Archive of Our Own

Eddie held up two different shirts. “Okay Christopher. Which one?”

Chris sat on Eddie’s bed. He tapped his chin with his finger, his eyes flicking between the dark green button down and the cream quarter zip.

“Hmm,” he hummed. “They’re both nice.”

Eddie smiled softly. “Yeah?”

“Mhm. I like them both.”

“If you were going to wear one, which one would you pick?”

“I don’t know.”

“Okay,” Eddie nodded. “Maybe I should pick another one?”

“Well, which one would your friend like better?”

Eddie stilled. He…really didn’t know. There was so much he still didn’t know about Buck, like his favorite color or the way he took his coffee or if he preferred a quarter zip to a button down.

“That is a wonderful question, Christopher, that I do not know the answer to yet.”

“He didn’t tell you the other night?”

“You know, buddy, it didn’t exactly come up,” Eddie chuckled, laying the shirts on the bed.

“You didn’t talk about your favorite shirts?”

“There were so many other things to talk about.”

Chris’s face scrunched, his features pulling tight. “What else did you talk about? I show my friends my favorite shirts when I go to school.”

Eddie laughed. “Do you think I should show Buck my favorite shirts?”

Chris nodded. “Yes, dad. You should also tell him what your favorite dinosaurs are and what your favorite cartoon is.”

Eddie looked at his son, a wave of warmth spreading through him. He was obsessed with this little boy, his son, the light of his life. Even on his worst days, Christopher made everything worth it.

“That is great advice, Christopher. I’ll make sure Buck and I have a very thorough conversation about dinosaurs and cartoons tonight.”

“Can you tell him that my favorite cartoon is Scooby-Doo?”

“I absolutely will, mijo.”

“And tell him that my favorite dinosaur is a brachiosaurus? But sometimes my favorite is a velociraptor?”

“You got it, bud. Now, help me pick a shirt.”

*

Wearing the dark green button down, Eddie packed Chris into the truck along with his overnight bag and school things, and drove over to Pepa’s.

She met them at the front door. “Hola, Eddito! Christopher!”

“Hi Pepa!” Christopher called. He started towards the porch, his crutches clacking along the concrete driveway.

Eddie followed behind him with the bags in his hand. “Hola, Tia,” he said. “How are you?”

“Fine, fine,” she said, putting her hands out to steady Chris as he climbed the steps up to the porch. “How are my boys?”

“Dad’s going out with his new friend tonight,” Chris announced.

“That’s what I hear,” Pepa said, shooting Eddie a sly smirk. “That just means I get extra time with you, sweet boy.”

“Can we have ice cream?” Chris asked.

“What a silly question,” Pepa teased. “Of course we can have ice cream.”

Eddie shook his head, smiling at Pepa. “He’s got you wrapped around his finger, Tia.”

Pepa waved him off. “No different than when you were his age.”

Eddie followed her into the house, setting Chris’s bags in the guest room. Chris immediately went for the book shelf where Pepa kept a stash of coloring books and crayons.

He made his way to the kitchen. A fresh pot of coffee had just finished brewing. Dishes sat drying on the counter. Pepa stood at the fridge, pulling a carton of milk out.

“Coffee at this hour?” Eddie asked. “I’d be up all night if I drank any caffeine this late.”

“Decaf, Eddito. It’s only decaf,” Pepa said. She poured a mugful, splashing some milk in it. “Do you have time for a cup?”

Eddie looked at his watch. It was nearing six-thirty. When he’d put Buck’s address in the navigation earlier, it showed a twenty minute drive from Pepa’s house, but that was without traffic. It’d probably take longer than that.

“Not tonight,” he said. “I should probably get going, actually.”

“Right, right. Don’t want to be late for your first date with your friend.” Pepa wiggled her eyebrows, a smug look on her face.

Eddie’s face went warm, but he smiled. “He’s pretty incredible, Tia.”

Pepa eyed him for a long moment. “You’ve met once, yes?”

Eddie nodded.

“And you already look like a man deeply in love.” Pepa tutted, shaking her head. “Dios mio, Eddito.”

“Wha–Pepa! I’m not in love with him!”

“Ah, I can see it in your eyes, Eddie. They’ve got that sparkle in them.”

“My eyes are not sparkling. I’m a grown man, my eyes do not sparkle.”

Pepa hummed. “Okay. Whatever you say.” She wrapped her hands around her coffee mug and set her elbows on the counter. “Well, sparkly eyes or not, I’m happy for you, Eddito.” She smiled softly.

Eddie smiled right back. “Thanks, Tia. I’ll stop by in the morning to get Chris to school, okay?”

“I’ll have him ready to go. You go have fun.”

They made their way into the living room. Chris was sitting on the floor, coloring a page on the coffee table.

“Okay, Christopher, you be good for Pepa, alright?” Eddie knelt beside him, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. “No later than eight-thirty for bedtime.”

“Okay, dad.” Chris set his crayon down and lifted the coloring page. “Can you give this to your friend? Tell him Chris colored it for him.”

Eddie grabbed the paper from him. It was a picture of a firefighter standing next to a firetruck. Chris had drawn an arrow pointing at the firefighter and wrote my dad next to it.

His heart melted, every part of him turning warm and gooey.

“That’s really sweet, Christopher,” Eddie murmured, squeezing Chris’s shoulder. “He’s going to love it.”

“I hope so!” Chris exclaimed, a bright smile across his face.

“Okay, I’ll be back in the morning to get you to school. Sleep well, mijo.” He pressed a kiss to the boy’s curls. “I love you.”

“Love you too, dad.”

With one last goodbye to Pepa, Eddie went back out to the truck and punched Buck’s address into the navigation. He pulled out into the street.

Eddie thought he’d be more nervous about seeing Buck again, but he wasn’t. He was excited. The dinner party at Chimney’s house the other night had been a whirlwind, a completely unexpected evening of trying not to embarrass himself in front of Buck. The connection he’d made with him was almost like the one he’d made with Shannon back in high school, but somehow, it felt deeper with Buck.

Even after only meeting him once, Eddie knew that Buck was something special. The kind of person that only comes along once in a lifetime, if you were lucky.

Turning into the parking lot in front of Buck’s building, Eddie pulled into a spot and killed the engine. He grabbed his phone and opened the text thread with Buck, double-checking his apartment number. He also grabbed the small bouquet of flowers he’d picked up at the grocery store on a whim.

