, I promise.”
Buck dropped himself onto their bed dramatically, staring up at the ceiling with his phone still pressed to his ear. “Just make sure he’s nice, okay? The man you find to replace me.”
“Oh, of course.”
“And when your kids find pictures of me one day, tell them my name.”
“I will if I remember it.”
He grinned despite himself and added a wistful lilt to his voice. “Maybe we’ll find each other again, lost lovers reconnecting when we’re old and gray, so much time lost between us.”
Eddie hummed and Buck could hear the smile behind it. “I love you. Every day, okay?”
“I love you too.”
Sunday 4:53 PM
Eddie (loss of my life ❤️🩹): Will you quit texting the groupchat like I’m dead
Buck my beautiful wife 💗💗🥰✨🧚♀️: day four without eddie, i dread the day i forget what his voice sounds like.
In reality, Buck is actually doing great. Sure, he’s sad that Eddie isn’t around and things at the firehouse always feel off when they’re missing a teammate, but weirdly enough something about Eddie being away for a somewhat indefinite amount of time has made him feel good.
He’s not worried about it at all. He’s not waiting to get that call, or the lack of a call. He’s not a glorified house sitter for someone who never planned to come back, because he’s sharing the house with his boyfriend and their kid who he trusts wholeheartedly. Who he knows without a doubt loves him and will come back. Who has so far kept his promise of calling every single day.
Multiple times a day. For hours. Sometimes Buck wonders how he’s getting any work done on his sister’s house.
He obviously acts like his life is ending for the first few days, because Buck is nothing if not predictable, but he doesn’t feel the need to do it for very long. He’s great. He’s healthy. He’s a new man.
He stares longingly at the spot in their bed that Eddie should be taking up every night when he goes to sleep and he cuddles Eddie’s pillow that still smells like his shampoo, but other than that he’s fine. And it’s great. Buck loves being fine. He loves being normal and regular and not spiraling about his relationship failing every time he so much as breathes. It’s a welcome new experience for him.
Monday 7:11 PM
Eddie (loss of my life ❤️🩹): Why you don’t answer
Buck my beautiful wife 💗💗🥰✨🧚♀️: shit sorry i went out with ravi
Buck my beautiful wife 💗💗🥰✨🧚♀️: i’ll call you in like an hour?
Eddie (loss of my life ❤️🩹): Oh.
Eddie (loss of my life ❤️🩹): Huh
“Are you feeling okay?” Maddie asks him, squinting as she watches Buck bounce Baby Nash in his lap.
She came over unannounced, which wasn’t necessarily unlike her, but it was becoming more and more unusual as they got older. She’s also been exhibiting a strange combination of confused disappointed and annoyed but also relieved, which Buck cannot quite understand no matter how many leading questions he asks her.
“Uh, yeah,” he responds, cocking his head at her in question, “Why? Do I not seem okay?”
“You do, that’s the problem.”
Buck stills at that and frowns at his sister. “Okay– rude?” He looks at Baby Nash like he might have the answers, but no, he’s just round.
“Sorry,” she shakes her head, “It’s just– Eddie has been gone for a week.”
One week, seven hours, twenty-three minutes, and four seconds, but details don’t matter.
“Yes, I know that.”
“But do you? Because–” Maddie scoots forward on the couch, elbows on her knees. “I was expecting you to show up at my door.”
Buck laughs. “I’m fine, Maddie.” He goes back to making faces at the baby, smiling when he giggles.
“Chimney said you haven’t been complaining at work either.”
“Why are you saying that like it’s a bad thing?” Buck asks. It makes no sense. When he acts crazy and obsessive about Eddie it’s weird and can you please stop, but when he’s normal about him it’s are you okay. “Shouldn’t you guys be happy?”
“It’s just not… you.” She slumps back against the couch. “What happened to crazy girlfriend Buck?”
He has half a mind to be offended by the nickname, but he has to admit it is fairly accurate. Or was.
“I’m secure girlfriend Buck now.”
Maddie seems to be at a loss for words, so Buck looks to Baby Nash instead, who is validating Buck with his smile. “That’s right, Uncle Buck is in a healthy, stable relationship.”
After a few long moments, Maddie nods and says, “Okay then.”
