Work Text:
“Okay, listen up!” Buck raised his hand in the air, waiting for his students to quiet down. “Don’t forget to take home your folders. I need field trip permission slips back by Monday, okay?”
A chorus of agreement sounded.
“And remember that Monday is Wear Your Favorite Color day!” Buck liked to plan spontaneous spirit days in his class. His students really seemed to love it.
One of his students raised her hand. “Mr. Buckley?”
“Yes, Brianna?”
“Is red your favorite color?”
“Yes, it is.”
“Okay. My friend in fifth grade had you as a teacher last year and he said that they called you Mr. Lame-o because red is lame and it’s your favorite color.”
Buck…didn’t even know how to answer that.
“Well, Brianna, it’s okay to have a different opinion. Like I think red is cool, but you might not. That’s okay. What’s not okay is calling people names because they have a different opinion than you, alright?”
Yeah. Crushed it.
“Okay, Mr. Lame-o,” Brianna said casually, making the entire class laugh.
You know what? Buck didn’t even care. It was fine. Everything was fine.
The bell rang, signaling the end of the school day.
“Okay, have a great weekend everyone! Permission slips!” He called out one more time as the students gathered their book bags. “See you on Monday!”
Once the last student walked out, the door clicking shut behind him, Buck collapsed into his desk chair and blew out a breath, smiling.
He loved his job. He really did.
Buck had just finished shutting his computer down for the weekend when his phone rang. He picked it up and pressed it to his ear.
“Hi, Maddie,” he said.
“Buck! Hey!” she exclaimed on the other end. “Are you busy tonight? Chim and I were thinking of going to see that new space travel movie that just came out. He mentioned you maybe wanted to see it too?”
Buck sat back down in his desk chair. “Oh, uh. I can’t tonight. Sorry, can I take a rain check?”
“Oh, sure. No worries. What’ve you got going on?”
His face turned warm. The smile that grew on his face was completely involuntary. “I’m just having dinner with someone.”
Maddie was quiet for a long moment. “Oh? Is it with someone I know?”
“You are…definitely familiar with him.”
“Him?” Maddie paused. Buck could almost hear the gears in her head turning. “Oh! You’re having dinner with Eddie, aren’t you?”
Letting out a breathless chuckle, Buck ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah. He’s coming over tonight.”
“Aw,” Maddie cooed. “I knew you guys hit it off at our place last week. He’s really great, Buck.”
“Yeah, I know, Mads. He was so sweet on our date the other night.”
“Wait, what?” Maddie exclaimed. “You already went on a date with him?! This is a second date?”
Buck let out a breath. “We did. Sunday night. We went out for dinner and ice cream.”
“Why am I just now hearing about this?!”
“Sorry! I just didn’t want to jinx anything, you know?” Buck crossed his ankles underneath his desk. “I just wanted to have my feet underneath me before I told you.”
“And how’s that working for you?”
The smile on his face grew even bigger. “I feel like my feet haven’t been underneath me all week. In a good way.”
Maddie hummed. “I could tell there was some kind of connection between you two when you were here.”
“I’ve never felt this way about anyone before, Mads. It feels…special.”
“Not even Tommy?”
Tommy.
The same Tommy that broke his heart and made him flee the state of Pennsylvania. There was a time when Buck had thought Tommy would be the one, but now…
“Not even Tommy,” he confirmed.
“Sooo,” Maddie drawled. “I’m guessing the first date went pretty good if you’re having a second?”
“You would be correct.”
“What’re you guys doing tonight?”
”He’s coming over to my place. I’m going to cook us dinner.”
“Aww, how romantic, Evan,” she teased. “Did he kiss you? Have you guys kissed yet?”
Buck’s face went hot. “Maddie, oh my god. That is none of your business!”
“Buck! I’m your sister, I want all the juicy gossip!”
“Exactly, you’re my sister. You don’t need to know about my kissing life. I don’t ask you about your kissing life.”
“Oh c’mon, you prude! It’s just kissing! Is he a good kisser?”
Buck hesitated. The corner of his mouth turned up in a smirk. “Yeah, he’s a good kisser.”
And then he hung up the phone.
Not even ten seconds later, he got a text from Maddie.
Maddie: ohmygod Evan!!! You’re the worst! Happy for you though <3
He put a heart on her message before gathering his things and pushing up from his desk. It had been a long, chaotic week in his classroom. They’d learned about the water cycle, so as a fun little surprise to end the week, Buck had picked up two hundred water balloons. He spent the entire afternoon getting pelted with perfectly aimed projectiles.
He didn’t mind. He was pretty sure he might’ve had more fun than his students.
But, after all the chaos and noise of the week, Buck was looking forward to a quiet night in. Eddie was coming over after he dropped Chris off at a friend's house. Buck was going to cook dinner for them, maybe they’d watch a movie. He didn’t care what they did. He was just excited to see Eddie again.
They’d talked pretty much nonstop all week, whether they were texting, calling, or FaceTiming. Eddie had been on shift for seventy-two hours, finally getting to clock out at seven on Thursday morning. Buck grinned to himself as he remembered the conversation they’d had after Eddie left the station.
“Good morning, Buck,” he’d said softly.