Eddie walked into the building and took the elevator up to Buck’s floor. His heart was pounding, but not because he was anxious. It was more so anticipation. What was Buck going to be wearing, what kind of smile would Eddie get when he opened the door, would he kiss him now or make him wait until later…

He stopped in front of apartment 417, taking a deep breath before knocking three times.

The door swung open almost immediately.

Eddie’s breath caught at the sight that greeted him. 

Buck stood in front of him wearing a pastel blue sweater that matched the blues of his eyes perfectly. His curls fell across his forehead in near perfect waves. Eddie wanted to run his fingers through them. The khaki slacks he wore fit just right, like they were specially made for him.

“Hi,” Buck said softly, a little breathy.

Eddie blinked, coming back to himself. “Hi." He grinned and held up the flowers. “These are for you.”

Buck’s entire body softened, like he was melting. “You got me flowers?”

Eddie nodded. “I wasn’t sure what your favorites were, so I hope these are okay.”

Buck grabbed them, pulling them close to his chest. “These are perfect. Nobody’s ever…gotten me flowers before. Thank you, Eddie.”

Eddie had to kiss him. He just couldn’t resist.

He leaned forward, intending to press a kiss to Buck’s lips, but at the last second, Buck turned his head. The kiss landed on his cheek.

Eddie faltered. “Uh, I’m s-sorry.” He swallowed hard, suddenly unsure. “I shouldn’t have assumed you—"

Buck shook his head. He grabbed Eddie’s wrist and pulled him over the threshold into his apartment, shutting the door behind them.

“No, no. Eddie, it’s okay. I just…” Buck trailed off, waving his hand around in a meaningless gesture. “I want to kiss you. I really, really do. But if I kiss you now, we’ll never make it to dinner.”

“We won’t make it to dinner?” Eddie echoed.

“Yeah. So we can’t kiss before our first date.”

“But you kissed me the other night. That was before our first date.”

“And I really liked it, Eddie. But that wasn’t technically a date.”

Eddie furrowed his brow. “Well, I—I guess not.”

“What I’m trying to say is, I want to do things right.”

“Are you…superstitious, Buck?” Eddie asked. He quirked an eyebrow, along with the corner of his mouth.

Buck’s face flushed, but he laughed. “I’m a little superstitious, okay? Sue me.” He turned and walked into the kitchen, setting the flowers on the island counter. “I just…I want to do things right with you. I don’t want to rush.”

Eddie smiled at Buck, soft and gentle. “Me too. I like you too much to rush it.”

“Oh my god,” Buck breathed. “Again with the flustering.”

“Am I going to ruin the date if I flirt with you too?”

Buck gripped the edge of the island, his knuckles turning white. “N-no. Please flirt with me. I encourage you to flirt with me. All the time, everywhere. Whenever you want.”

Eddie bit down on his lip, suppressing a grin. He wandered over to Buck and set his hand on top of his.

“You look really nice,” he whispered, leaning gently into Buck’s side. He pressed a cheek against Buck’s shoulder and looked up at him through his lashes.

“Oh my god. Stop,” Buck whispered back. “I take it back. You can’t flirt with me anytime. Oh my god.”

Eddie laughed. “But you’re so cute when you lose the ability to function.”

Buck let out a sharp exhale. “I gotta put those flowers in water. They need—yeah, water. Flowers need water.”

He pulled his hand out from under Eddie’s and turned to the cupboard behind them, grabbing a vase from inside it.

Eddie laughed again, turning around and leaning against the counter behind him. His eyes traced the length of Buck’s body, lingering on the long line of his shoulders. The way his sweater settled across them.

When Buck turned back around, he looked more composed. His cheeks were still rosy, which delighted Eddie, but he seemed a little more steady.

“These flowers are beautiful,” he said quietly. He set the vase on the counter and unwrapped the cellophane around them. The bouquet was full of white baby’s breath, pink tulips, and eucalyptus leaves.

“Yeah?” Eddie asked softly, suddenly feeling shy.

Buck nodded, smiling at Eddie. “I love tulips,” he said. He cut the stem of one and set it in the vase. “I always wanted to grow my own tulips.”

“You should,” Eddie murmured. “We can grow some together.”

“Together?”

“Yeah. We can get a planter box or something. Put it on your balcony. Watch them grow.”

“Are you always this romantic or is it a secret setting you turn on before dates?” Buck asked. He put another flower in the vase.

“I…I don’t know?” Eddie said, his eyebrows twitching. His face grew warm. “I didn’t realize I was being romantic.”

Buck rolled his eyes. “I didn’t realize I was being romantic,” he mocked. “Okay, Eddie. You are not real. I don’t think you’re real.”

“I’m real! I’m very real!” Eddie defended himself.

“Nuh uh,” Buck argued back. “You’re a robot that is programmed to say the most romantic things without realizing it.”

“I don’t like robots.” Eddie cringed. “They freak me out.”

“Well, you freak me out!”

“I freak you out?”

“Of course you do!” Buck put the last of the flowers in the vase and turned to face him. “You’re hot. Romantic. You got me flowers. How could you not freak me out?”

“So, it’s a good kind of ‘freak you out’?”

“It’s the best kind of freaking me out.”

“For the record, I think you’re hot, too.”

Buck let out a breathless laugh. “You’re ridiculous.”

A smile grew on Eddie’s face. “Chris tells me the same thing. Oh! Speaking of him.” Eddie pulled the folded up coloring sheet from his front pocket. “This is from Christopher. He wanted you to have it.”

Buck grabbed the paper from Eddie and unfolded it. The look of awe that crossed his face could’ve kept Eddie alive and well for the rest of his life.

“Oh, wow. He made this for me?” Buck looked up, his eyes sparkling.

“He did.”

“This is the sweetest thing ever,” Buck cooed. “I’m going to put it on my fridge.” He turned towards the fridge, held the paper up to it, and put a magnet over it. “Please tell him I said thank you and that I love it.”

“I will.” Eddie smiled at him. “Should we get going? I’ve got dinner and dessert planned.”

“Oh, dinner and dessert? You must really like me if you’re taking me out for dinner and dessert.”

“Mm, maybe a little.”

“A little?” Buck pouted.

Eddie gave him a cheeky smile. “Okay. Maybe more than a little.”

Buck grinned. He reached out and wrapped a hand around Eddie’s bicep, squeezing it gently. He leaned in close, getting right next to Eddie’s ear, before whispering, “you look incredible, by the way. Dark green is your color.”

And then he stepped back, let his hand drop off of Eddie’s arm, and made his way to the door.