Tuesday 11:01 AM
Eddie (loss of my life ❤️🩹): Did you put my Ikea lion in my bag?
Eddie (loss of my life ❤️🩹): He’s going to be so sad without his Buck lion
Buck my beautiful wife 💗💗🥰✨🧚♀️: no that one is mine
Buck my beautiful wife 💗💗🥰✨🧚♀️: so he can keep you company :)
Buck my beautiful wife 💗💗🥰✨🧚♀️: and yours is here with me
Eddie (loss of my life ❤️🩹): I’m gonna cry
One week, three days, two hours, fifty-one minutes, and ten seconds since Eddie left for Texas, they get a call at the aquarium for a patient in some kind of respiratory distress.
The woman turns out to be fine, just overexcited, but they still have to do a thorough check, which means Buck and Ravi get to stare at the fish while Hen and Chimney do all the work.
“This one looks like you,” Ravi says for the fourth time, pointing at yet another fish with bulging eyes and weird looking fins. Then, he pulls his phone out of his pocket, sets the camera lens to 0.5, takes a close up picture of the fish, and sends it to the 118 group chat with the message, Buck.
Buck dislikes the message, but otherwise ignores him. He plants himself in front of a familiar tank and instead of listening to Ravi looking for another ugly fish, he thinks about the last time he was here.
“Look, that's us,” Buck said, pointing to two frogs sitting on top of each other.
Eddie leaned in to get a closer look, his hair loose and brushing against Buck’s arm. “Hmm,” he hummed, “Who is who?”
Buck bent down so that their heads were aligned, their temples knocked together. “You’re the smaller one, obviously.”
“What?” Eddie scoffed. He turned his head to look at Buck with a frown. “I’m big.”
Buck turned to him as well and the proximity of their faces made Eddie look like a disgruntled bug. “Nah. You’re definitely the smaller one.”
Eddie stood back up to his full height, turned his entire body towards Buck, and crossed his arms in a way that made it obvious he was flexing. Buck couldn’t help but grin at him.
“I’m the same size as you.”
Buck barked out a laugh at that before he could even think to contain it. “Baby,” he said in between breaths, “my love, no you are not.”
He was glad it was a slow day for the aquarium and Christopher had wandered ahead of them, because Eddie looked as if he was about to break up with Buck right then and there.
“I’m only–” He pouted even more, gaze growing stormier. “A few inches shorter than you.”
“Right.” Buck stepped closer to him, looked around to see if any other aquarium goers were watching. “Well.” He hooked a finger underneath Eddie’s chin and tilted his head up. “If I have to do this to kiss you.” Buck brushed a soft, short kiss against Eddie’s lips. Despite still trying to seem angry, Eddie went pliant and leaned into him. He let out a short, frustrated breath of air when Buck pulled away too soon. “You’re the smaller frog.”
“That’s so fucking annoying.” He didn’t deny it.
After that, Buck spent the next ten minutes of their walk through the aquarium pointing out every possible pairing of creatures and declaring the smaller one to be Eddie. Or, if they were the same size, “That’s us if you were bigger.”
It came to a head when they got to the tank Buck currently finds himself at.
“Oh, this is us for sure,” Buck said.
Eddie leaned in closer like he had every single time Buck said it despite knowing what he was going to find, and stilled. “Them?”
Buck nodded. In front of them were two seahorses. Two very pregnant seahorses.
“So,” Eddie started carefully, “I hate to ask, but… who is who?”
Buck took Eddie’s hand, laced their fingers together, and gestured towards the seahorses with them. “Well,” he said, “I’m the pregnant one. And you’re the other pregnant one.”
“We can’t both be pregnant.”
“Sure we can,” Buck argued, “We love each other so much that we–”
“Ew, no.” Eddie slapped his free hand across Buck’s mouth, silencing him. “Stop talking, there are children here.”
Buck just smiled, licked Eddie’s palm, and kissed him on the cheek when he pulled away in disgust.
Now, as Buck stares at the seahorses with background noise of Ravi going, “Is there a moray eel somewhere? Because that’s definitely you,” he starts to feel a little sad that he has to take a picture instead of just looking to the side and seeing Eddie next to him.
Friday 2:03 PM
Buck my beautiful wife 💗💗🥰✨🧚♀️: (Attachment: 1 image)
Buck my beautiful wife 💗💗🥰✨🧚♀️: i think we gave birth
My Eds <3: You’re joking
My Eds <3: I missed the birth of our children??
Buck my beautiful wife 💗💗🥰✨🧚♀️: i wish you could’ve been here :(
My Eds <3: I’m
My Eds <3: This is so
My Eds <3: ., I
Buck my beautiful wife 💗💗🥰✨🧚♀️: ??? you good?
My Eds <3: This is the worst day of my life
Buck my beautiful wife 💗💗🥰✨🧚♀️: omg
Buck knows his way around the aquarium like the back of his hand. Meaning that when they’re on their way out with an empty gurney, Buck nonchalantly points to the California moray as they pass the tank.
“Hey Rav, I think that’s you.”
Saturday 9:12 PM
Eddie Diass: I was gonna call you but looks like you’re in the engine
Eddie Diass: I think I’m gonna have to stay a little longer :/
Buck my beautiful wife 💗💗🥰✨🧚♀️: no why
Eddie Diass: Roof caved in
Buck my beautiful wife 💗💗🥰✨🧚♀️: now how did
Eddie Diass: Don’t ask questions
Buck my beautiful wife 💗💗🥰✨🧚♀️: man
Buck my beautiful wife 💗💗🥰✨🧚♀️: well, that’s okay can’t leave your sister with no roof
Buck my beautiful wife 💗💗🥰✨🧚♀️: i’ll call you when we get back?
Eddie Diass: Ok what the hell
Buck my beautiful wife 💗💗🥰✨🧚♀️: what?
Eddie Diass: Why aren’t you more upset
Eddie Diass: Do you even love me anymore
Buck my beautiful wife 💗💗🥰✨🧚♀️: oh… how the tables have turned
Christopher comes back the Sunday before his spring break ends only a little embarrassed from being walked around the airport with an attendant and a giant lanyard around his neck declaring him an unaccompanied minor. Buck makes sure to take a picture before he rips it off.
Eddie wasn’t exactly happy with sending him by himself, but he didn’t have much of a choice. When Buck said, “At least it’s better than him getting in an Uber by himself,” Eddie sighed and booked the ticket.
“I’m really tired from that plane ride,” Chris says, stretching his arms out in the seat of Buck’s truck, “I might be too tired to go to school tomorrow.”
Buck raises an eyebrow and glances at him with narrowed eyes for a brief moment before turning back towards the road.
“I’m going to fall asleep at my desk and then they’ll just send me home anyway,” Chris tries again.
“We’ll be home by noon,” Buck offers, trying and failing to contain the amused smile on his face, “You can take a nap.”
Christopher sighs and throws his head back against the headrest. “Don’t you have the day off tomorrow?”
“Yeah.” He’s planning on FaceTiming Eddie and obnoxiously critiquing his construction job while he finally gets around to doing his taxes – a task that is sure to take him all day given that he’ll most likely spend more time staring into his phone than he will into his W-2 form.
“So you don’t want to hang out with me?”
Buck thinks things are starting to sound very familiar with the Diazes.
“I would love to hang out with you,” Buck replies, already thinking about what they could do together, “After school.”
It was already fairly obvious, but Buck has to laugh when it’s made clear just how unimportant the matter actually is when Chris moves on to another subject without any fight. It’s moments like these, car rides and school plans, that really cement in Buck’s mind the fact that he has a family. And isn’t that something? A family – not just coworkers at a firehouse, but the real deal, with packed lunches and a shared space everyone comes home to – with people who love him unconditionally and who he loves back just the same.
“I think Dad’s mad at you,” Christopher tells him after a short, comfortable moment of silence.
“What?” Buck blurts, stealing another quick glance towards Chris to gauge his feelings about this revelation. “What makes you say that?”
Chris shrugs. “Every time he texts you he starts grumbling and frowning. It makes him look like an old turtle.”
Buck can see it clearly, Eddie’s brows creased together, his mouth downturned in an almost comical way. It’s easy to imagine it directed towards himself, to be fair.
He thinks about his recent texts, the huh’s and oh’s and do you even love me anymore’s and thinks he might know what Christopher is referring to.
“Has he said anything?”