Eddie’s heart skipped a beat. The sound of Buck’s voice whispering in his ear was…it was something that should never be allowed to happen in front of the public eye. It felt borderline illegal. 

“You coming?” Buck called from behind him. “I was promised dinner and dessert.”

Eddie blinked. He turned to face Buck, who was smirking.

“You did that on purpose,” Eddie accused, walking over to him. He reached out and grabbed Buck’s hand, linking their fingers together.

Buck faked innocence, his eyebrows raising. “Did what on purpose?”

“Oh, you know. You know what you did.”

“Well, I can’t let you have all the fun now, can I?” Buck opened the door, gesturing for Eddie to step through. “I like when you get all frozen because of me.”

“I do not freeze, Buck.”

“You don’t?”

“Nope.”

Buck shut the door behind him, sticking his keys in his pocket. They started walking down the hallway. “Then what was that in the kitchen?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“When I got real close to you,” Buck leaned down, leaving only a couple of inches between them, “and whispered in your ear, like this.”

Eddie’s face turned hot. “Not ringing a bell.”

Buck chuckled, low and breathy, right in his ear. “You’re so hot.”

Eddie bit back a grin. “Shut up.”

Buck hit the button for the elevator. “Make me.”

Holy sh—Jesus. That should not be turning him on. He should not be turned on by this.

The elevator dinged, the doors sliding open. Buck pulled him into it, hitting the button for the lobby.

“Eddie, you good?” Buck asked.

When Eddie looked at him, he was smirking again.

He cleared his throat. “Yeah. Yup. I’m all good.”

“You’re red,” Buck said, pointing to Eddie’s face. “Did I make you blush, Edmundo?”

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” Eddie asked.

“Maybe a little. Okay, maybe a lot.”

“You’re sick, you know that?”

“Well, if I’m sick for liking making you all hot and bothered, I don’t ever want to be cured. I hope it’s terminal.”

Eddie laughed. “You’re such a dork, oh my god.”

Buck preened, a self-satisfied grin crossing his face. “Yeah, I get that a lot.”

Eddie leaned against him, resting his head on his shoulder. “You can be my dork, okay?”

Buck sighed, a content little breath. “Yeah. I’d be okay with that.”

The rest of the elevator ride was quiet. Eddie listened to the sound of Buck’s breathing, stroking his thumb across Buck’s knuckles.

The doors slid open with a ding. Eddie led the way out, tugging Buck alongside him. He held the lobby door open for him and walked over to his truck.

Buck whistled. “Wow, fancy ride,” he commented.

“Only the finest of steeds for you,” Eddie teased, remembering what Buck had said the other night.

Buck gasped. “Hey! That’s my line!”

Eddie put his hand on the passenger door handle and opened it. He bowed, like Buck had the other night, and put on an exaggerated accent.

“Your chariot, good sir.”

Buck giggled, bright and unrestrained. Eddie wanted to inject the sound into his veins.

“You sure know how to make a man swoon,” Buck teased, climbing into the truck. “Are you going to buckle me in too?”

“If you want me too. I’m all inclusive, baby.”

Buck’s breath caught. Eddie froze.

“I–I didn’t mean…that just slipped–”

“Eddie,” Buck rasped, like he was struggling to breathe. “It’s okay. I…just maybe save the name calling for later? I don’t want to embarrass myself in public.”

Eddie took a deep breath, a breathless laugh slipping out. “You didn’t mind?”

“You think I mind that the insanely hot man just called me baby? Not even a little.”

“I’m sorry, I really didn’t even mean to.”

“Eddie, sweetheart, I’m so okay with it.”

Eddie’s jaw dropped. “Sweetheart?”

Buck smirked. “Two can play at this game.”

Eddie smirked right back. “Oh. Well, if that’s how it’s going to be. Game on.” He shut the door and rounded the front of the truck, climbing into the driver's seat. He started the engine.

“So, where is this chariot taking me?” Buck asked. He was sitting on an angle in his seat, turned towards Eddie.

“Hm, I think it’d be more fun to surprise you,” Eddie said, backing out of the parking spot.

“What if I don’t like surprises?”

“Who doesn’t like surprises?”

“Some people don’t like surprises, Eddie.”

“You don’t strike me as the type of person to hate surprises.”

“Okay, you got me. I do like surprises.”

“I knew it,” Eddie teased. “Guess you’ll just have to wait and see where we’re going.” He turned onto the street.

“I don’t care where we end up, to be honest. I’m just happy to be with you.” Buck reached over and grabbed Eddie’s hand. He squeezed it once. “I’ve already had a great time tonight.”

Eddie softened, his entire body relaxing under the warmth of Buck’s words. “Me too. You’re really nice to be around.”

Buck squeezed his hand again, stroking his thumb across the back of it. “So, where’s Chris tonight?”

“He’s with my Tia Pepa,” Eddie answered. He flicked his blinker on, turning at the intersection.

“Your aunt?”

Eddie nodded.

“Do you have a lot of family here?”

“No. Just my Abuela and my Tia. The rest of them are back in El Paso.”

Buck hummed. “Are you close with them?”

“Yes and no? If that makes sense.”

“It does, yeah,” Buck said. “I’m in the same boat with mine.”

“Do you have a big family?”

“No. Both of my parents are the only children in their families.”

“Oh, wow. I can’t imagine not having any cousins to grow up with.”

“You have a big extended family then?”

Eddie nodded. “I do. Lots of tias, tios, and cousins.”

“Any siblings?”

“Two sisters. Adriana and Sophia.”

“Older or younger?”

“Younger. I’m the oldest, then it’s Sophia, and then Adriana.”

“Hm. It’s the opposite for me. I’m the baby of my family.”

“You’re the baby, baby?” Eddie teased. He glanced over at Buck, grinning.

Buck laughed. “Real cute.”

“Thanks. I thought it was pretty clever.” They rolled to a stop at a red light. He looked at Buck. “Is it just you and Maddie?”

Buck took a deep breath. He wouldn’t meet Eddie’s eye. “It is now. We, uh. We had a brother. Daniel.”

“Had?”

“Yeah. Had. Daniel, he…uh, he died.”

“Oh. Buck,” Eddie breathed. “I’m so sorry.”

Buck shook his head and shrugged. “I was young. Barely even two years old.”

“That doesn’t mean it hurts any less, Evan.”

At the sound of his real name, Buck’s head snapped over to Eddie.

“You still lost a brother, whether you were two or thirty-two,” Eddie continued. “I can’t imagine what that feels like and I’m really sorry that you know.”