Chris makes an unsure noise, then seems to think for a moment.
“I don’t think he likes Ravi anymore.”
Buck snorts as he finally eases into the driveway and puts the truck into park. He turns towards the kid, his kid, in the passenger seat and fully takes in his demeanor. If he was truly worried about it, Buck would be able to tell. Except Christopher seems perfectly content, like he has found the same sense of security that Buck has.
“Your dad isn’t mad at me,” Buck says anyway, “He just misses me.”
“Ugh,” Chris grumbles, “Well he’s really weird.”
“Hey!” Buck ruffles a hand through Christopher’s curls lightheartedly. “What’s wrong with that? I missed you so much.” He extends the o sound in so dramatically and plants a kiss to the top of his head as Christopher squirms.
“You’re both weird!” When he manages to break from Buck’s grasp and wrench the door open, he’s already booked it to the front door before Buck can even open his own door.
Before making his way inside, Buck texts Eddie the photo he took at the airport.
Sunday 12:10 PM
Buck my beautiful wife 💗💗🥰✨🧚♀️: (Attachment: 1 image)
Buck my beautiful wife 💗💗🥰✨🧚♀️: home safe :)
E💚: I love him so much I’m going to gouge out my eyeballs
Buck my beautiful wife 💗💗🥰✨🧚♀️: oh dear
Buck feels as though he’s been hit with a stroke of genius when he remembers that Eddie, chronic overpacker, brought a laptop with him on his “weekend” trip to El Paso.
He bribes Chris into helping him set things up, and by the time Eddie calls him again, he has a Minecraft server up and running for the two of them. Because he knows Eddie is enjoying spending time with his sister, but he also knows that he’s a little sad and a little lonely and probably somewhat suffocated sleeping in his old twin bed at his parents’ house. And he also knows that Eddie is a bit of a gamer.
“Chris doesn’t want to play?” Eddie asks as he logs on. Buck can tell he feels a little silly, but he’s secretly excited.
“Nah,” Buck answers, “He said our skill levels don’t align.” He does air quotes despite Eddie not being able to see them.
It takes exactly two minutes for Buck to die.
“No!” Eddie exclaims, his voice full of despair. “Don’t worry my love, I will avenge you.”
Buck, having immediately respawned, watches as Eddie chases after the zombie that killed Buck, aggressively types into his computer loud enough for Buck to hear his fingers hitting the keys through the phone speakers, switches to creative mode – which is something Buck didn’t even know they could do, Christopher must have messed with the settings – and begins to place blocks and blocks of TNT around the zombie.
“Eddie,” Buck says, knowing it’s futile, “Don’t do it.”
“This is for Buck, you bastard,” Eddie says darkly. Then, he lights the TNT.
It leaves a gaping hole in the ground and spans the length of Buck’s screen. He can almost see the self-satisfied smirk on Eddie’s character, looking down at what he’s created.
“Well I’m glad you didn’t overreact,” Buck says.
Buck sets to work building them a house while Eddie – now back in survival mode – collects materials for them. It’s mostly just a wooden shack, but he has visions for a future home with multiple rooms and gardens out front, this is just a placeholder.
He and Eddie chat aimlessly about work, Chris, their families, what they’ve been up to, and don’t say much to each other in regards to what they’re actually doing in the game. They just work side by side as Buck continues to expand their little shack and Eddie fills more and more chests with coal.
Except, every time Buck comes back from deforesting another part of the map, he can’t help but notice things shifting around. Namely, the beds.
See, they have two beds. They have to have two beds. And because the middle of the wall falls on an odd number, it needs to be three blocks wide for the beds to be symmetrical with the wall, and the beds need to be symmetrical with the wall.
So he’s put a nightstand, which is just another block of wood with a flower pot on top of it, in the middle of their beds. Except every time he comes back inside, the beds are off center and the nightstand is moved to the side.
“Why do you keep doing that?” Buck asks after the fourth time.
“Doing what?”
“Moving the beds.”
“Why do you keep doing that?” Eddie counters.
“Doing what?” Buck stares at the beds in confusion. Is it not obvious that it looks weird with them like this? The only option is for the nightstand to be in the middle of the two, that’s just how it works.
“Separating our beds.” Eddie’s character walks into the house and stands next to Buck’s. “Why won’t you push our beds together?”
“Because it’s not symmetrical.”
“But you– we– you don’t want to put your Minecraft bed next to my Minecraft bed?”
It’s not about want, Buck thinks. It’s about design. This is why Eddie has been in the mines and not building up here with Buck. “I mean, I would, but does it not look weird?”
“I don’t care if it looks weird!” Eddie cries. He almost sounds genuinely upset. “You have to put our beds together that’s just– it’s like– the law.”
“But–”
“Buck, it looks like we’re husband and wife in a sitcom who can’t sleep in the same bed because of censorship,” Eddie says deadpan, “Find a way to push our damn beds together, or so help me God.”
Their beds end up nicely tucked into the corner, nightstand on one side.
Monday 4:22 PM
Buck my beautiful wife 💗💗🥰✨🧚♀️: do u mind if we push back our call everyone is going out after shift
Pookiebear: No one will ever understand you
Buck my beautiful wife 💗💗🥰✨🧚♀️: huh???
Pookiebear: Like I do
Pookiebear: No one will ever understand you.
Buck my beautiful wife 💗💗🥰✨🧚♀️: so 8pm?
Pookiebear: Yah that works
“Can I ask you a question that may potentially kill the vibe?”
“Always,” Eddie responds, his gaze warm on Buck through the screen of their FaceTime.
“When are you planning on telling your parents about us?” Buck asks. It’s not that he is necessarily dying for Helena and Ramon Diaz to know about their relationship, he actually doesn’t give a rats ass what they think, but Eddie does.
They talked about it before he left. Eddie wants to tell them. He wants to share that with them. And Buck thinks it would be good for him, to not feel like it’s something he needs to hide or tiptoe around.
“I don’t know I–” Eddie sighs, looks down at the desk he’s sitting at in his old room and picks at the grooves in the wood. “I was going to, when I was just going to be here for the weekend. You know, I could do it and get out before it got scary.”
When Buck booked his spontaneous trip to Texas, he also booked a very dingy motel room so that Eddie’s parents wouldn’t get any ideas before he was ready.
“But now, I can’t find a good time.” Eddie looks back up into the camera. His eyes have gone glassy, and it makes Buck long to reach for him, to be there to hold him. “I just–”
“I know,” Buck says, despite not knowing what Eddie was going to say. But he does get it. He came out to his own parents in a very roundabout way at Maddie’s wedding – bringing Eddie as his date pretty much sealed that deal – but he comes out every day. They both do. To friends and family and strangers. It never gets less scary.
“What if they love me less?”
He whispers it so carefully. It strikes Buck right in the heart.
It sits in the air between them for a moment as Buck gathers his own thoughts, considers the best way to say what he wants to say.
“They’re your parents,” he says simply, “Nothing you do is supposed to make them love you less.”
Eddie nods, a bit defeatedly. “Right, you’re right I–”
“Except you and I both know that’s bullshit,” Buck continues, “Your parents are supposed to love you unconditionally, but sometimes they don’t.”
Eddie sits back and frowns at him, searching for the message Buck is trying to convey.
“I don’t know how they’re going to react. I know they’re not going to pull out a bunch of rainbow flags and have a party, but they love you Eddie. In an overbearing, sometimes offensive way, yeah, but I do think they care about you and they want you to be happy.”
“Yeah,” he agrees softly.
“But if, for some reason, it does go badly,” Buck says carefully, “You have enough love in the state of California to last you lifetimes. And you can say screw them and hire a new contractor for your sister and come back here because I miss you.”
“I miss you so much,” Eddie says, the tension easing away from his shoulders. Buck can see that he’s blinked the tears away, a small smile coming back to his beautiful face.
He wishes he was there so badly. Or that Eddie was here. He just wishes they were together, physically, so that he could wrap his boyfriend in his arms and never let him go, kiss him senseless, embarrass Christopher with how clingy they are, get threatened with write ups at work from turning one man jobs into two.
They’re secure, Buck doesn’t get to spiral over the distance, which means that he just gets to feel the emptiness, the longing. The urge to go absolutely insane with how much he misses Eddie’s touch. But if he had to choose, he still likes this option better.