Buck was quiet for a long moment. He tightened his grip on Eddie’s hand. “Thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me,” Eddie said softly, squeezing his hand back.

Buck cleared his throat. “Tell me about your sisters. What are they like?”

The light turned green. Eddie started driving again.

“Well, Sophia is married with two kids. A boy and a girl.”

“You’re an uncle?”

Eddie grinned. “I’m an uncle. Besides being Chris’s dad, it’s the best title in the world.”

“I can’t wait to be an uncle,” Buck agreed. “Or I should say ‘funcle’.”

“You definitely seem like ‘funcle’ material,” Eddie laughed.

“Yes, thank you for noticing my fun uncle vibes. Most people don’t, but dare I say, it’s the most important vibe I give off.”

“Oh, for sure. If you didn’t have ‘funcle’ vibes, I’m not sure we’d be on this date right now.”

Buck gasped. “You only want me for my ‘funcle’ vibes? Wow. I didn’t know you were so shallow, Eddie Diaz.”

Eddie laughed, bright and unrestrained. “Game over. I’ve been caught. My shallowness has finally caught up to me.”

“Just drop me off here.” Buck pointed to the bus stop they were driving past. “I’ll find my way back home. I can’t be with someone who only wants my ‘funcle’ vibes.”

“Hey, no. You’re not getting away that easily,” Eddie said. “I like everything about you. Not just your ‘funcle’ vibes.”

Buck let out a deep sigh. “Oh, thank god. I really didn’t want to have to take the bus home tonight.”

“You’re such a dork.”

“Your dork, if you remember correctly.”

Eddie glanced over at him, the corners of his mouth turning up. “Yeah. How could I forget?”

Turning his blinker on again, Eddie turned into a parking lot lined with food trucks. He found a spot and parked, killing the engine.

“Surprise,” he said quietly.

He suddenly felt self-conscious. What if Buck didn’t like food trucks? What if he thought they were tacky or lazy? What if he was disappointed because he expected a nice, candlelit dinner and not a glorified food court date?

“Oh, this is amazing!”

Eddie whipped his head over to Buck. He was looking out the window at all of the different food trucks and picnic tables and people milling about, his eyes twinkling.

“Yeah?”

He turned to Eddie. “Yeah. Good choice. I’ve been meaning to get out here!”

Buck approved. Eddie felt like he’d just won the lottery.

“Well, perfect. There’s a taco truck.” Eddie pointed to one across the plaza. “Taste of Mexico. Chris and I are frequent fliers there.”

“Oh, we will definitely be going to that one then. Oh! I also see an Asian cuisine truck over there. I have to try an egg roll.”

Eddie grinned. “We can try one of everything. Whatever you want.”

“Well, if that’s the case, we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us. We better get moving.”

They both opened their doors, climbing out of the truck. Eddie rounded the front of the truck, meeting Buck by the passenger door and reaching for his hand once again.

They strolled into the plaza. String lights hung across the seating area, creating a nice ambiance to the quiet evening. There were a few families and groups of teenagers sitting at the picnic tables. Music played from a speaker somewhere, a soft instrumental song floating through the air.

“I don’t even know where to start,” Buck murmured. “It smells fantastic. I don’t even know what it is, but it smells fantastic.”

Eddie chuckled. “Do you want to try the tacos first? The birria tacos are insane.”

“Oh, absolutely. I love birria tacos.”

I love you.

The thought popped into his head without warning.

Whoa. Whoa whoa whoa.

Eddie shook his head, like the thought was water in his ear that he could shake out.

He’d only met Buck two days ago. Two days. There was no way he loved Buck already? He felt like he could love Buck, easily, but it couldn’t possibly be real yet, right?

“Eddie?”

Eddie blinked. He looked at Buck. “Yeah?”

“You okay? You sort of spaced out for a minute.”

He cleared his throat and dragged a hand through his hair. “Yeah. All good. Sorry.”

“Hey, no worries,” Buck reassured. “I space out all the time. It’s one of my favorite pastimes.”

“Really?” Eddie laughed.

“Sure. I just sit on my couch and let my mind wander. Then I come back to myself and realize that an hour has passed.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s called dissociation.”

“Well, whatever it’s called, it’s nice to give my brain a break every now and then. My fourth-graders really make me think hard sometimes.”

“Ah, yes. Those tough hitting fourth grade questions.”

“Hey, I’ll have you know that the other day, one of my students asked me if butterflies remember being a caterpillar. I had to think about that one for a long time.”

Eddie laughed again. “And what did you tell them?”

“I told them I’d look into it and get back with them. I’m terrified to go back to work tomorrow because I did not look into it and I know they didn’t forget. It’s going to be the first thing they ask me.”

“Why didn’t you look into it?” Eddie asked. “I mean, I’m sure there’s probably not a lot out there on this topic, but you seem like the type of person to keep looking until you find something.”

Buck chuckled. “Usually I am. But I, uh, I was pretty distracted this weekend. I only had one thing on my mind and it was not butterfly memories.”

They stopped at the end of the line for the taco truck.

“And what was that?” Eddie asked. He stroked his thumb across Buck’s knuckles.

Buck looked down at their hands, where they fit together like puzzle pieces. Then he looked up through his lashes, his blue eyes almost electric. Warmth settled low in Eddie’s stomach.

“I think you know what was on my mind all weekend,” Buck said, his voice low and gravelly.

Eddie let out a sharp breath.

We’re in public we’re in public don’t jump his bones right here we’re in public.

He blinked a few times, finding Buck’s eyes again. “Yeah. Probably the same thing that’s been on my mind all weekend.”

“Next!”

Both of them jumped. The line in front of them had disappeared. The woman standing at the register did not look impressed.

“When did that happen?” Buck asked, scrunching his eyebrows together.

Eddie snorted. “There we go again, getting distracted by each other.”

“This is going to be a problem, Eddie. You can’t keep doing this to me.”

“Hey, you’re not the only one going through it right now.” Eddie pulled Buck up to the order window. “Hi.”

“What can I get you?” the woman asked.

He turned to Buck. “Do you know what you want?”

Buck gave him a once over, dragging his eyes down the length of his body and back up again. “Yeah, I do.”

Eddie’s face went hot. “Oh my god.” He turned back to the woman. “Can we just get two orders of the birria tacos? And a side of chips and guac, please? Oh, and two strawberry agua frescas.”

The woman told him the total. Eddie reached for his wallet at the same time Buck did.

“Hey, no,” Eddie chastised. “This is on me.”