Tuesday 11:47 PM
Lover 💚: I can’t take this anymore
Lover 💚: Come be with me righ tnow
Buck my beautiful wife 💗💗🥰✨🧚♀️: i would love to, but work
Lover 💚: Idgaf about them anymore. Let them find a replacement
Lover 💚: If you love me you will quit your job
Buck my beautiful wife 💗💗🥰✨🧚♀️: i love you and respectfully i am not doing that
Lover 💚: Please I need to crawl inside your skin
Buck my beautiful wife 💗💗🥰✨🧚♀️: bro
“I told them,” Eddie says as his greeting when Buck picks up the phone. He can’t decipher his tone, other than the relieved way he says it like he’s admitting a long held secret, which he kind of is.
“How did it go?” Buck ducks into a storage closet, ignoring the looks he gets from his teammates who saw him and the eyebrow wiggling from Hen. He needs to be completely locked in for this conversation and he doesn’t want anyone else listening.
“Good,” Eddie breathes. Buck deflates, a smile immediately forming across his cheeks. “I think. I mean, they were… awkward about it, but they were, you know, supportive. Sort of.”
“What does sort of mean?”
As much as Buck wants to revel in the good news, he still has to fight Eddie’s urge to minimize his own hurt. Sort of could mean too many different things.
“They just said, like,” he lets out an airy laugh, “I didn’t expect that and are you sure, but– but when I said yes they just accepted it.”
Buck can imagine the look on Eddie’s face when he said yes I’m sure, the stony expression that shows he really means it, the tone of his voice that stops anyone from doubting him. No one could ever look at that Eddie Diaz and not believe that he’s putting one hundred percent of himself into whatever it is he’s saying.
“That’s great.” Buck grins. “That’s so great, Eds, I’m so happy for you.”
“I’m almost done here, I swear. Only a few more days and the house should be livable again and I’m going to come home and we are never getting out of bed ever again.”
“Ever?”
“No.” Buck imagines Eddie shaking his head for emphasis. “Never ever. We’ll rot away, but at least I’ll have you all to myself.”
“You know, something about Texas has made you real possessive,” Buck teases, “You’re really giving me a run for my money.”
“Well apparently you’re perfectly fine with me being here, so someone has to do it.”
“Aw baby, it’s just because I know you’re coming back to me.” Buck leans against a storage shelf. “I have sufficiently marked my territory.”
Eddie hums, then says, “I haven’t. I’m not letting you out of my sight for the next ten– no, twenty years.”
“Promise?”
“You have no idea.”
Thursday 7:53 AM
Buck my beautiful wife 💗💗🥰✨🧚♀️: so theoretically if i have a few days off
Buck my beautiful wife 💗💗🥰✨🧚♀️: i can come help finish up the house
Buck my beautiful wife 💗💗🥰✨🧚♀️: and also give u a big giant hug and kiss you 1 (one) million times
My love: Yes
My love: Please do that please please
Buck my beautiful wife 💗💗🥰✨🧚♀️: it wouldn’t be too soon with your parents?
My love: I literally do not care get on a plane
Buck my beautiful wife 💗💗🥰✨🧚♀️: also not to play devil’s advocate but is this smart for my bank account
My love: Please refer to my above message.
Buck only feels a little scared when Helena Diaz opens her front door. He doesn’t know if Eddie told her he was coming, and she doesn’t convey any type of normal emotion that would answer that question, but she lets him inside.
He barely gets past an initial greeting before Eddie is rushing around the corner and throwing himself into Buck.
He winds his arms around Buck’s neck, holding him tightly and burying his face into Buck’s shoulder. Buck wraps him up and pulls him impossibly closer, breathing him in. Something settles in his chest, something he didn’t even know was there.
Buck opens his eyes and meets the gaze of Eddie’s mother. He’s afraid he’s going to find disapproval, or concern, but all he sees is a woman watching her son be loved. She offers Buck a small smile, then says, “Dinner at six thirty, okay?”
Buck nods at her. Eddie doesn’t respond. He pulls away from Buck just enough to find themselves face to face. For the first time in too long. Two weeks. Almost two weeks. Way too long.
“Hi,” Eddie says.
“Hi,” Buck replies. He wants to kiss him so badly, but he won’t do it in the middle of the entryway even if his parents are fine with their relationship. “Want to show me little Eddie’s bedroom?”