“No, let me pay, Eddie.”

“Nope! Remember, I'm taking you out, okay?” He handed his card to the woman and smiled smugly at Buck. “This is all on me tonight.”

Buck softened, his shoulders slouching. “Are you sure?”

“I’ve never been more sure of anything before, Buck.”

“Well okay, then. Next time, it’s my treat.”

Eddie grinned. Next time.

“You got yourself a deal, Mr. Buckley.” Eddie held his free hand out, waiting for Buck to shake it.

“Do not call me Mr. Buckley,” Buck cringed, shaking his hand. “My students call me Mr. Buckley.”

Eddie barked out a laugh. “Okay, noted. I won’t do it again.”

The woman handed Eddie his card back. “We’ll bring it out when it’s ready.”

“Okay, thank you.” He led Buck over to a picnic table at the edge of the plaza. It was a little quieter over there. A soft, warm breeze blew through the air, rustling the leaves on the trees near the courtyard. The sound of traffic was distant.

Eddie sat at the table. Buck moved to sit on the other bench, across from Eddie, but he tightened his grip on his hand.

“Sit by me.” He patted the spot next to him.

“Oh, yeah. Okay.” Buck slid onto the bench, not even leaving an inch between them. The warmth of his body seeped into Eddie, making him shiver pleasantly.

“So you said you come here with Chris?” Buck asked.

Eddie nodded, a soft grin on his face. “Yeah. At least once a month. He loves the boba truck.”

“Kid has good taste,” Buck complimented. “Boba is fantastic.”

“We can get some,” Eddie offered. “The strawberry jasmine tea boba is amazing.”

“I’m going to have to do so much cardio before work tomorrow,” Buck groaned with pleasure, “after eating all of this food.”

Eddie’s mind flashed to an image of Buck wearing tight running clothes. The way his calf muscles would flex. The sweat dripping down his face to his neck and collarbone…

He cleared his throat. “Uh, speaking of Chris.”

Buck looked expectantly at him.

“He wants you to know that his favorite dinosaur is a brachiosaurus. But sometimes it’s a velociraptor.”

“Oh, wow. That is a fantastic choice for a favorite dinosaur. Both of them.”

Eddie felt a wave of warmth wash over him, slow and easy, like the tide coming in.

“He wants to know what your favorite dinosaur is.”

“Oh!” Buck pushed his knee into Eddie, the move almost unconscious. “Oh my god, if I’d known there was going to be a pop quiz, I would’ve studied.”

“This isn't a pop quiz, Buck. There’s no right or wrong answer here.”

“Yes, there is, Eddie. Kids are ruthless. If you pick the wrong dinosaur for your favorite, they’ll never let you live it down.”

“Are you speaking from experience?”

“Not dinosaurs, specifically. I spent an entire week getting roasted by my class last year because my favorite color is red. Apparently red is lame.”

Eddie let out a laugh. “You got roasted by fourth graders because your favorite color is red?”

Buck nodded. “I did. Just last week, I saw two of them in the hallway and they asked me if my favorite color was still the lame one. They called me Mr. Lame-o.”

Eddie tried to hold his laughter back, but he couldn’t. It was just so ridiculous, so Buck, that he dropped his head to the table, his eyes clenched shut. His shoulders shook.

“Eddie! It’s not funny!” Buck argued, but he was laughing too. “I don’t want my students to think I’m lame! How can a color even be lame?”

They both laughed until they couldn’t breathe. Eddie picked his head up off the table and looked at Buck.

“Oh my god, you’re crying.” Buck pointed at him.

“Good tears, Buck,” Eddie reassured. “I haven’t laughed until I cried in so long.”

Buck reached over and brushed his thumb against Eddie’s cheek, swiping it underneath his eye and wiping the tears away.

Eddie’s breath caught. His eyes dropped to Buck’s mouth.

God, Eddie wanted to kiss him.

But he remembered what Buck said about not rushing, about doing things right. So, instead of kissing his mouth, he grabbed Buck’s hand and brought it up to his lips. He pressed a gentle kiss to his knuckles.

“Thanks for the laugh,” he said quietly.

“Glad I could be of service,” Buck whispered.

I want to hear all about your teaching. It sounds like an adventure.”

“Oh, it is.” Buck’s cheeks turned pink. “I just love my students so much. Even when they call me Mr. Lame-o.”

“Do you want kids of your own someday?”

Buck nodded. “I do. I’ve always dreamed of having a big family of my own because I never had one. It was always just Maddie and me.”

“You’re not close with your parents?”

Shaking his head, Buck sighed. “Not really. After Daniel, they kind of…lost themselves in their grief. They still are, if I’m being honest.”

Eddie hummed. He pressed his knee against Buck’s.

“Maddie pretty much raised me,” Buck continued. “She’s eight years older than me, so she remembers Daniel, but when our mom kind of…disappeared, I guess, she put her grief aside to take care of me.”

“Maddie sounds like an incredibly strong person.”

“She is. The strongest person I know.”

“She must’ve been pretty thrilled when you decided to move out here.”

“Oh, she definitely was. She’s the one who convinced me to.”

“I really like her. She’s good at keeping Chimney in line.”

Buck laughed. “That she is. God knows that Chimney needs someone like Maddie to keep him out of trouble.”

From across the courtyard, Eddie could see the woman from the taco truck walking over with a tray of food. She got to their table and set it down.

“Birria tacos, chips and guac, and two agua frescas,” she said as she took the food off of the trays. “Enjoy your meal.”

“Thank you,” Buck and Eddie both said at the same time. The woman nodded and walked back over to the food truck.

“Oh wow,” Buck breathed, staring at the food. “This looks incredible.”

Eddie nodded, a grin on his face. “Right? It is.” He dipped one of his tacos in the consomé and held it up. “Try a bite.”

Buck’s face flushed bright red. “Oh. Uh.” He leaned forward and bit into the taco Eddie was holding. His face went slack with delight. “Oh my god.”

“Right?” Eddie said again. Without even thinking about it, he took a bite from the same taco. “So good.”

“Jesus Christ, Eddie," Buck choked out. "You’re insane.”

Eddie furrowed his brow. “What? Why?”

“You just fed me a bite of taco and then ate off of the same one!” Buck whisper-yelled. “Do you even realize how hot that is?!”

Eddie snorted. “I didn’t even think about it.”

“Oh, of course you didn’t. You’re just hot and oblivious all the time.”

“Can’t help it, Buck. If you got it, flaunt it.”