“Absolutely.” Eddie grabs his hand and drags him down the hall and into a room filled with shelves of keepsakes and books and posters on the walls.
“Wow.” Buck spins around, takes it all in. “They kept everything?”
“I think it was meant for Christopher,” Eddie explains, “Like he’s gonna come live here one day.”
Buck has to roll his eyes at that. “Whatever,” he scoffs.
Eddie grins and pulls him in by the belt loops, pressing Buck against him again. “Yeah, whatever,” he says on his way to Buck’s mouth. Eddie kisses him like he’s been starving for it. And a little bit like he’s trying to prove a point to the posters in the bedroom.
“Think your bed can fit two big strong firefighters?” Buck asks in between kisses.
“We are not having sex in my parents’ house,” Eddie grumbles, immediately contradicting himself with a bite to Buck’s bottom lip.
“Oh, so my sister’s wedding is fine, but this is where you draw the line?”
Eddie pulls back to look at him with a straight face. “Yes.”
“Ugh,” Buck groans, “That’s so boring.”
“Mmm.” Eddie wraps an arm around Buck’s neck and pulls him back in. “Sorry.”
Dinner with the Diazes is surprisingly pleasant. They ask Buck questions about himself like they would any other partner. They do get, as Eddie put it, awkward sometimes, but it’s nothing Buck isn’t used to.
He is glad he was right. Misguided and selfish as they are, Eddie’s parents do still care about him in their own strange way. And Eddie’s the most relaxed around them that Buck has ever seen.
Unfortunately, good things never last. Despite Buck’s bragging about working construction, even he can’t seem to fix this godawful job in time to get Eddie on a plane home with him in time for their next shift. Which leaves Buck, alone in a cramped middle seat, contemplating up and moving to Texas and living the rest of his life in Eddie’s twin bed.
Friday 3:47 PM
Buck my beautiful wife 💗💗🥰✨🧚♀️: you’re going to miss the firefighter auction
Crazy girlfriend eddie: Oh no, that’s so sad.
Buck my beautiful wife 💗💗🥰✨🧚♀️: the firefighter auction that chim signed me up for
Crazy girlfriend eddie: Are you fr
Crazy girlfriend eddie: You best be joking
Buck my beautiful wife 💗💗🥰✨🧚♀️: i’ll send you a video of the buckflip
Crazy girlfriend eddie: I am going to send a bomb threat to your location
Crazy girlfriend eddie: I am going to personally execute anyone who bids on you
Crazy girlfriend eddie: And I mean that
Buck my beautiful wife 💗💗🥰✨🧚♀️: i wouldn’t have it any other way
It’s hard to see any of the faces of the people in the crowd from the bright stage lights, but Buck can pinpoint where the rest of the 118 and their families are sitting, so he focuses on them.
He doesn’t care, obviously, about who bids on him like he would have years ago. He’ll take them out to coffee or something, make it friendly and casual. He really should’ve backed out of the auction all together, but a lack of Buck would equal a huge chunk of donations lost. It’s for the orphans – and to get Eddie all worked up.
“We have five thousand over here! Five thousand!”
He flexes a little at just the right angle.
“Six thousand five hundred!”
He can see the shadows of his friends and family shaking their heads in exasperation.
“Oh, it looks like we have a mystery bidder!”
And– what? Buck turns towards the auctioneer in confusion to find him in conversation with a staff member who has a phone to her ear.
“Seven thousand from the mystery bidder!”
It’s a little too strange for Buck’s liking. He already feels like he’s being dishonest participating in this while in a relationship. He starts to consider backing out, getting off stage and telling everyone nevermind, keep your money. Except, it’s charity. And it’s so much money.
Someone in the crowd bids seven thousand five hundred. Someone else goes for seven six. The staff member with a phone still at her ear gestures for the auctioneer.
“Our mystery bidder says eight thousand and two. Folks, do we have any other offers?”
The crowd stays silent. It goes once, twice, then Buck is sold to a person who wouldn’t make themselves known.
At the end of the show, everyone else meets up with their bidders while Buck can only think to just retreat back into the dressing room and change into normal clothes. He tries to call Eddie, but he doesn’t pick up.
“What are you doing in here?” Maddie asks, barging her way into the room. “Put this on.”