“That’s the thing! You don’t even realize you’re flaunting it!”

“Would you just eat your food before it gets cold?” Eddie teased. “Forget about me and my obliviousness for a few minutes to eat.”

“You mean you want me to feed myself now? You gave me a bite of taco and now I’m just supposed to use my own hands?”

Both of them froze. The connotation of his words were not lost on either of them.

Buck cleared his throat. “You know what? I’m going to stop being dramatic for a few minutes to eat my tacos before they get cold.”

“That is a great plan, Buck. Excellent.”

For a few moments, they were both quiet. Buck complimented the guacamole and how fresh it tasted. The agua fresca was light and refreshing. Within minutes, they’d cleaned up all the food in front of them.

“Hm. I feel like we waited longer for our food to get here than it actually took us to eat it,” Buck said, staring at the empty food trays in front of them.

“Good things never last,” Eddie said.

Buck turned to him. His eyes flickered with uncertainty. “Some good things can last.”

Eddie realized what he’d said. “Oh. Yeah, some good things can last.” He put his hand over Buck’s wrist. “I hope this good thing lasts.”

Buck smiled at him. A soft, slow grin that went right to his eyes and lit them up. His eyes flicked to Eddie’s lips before darting back up.

“Me too.” He leaned in close, putting his mouth next to Eddie’s ear. “Now, I believe I was promised dessert.”

Eddie shivered. Buck laughed.

“Pull a stunt like that again, you get no dessert.”

“Oh, c’mon, Eds! Be a good sport.”

Eddie stilled. “Eds?”

Buck scrunched his eyebrows together. “I…don’t know where that came from.”

Grinning, Eddie bumped his shoulder into Buck’s. “Well, I like it, so don’t stop.”

“Your wish is my command.” Buck mock saluted.

“My dork,” Eddie said dreamily, drawing it out for dramatic effect. “Let’s go get dessert.”

They cleaned up their garbage, throwing everything away.

“Did you want boba?” Eddie asked. He pointed to the boba truck just past where they’d thrown their garbage away.

“Only if you let me buy.”

“This is my treat, Buck. Let me treat you for the night. If you want boba, you get boba.”

“Are you always this stubborn?”

Smirking, Eddie shrugged. “Stick around and find out.”

Buck stuck his hand out. “Deal.”

Eddie grabbed and shook it before threading their fingers again. “Alright. Let’s get boba.”

With a strawberry jasmine tea boba for Buck and a vanilla matcha boba for Eddie, they made their way back to the truck.

“Okay, I have to see your reaction to the strawberry boba,” Eddie said excitedly, turning in his seat. “It’s seriously one of the best things I’ve ever tasted.”

“Oh man, pressure’s on.” Buck stabbed the straw through the plastic lid and took a sip. His eyes went wide. “Whoa.”

“I know!” Eddie exclaimed.

“This is fantastic!”

“I know!” Eddie repeated. He put the straw in his own drink and sipped it. “The matcha boba is really good too.” He offered the drink to Buck. “Wanna try it?”

Nodding, Buck took it from him and held out his own towards Eddie. They sipped from each other's drinks.

“Mmm,” Buck groaned. “I think I like the matcha better.”

“Really?”

“Mhm. It’s so fresh.”

“Wanna trade?”

“For real?”

“Yeah. You like the matcha better and I like the strawberry one better, so it just makes sense.”

“You’re so generous, Eds.”

“It’s really nothing. I trade with Christopher all the time.”

Buck softened. “You’re a really good dad. He’s really lucky to have you.”

Eddie's face turned warm. His chest tightened. He’d been told by his own parents that he was going to drag his son down with him. More than once. Hearing Buck say that Chris was lucky because of him gave him the urge to cry.

“Thank you, Buck. That—that means a lot to me.”

The corners of Buck’s mouth turned up. “I mean it.”

Eddie blinked rapidly, trying to stave off tears. “Dammit, Buck, you’re not supposed to make me cry on our first date.”

“I’m sorry! I don’t want you to cry, but I’m not taking it back either.”

He let out a watery laugh. “Nobody’s ever said that to me before.”

Buck's expression turned sad. “Then they must all be blind to not see it. I’ve only known you for a couple of days and it’s the brightest thing about you.”

Eddie turned his face away from Buck as his eyes turned wet. He took a shaky inhale.

“Hey, no. No hiding from me,” Buck murmured. He reached a hand up and brushed it against the back of Eddie’s neck, his fingers tangling in the short hair on his nape.

Eddie chuckled, wiping his face. He turned back to Buck. “Sorry. This is so lame. Crying on our date.”

Buck shot him a gentle smile. “There he is.” His thumb stroked the back of Eddie’s neck. “You’re not lame for caring about being a good dad, Eddie. Not even a little.”

Eddie stared at him for a long moment. There was no discomfort, no awkwardness, no pity on his face. Just that soft little grin that crinkled the corners of his eyes and made his cheeks look squishy.

He’d never met anyone like Buck before. He’d never felt this strongly this quickly about another person.

His eyes flicked to Buck’s mouth before going back up to his eyes. “I really wanna kiss you right now,” Eddie whispered.

Buck curled his fingers tighter around his neck. His eyes dropped to Eddie’s lips. “Then kiss me.”

It wasn’t heated or desperate. There was no hunger. It was a simple kiss, something so gentle and soft that had Eddie sighing into Buck’s mouth. He tasted of matcha boba and strawberry agua fresca and something so uniquely Buck.

Eddie hadn’t felt this warm, this cared for, this safe in a very long time. Maybe not since he was a little boy sleeping over at his Abuela’s house, where she let him keep a night light on when his father never would.

Buck pushed his forehead to Eddie’s when they broke apart. “I’m kind of obsessed with you, Edmundo Diaz,” he whispered.

Eddie let out a breathless laugh. “Oh thank god. I’m kind of obsessed with you too, Evan Buckley.”

“Mutual obsession,” he whispered, stealing another kiss. “Kinda hot.”

“Very hot,” Eddie agreed. He left another lingering kiss on Buck’s lips before leaning back in his seat. “Okay. Enough distractions. Enough emotions. It’s time for dessert.”

“Mm,” Buck hummed. “I just had mine.” He touched his lips with his fingers, dragging his index along his bottom one. “Very sweet.”

“Oh my god. You’re going to kill me,” Eddie groaned as he started the truck. “And honestly? I think I’m okay with that.”

A smirk crossed Buck’s face. “I like you like this. All flustered.”