She shoves one of his nicer jackets into his hands before he can get even a single word out.
“Um, what are you doing?” Buck asks nervously. She grabs him by the elbow and begins to pull him through the banquet hall.
“Taking you to your bidder,” she explains casually, “You owe them a date.”
Somehow she’s managed to get him all the way into the parking lot in what feels like the blink of an eye, except now he plants his feet. “Woah, Maddie, no, I’ll just take them for coffee tomorrow morning or something, I’m not going on a date.”
“Eight thousand dollars, Buck.” Maddie jabs a finger into his sternum. He waits for her to say something else, anything, but she just pushes him towards her car.
Reluctantly, he gets in, only because he’s slightly terrified of her at the moment.
“I know it was a lot, but I’m with Eddie,” he tries to reason, “There’s no amount of money that could buy me from him.”
“Eight thousand,” she mutters under her breath. It’s hard to tell if she’s even hearing him at this point. “And two!”
She parks outside a restaurant – one of Buck and Eddie’s favorites, ironically – with outside seating going back into an alleyway dimly lit with lanterns and covered in greenery. Buck has always thought it was beautiful. Now, though, it’s vaguely terrifying. It’s also completely empty, void of any diners.
“Am I about to be murdered?” He asks.
Maddie turns and looks at him. Her face has lost the scary determination he saw in it earlier, and now it’s only fondness and excitement. It’s trustworthy, she always is. “Just go.”
He goes, and he understands the moment he steps into the little courtyard and finds Eddie. He’s dressed the same as Buck, not too fancy, but nice. He stands in the middle of the space like he’s been waiting there forever.
“You’re here,” Buck breathes, pulling him close.
“I’m here,” Eddie agrees, brushing a hand against Buck’s waist.
“You’re the mystery bidder?” Buck cocks his head, squinting at him amusedly.
Eddie laughs a little and squeezes Buck tighter. “I told you I had to mark my territory.”
“Sure, but I would have expected you to get on stage and declare it yourself,” Buck says, “Not really marking your territory if no one knows it’s you.”
Eddie hums and steps back from Buck. “Well.” He sticks a hand in his pocket and gets that look on his face, stony and sure, and Buck’s breath hitches. “I was kind of busy.”
Then, Eddie sinks onto one knee and pulls out a box. “Evan Buckley. Buck.”
Buck can see his future right here in front of him. He’s already had it. Packed lunches and school schedules and two cars in the driveway.
“I love you. I love you so much it makes me crazy, and I can’t stand not having you in every single way that matters.”
His best friend. His first and only. No one has ever come close.
“Will you marry me?”
Buck laughs, wet with tears. “Yes.”
He pulls Eddie back up, grabs him by the neck and kisses him fiercely. Pushes every ounce of love he has into it. There’s no sudden burst of cheering, or fireworks, or music. It’s just them and that sweet feeling of good and correct that Buck has been holding onto. It’s locked into place when Eddie slides the ring onto his finger.
Saturday 11:08 PM
FIANCÉ: Where did you go
FIANCÉ: Come back to bed
FIANCÉ: Where my Buck where where where
Buck my beautiful wife 💗💗🥰✨🧚♀️: GETTING SNACKS
“What are you doing?” Buck complains when the light of Eddie’s phone screen blinds him in the quiet darkness of their bedroom.
“I’m fixing something.”
Buck squints at it. It takes a second for his eyes to adjust.
“You’re changing it?” Buck pouts. “You’ve never changed it.”
“No, look.” Eddie tilts the screen towards him.
Buck gasps. “You demoted me.”
“It’s more accurate now!”
Sunday 8:14 AM
FIANCÉ: Where are you NOW
FIANCÉ: You are supposed to never leave my sight
FIANCÉ: Twenty years I said, even more now, I didn’t put a ring on it for nothing
Buck my beautiful fiancé 💗💗🥰✨🧚♀️: come to the kitchen
Buck my beautiful fiancé 💗💗🥰✨🧚♀️: i have made so many spreadsheets
FIANCÉ: Do you love excel more than me
Buck my beautiful fiancé 💗💗🥰✨🧚♀️: NO OF COURSE NOT
FIANCÉ: I better hear you running in five… four…