“Yeah, yeah. So you’ve said.”

Buck laughed. “Okay, so where is dessert going to be?” He took a sip of his boba.

“I thought you liked surprises?” Eddie reversed out of the parking spot and eased back onto the street.

“So that’s how it’s going to be, huh? Fine. Next time, I plan the date and it’s all surprises for you.” Buck crossed his arms over his chest in mock defiance.

“What if I don’t like surprises?”

“Well, too bad.”

Eddie pouted, jutting his bottom lip out. “Buck.”

Buck looked at him for a long moment before he dropped his arms. “Fine. Okay. You win.”

Putting on his biggest, brightest grin, Eddie looked at Buck as they rolled to a stop at the red light. “Thanks, baby.”

Buck’s jaw dropped slightly. “I’m never going to win an argument with you, am I?”

“Only if I let you!”

“There’s that stubbornness again!”

Eddie smirked. “And don’t you forget it.”

“Okay, not to change the subject, but I’ve finally figured out my favorite dinosaur, so you can tell Christopher.”

Eddie snorted. “And when exactly did you figure that out?”

“My brain never stops, Eddie.”

“You told me earlier that you space out for an hour sometimes.”

“That’s different.”

“How is that different?”

“Because that’s when I’m home by myself after a long day at work and sitting on my couch. I’m not on my couch right now.”

Eddie started driving as the light turned green. “You know what? Fair enough. So, your favorite dinosaur?”

“Aegyptosaurus.”

“Aegypto what?”

“Sort of like a brachiosaurus, but smaller.”

“Hm. Interesting.”

“I also like the mussaurus. In case Chris won’t take aegyptosaurus for an answer.”

Eddie snorted. “I think Chris would accept your first answer with no problem.”

“Well, it never hurts to have a backup. Just in case.”

“Valid,” Eddie conceded. “He also wanted to know what your favorite cartoon is.”

“Oh, that’s easy. Yogi Bear,” he said quickly. “And that is the only correct answer.”

“Chris’ is Scooby-Doo.”

“Okay, so there are two correct answers, apparently. And Yogi Bear is the second correct answer.”

Eddie glanced at Buck, biting back a grin. “Buck, you don’t have to agree on everything with Chris.”

“I do. I have to make a good first impression before the actual first impression. It’s very important.”

Wow. Okay. Buck actually cared about meeting his son.

Okay. Okay. Don’t panic. This is…this is okay. This is just new. Just Buck.

Eddie grabbed his boba and lifted it to his mouth, taking a sip. “Yeah, well. He does pretty much run the house, so. A good first impression is important.”

Buck snorted. “See? And that’s why Scooby-Doo is the best cartoon. And Yogi Bear is the second best cartoon.”

“In all fairness, he didn’t say the best cartoon. He said your favorite cartoon.”

Buck waved his hand. “Details.”

Eddie flicked his blinker on and took the next right.

“Hey, tell me more about your sisters. We never really finished that conversation.”

“Oh, yeah.” Eddie reached over and set his hand on Buck’s knee, stroking his thumb back and forth. “Sophia. She’s the middle child. I told you she’s married with two kids. She works as a registered nurse in pediatrics.”

“That’s amazing,” Buck said thoughtfully. “Maddie used to be an RN too.”

Eddie hummed. “I didn’t know that.”

Buck shook his head. “It was a long time ago. A story for a different time.”

“Okay. So, Adriana. The baby of the family.” He smiled softly. “We were best friends growing up. Pretty much inseparable. Soph liked to stay inside and read or help Mom with whatever she was doing. But Adri followed me everywhere. I loved it."

“That’s really sweet,” Buck mused. “Are you guys still close?”

Eddie pulled up alongside the curb, putting the truck in park. He dropped his hands off the wheel.

“We lost touch. After Chris and I moved out here,” Eddie admitted, speaking quietly. Then, he forced a grin on his face, changing the subject quicker than he meant too. “But, we can talk about that some other time. We have arrived at dessert.”

Buck looked at him for a long moment, like he was going to push about Adriana, but he must’ve seen something on Eddie’s face that made it obvious he didn’t want to talk about it right now. He nodded and looked out the window instead. “Ice cream?”

“Ice cream,” Eddie confirmed.

He sighed dreamily. “You know the way to my heart.”

They got out of the truck. Eddie reached for Buck’s hand, tangling their fingers together once again. Buck held the door open for him, a bell above it ringing out and announcing their arrival.

“This is one of Chris’s favorite spots,” Eddie murmured as they stood in line. He could feel Buck’s thumb stroking back and forth over his knuckles.

“I really like that you’ve taken me to spots that you go with Christopher. It feels really…like you actually care about me.”

Eddie furrowed his brows. “Buck, of course I care about you.”

“No, I know,” Buck insisted. “I guess it just feels special that these are Christopher’s places too.”

Eddie softened, his entire body going pliant. “I’m glad that me having a son didn’t scare you away. After the divorce from Shannon, I tried dating a few times, but everyone always got a little weird when they found out I had a son.”

“Eds, I love kids. I’m a teacher. It’s literally my whole thing.”

For a long moment, Eddie just stared at Buck. He was perusing the menu of different ice cream flavors on the wall, acting so normal, like he hadn’t been upending Eddie’s entire world since they met a couple of days ago.

“I think I’m going to get–oh, hey. You okay?” Buck was looking at Eddie now. “Was it something I said?”

Eddie blinked and realized his eyes had grown wet with tears for the second time that night. He let out a breathless laugh.

“Yeah, it was something you said,” Eddie confirmed. “A good something.”

Buck sighed. “Oh, good. I say a lot of things without realizing. I’m glad this one was good.”

Eddie tightened his grip on Buck’s hand. “What’re you getting?”

Buck’s eyes lit up. “Double fudge brownie sundae.”

“I should’ve known,” Eddie teased, “that you’d get the sweetest thing on the menu.”

“What’re you getting?”

“My usual. Butter pecan.”

“Boring.”

Eddie scoffed. “Excuse me?”

“That’s what grandmas like to order, Eddie! Are you a grandma?”

“I’m twenty-six, Buck. Not eighty.”

“Are you sure about that, grandma?”

“Oh my god.” Eddie laughed. “Well, if I order like a grandma, you order like a child.”

“You know what? I’m okay with that. That means I still have the whimsy of a child in my heart.”

God. Eddie is so incredibly fond of this man already.

“So does that mean I have the whimsy of a grandma in mine?”

“Probably.”

“I resent that.”

Buck shrugged nonchalantly. “Hey, I don’t make the rules. I think I’m more surprised you’re not getting something sweeter than butter pecan.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because at Maddie’s dinner party the other night, Chimney mentioned you have a sweet tooth.”

Eddie remembered Chimney saying that. He accused Eddie of being a biased voter at the end of dinner when he voted for Maddie’s cheesecake (even though he thought Buck’s macarons were better).

“Okay, busted. I do have a sweet tooth. But butter pecan is more of a…nostalgic thing for me. My Abuela always had it in the freezer when I was a kid.”

“Okay, first of all, that’s really sweet. Second of all, ha! I told you it’s a grandma flavor!” Buck smiled at him like the cat that ate the canary.

“I—yeah,” Eddie admitted. “I guess I kinda walked myself into that one.”

Buck was looking way too smug about this, but Eddie didn’t care. “Do I get a prize?”

Eddie snorted. “Yeah. You get an ice cream cone.”

Buck pouted, his bottom lip jutted out. “I was going to get an ice cream cone anyway.”

Eddie dropped Buck’s hand and wrapped his arm around his waist. He brushed his cheek against Buck’s shoulder and looked up at him through his lashes.

“Maybe I’ll give you a little kiss goodnight when I drop you off then,” he whispered, delighting in the way Buck’s cheeks turned pink.

“Oh,” Buck breathed. “Yeah, that works. Perfect. Great prize. I am very cool with that prize.”

After a few minutes of waiting, they got to the front of the line and ordered their ice cream. Buck got his in a waffle cone while Eddie got his in a sugar cone. They took their ice cream outside and sat on the bench in front of the store.

The sun was beginning to set. The sky was turning golden and pink, the clouds looking almost molten. They were in a slower neighborhood, less city and more residential, so there wasn’t a lot of foot or car traffic at this time of day. It was peaceful. Quiet. Easy.

Eddie could get used to this. A slow, easy life with Buck.

“Do you wanna try mine?” Buck asked.

Eddie turned to him. He watched Buck lick some melting ice cream from the side of the cone.

Holy shit. Abort mission. Abort mission!!!

His face turned hot. “Oh, uh, you don’t mind if I put my tongue on your ice cream?”

Buck shook his head. “I want your tongue in my mouth, so no.”

And then he froze, his face turning deep red.

Eddie nearly inhaled his ice cream, turning away as he coughed into his fist.

“Oh my god. That was–that was supposed to stay inside my brain,” Buck said breathlessly.

Once Eddie stopped coughing, he started laughing. A genuine, head-thrown-back, shoulders-shaking, eyes-clenched-shut laugh.

And he couldn’t stop.

“Eddie!” Buck whined. “Stop!”

“I–I can’t,” he wheezed. “Too funny.”

He heard Buck start laughing next to him.

“I’m glad you find my total humiliation funny,” he chuckled.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Eddie stammered, still trying to get a hold of himself. He peeled his eyes open and looked at Buck.

Buck’s face was still red, but he was grinning.

“Are you done yet?” he asked.

Eddie nodded, wiping underneath his eye with the pad of his thumb. “Yeah. I’m done. I’m sorry.”

“I can’t believe I said that,” Buck muttered. “I am so sorry.”

“Hey, no. It’s okay,” Eddie reassured. “It was kinda hot.”

“Oh,” Buck breathed. “Well, good. Yeah. I was–I was going for hot. Definitely.”

Eddie smiled at him, all fond and warm. “Okay, baby. Sure you were.”

Buck shifted on the bench, scooting closer to Eddie. He brushed his knee against Eddie’s and held out his cone again.

“Here, try it,” he said.

Eddie leaned forward and licked the ice cream Buck was offering. It was sweet, rich, just the right amount of chocolatey.

“Mm,” he hummed. “That is really good.”

“See? I told you.” Buck licked the spot Eddie just had, making Eddie go hot.

“You, uh, you wanna try mine?” he asked, clearing his throat and holding his own cone up.

“Sure.” Buck leaned in and licked the butter pecan ice cream that was melting. “Mm. Tastes like the good ole days.”

“Oh, whatever,” Eddie chuckled. He bit into the cone.

They finished their ice cream. Eddie looked at his watch. It was nearing ten o’clock already. He’d lost track of time.

“This night flew by,” he said quietly. He wasn’t really ready for the night to end.

Buck sighed. “You know what they say. Time flies when you’re having fun.”

Eddie knocked his knee into Buck’s gently. “It really does.” He reached for Buck’s hand. “C’mon, I’ll take you home.”

The drive back to Buck’s loft went faster than Eddie cared for. Before he knew it, he was pulling into Buck’s apartment parking lot and parking in a visitor spot.

“I’ll walk you up,” Eddie said softly.

“You don’t have to,” Buck murmured.

“I want to.” Eddie killed the engine and climbed out of the truck before Buck could protest again. He rounded the front of the truck and pulled Buck’s door open.

“What a gentleman,” Buck teased. He slid out of the truck and immediately went for Eddie’s hand, gripping tight.

Eddie squeezed Buck’s hand. “Only for you, baby.”

They walked into the lobby, heading for the elevator and taking it up to Buck’s floor. When they made it to the correct apartment, Buck unlocked the door, but made no move to go inside yet.

Buck sighed, turning to Eddie. “Thank you for tonight, Eds. I had a really nice time.”

Eddie felt himself melt at the sincerity in Buck’s voice.

“I did too, Buck.” He stepped forward, settling his hands on Buck’s waist. “You’re really easy to be around.”

The corners of Buck’s mouth turned up, his eyes crinkling with fondness. “You are too. I hope we can do this again soon.”

“Yeah, of course. I kind of just figured we would.”

“Mm,” Buck hummed. “Confident. I like it.”

Then Buck leaned in, his eyes dropping to Eddie’s mouth. He brushed his hand along Eddie’s jaw.

Eddie met him halfway.

Their lips pressed together in a soft kiss. Buck sighed into his mouth, making a little noise at the back of his throat that sent goosebumps across Eddie’s skin.

“I get to plan the next date,” Buck whispered against his lips when they broke apart, leaving just enough room to breathe.

“Deal,” Eddie whispered back before pressing another kiss to his lips. “I’m free on Friday night.”

“Perfect.” Another kiss. “I’ll call you."

Eddie pulled back, squeezing Buck’s waist. “Please do. Goodnight, Buck.”

Buck smiled softly. “Goodnight, Eds.”

Eddie spent the entire next day feeling like he was floating in the clouds.