“Good morning, Eds. How was your shift?”
“Exhausting. But I’m off until Monday now, so the long shifts aren’t so bad.”
Buck had smiled, running his fingers through his hair as he got ready for another day at school. “You’re probably going to sleep the whole day away, aren’t you?”
Eddie had chuckled. “Most likely. As soon as Chris is at school, I’m going to crash.”
“Well, you’ve earned it.”
“I can’t wait to see you tomorrow,” Eddie murmured. “It feels like forever since the last time.”
Buck picked up his phone, taking it off speaker and holding it to his ear. He loved the sound of Eddie’s voice right in his ear.
“I know. Me too,” Buck agreed. “I was thinking we could just stay in? Are you okay with that?”
“Honestly, that sounds perfect. That’s more my speed than going out on the town anyway.”
“Okay. What’s your favorite dinner?”
“My favorite dinner?”
“Or it doesn’t have to be dinner. It can be whatever.”
Eddie hummed. “I really like any kind of pasta dish. I’m not picky.”
Buck smiled. He could work with that.
“Okay. I’ve got dinner handled then.”
“Need me to bring anything?”
“Nope. Just you and that gorgeous face.”
“Oh? Oh, you just want me for my gorgeous face, is that it?”
“I want you for your gorgeous everything, Eds.”
Eddie coughed on the other end. “Jesus, Buck. It’s seven am.”
Buck had laughed, free and unrestrained. “Flirting with you doesn’t have business hours.”
“Maybe it should.”
“And what fun is that?”
Eddie huffed a laugh. “Just you wait, Buckley. Okay, I’m just getting home. I’ll talk to you later, okay? Have a good day at school.”
Buck's entire body flushed warm. “Yeah, okay. Sleep well, Eds.”
He’s still not sure this isn’t one big, elaborate dream his subconscious cooked up after an exhausting week.
It’s just…Eddie seemed too good to be true, which Buck knew sounded cliche and cheesy, but he couldn’t help it.
Buck pinched himself on the arm as he walked out to his car in the staff lot.
Yup. It hurts. It’s real.
He had to make one quick stop before going home to start cooking. Eddie would be over at six, which gave Buck just enough time to go to the store, grab what he needed, get home, and have the pasta sauce simmering by the time Eddie arrived.
Walking into the grocery store, Buck grabbed a basket and made his way over to the bakery section. He had all the ingredients he needed for the homemade tagliatelle and bolognese, but just this morning, when he was getting ready for work, he’d had the thought that garlic bread would be good too.
He grabbed a loaf of french bread before making his way to the dairy aisle to grab some butter. He already had the garlic cloves at home. He wandered over to the wine section and picked out a nice bottle of red that a mom on Pinterest swore by with bolognese.
With everything he needed, he started towards the checkout and stopped short when he passed a display of flower bouquets.
Eddie had brought him flowers on their last date. They were still blooming in the vase on his island, a pretty mix of tulips, baby’s breath, and eucalyptus.
He should get Eddie flowers. Eddie deserved flowers too.
Looking at the different bouquets, he saw one that had orange gerbera daisies, deep red chrysanthemums, and pink baby’s breath. The three colors shouldn’t have worked together in theory, but the flowers looked beautiful together.
He grabbed the bouquet, bringing it up to his nose and inhaling the scent of the fresh flowers. A small smile grew on his face.
Ever so gently, he laid the cellophane-wrapped flowers in the basket.
***
Buck was panicking. Holy shit. He was officially freaking out.
It was six o’clock and he hadn’t even started making the pasta yet. Eddie was going to be here any minute now and Buck still had to make the pasta. He still had to make the garlic butter for the bread.
He wasn’t sure where the time went, but he’d gotten home from the grocery store around three-thirty and then suddenly, it was six.
Apparently, he’d underestimated how long it would take him to prep the bolognese and get it on the stove.
“Okay, Buckley,” he muttered as he turned the stove top burner down to simmer. “Simmer for two hours. No problem. Nooo problem at all.” He turned to the island where he’d put all the ingredients for the tagliatelle.
He got lost in the motions of measuring flour and cracking eggs. He was elbow deep in pasta dough when a knock sounded at the door.
Buck’s head snapped toward the door. A grin grew on his face, his entire body lighting up with warmth.
Eddie was here.
Oh god.
Eddie was here.
He looked at his hands, covered in flour and egg. The kitchen was a mess of dirty dishes and veggie peelings. The front of his apron (which he wasn’t entirely sure Eddie should see him in) had little splatters of red from when the bolognese came to a boil quicker than he was prepared for.
What’s that saying again? If they don’t appreciate you at your worst, they don’t deserve you at your best, blah blah blah. Eddie was attracted to fools and Buck was a fool, so maybe he’d find the apron and the absolute disaster of a kitchen endearing?
“Coming!” he called. He quickly wiped his hands on the towel hanging from the stove handle. He ran a hand through his hair before walking over to the door and opening it.
Eddie stood on the other side with that soft smile that made Buck’s knees feel weak. He wore a cozy-looking burgundy sweater that made him look so soft. His eyes were bright. Everything about Eddie was bright.
“Hi Buck,” he murmured. Buck saw his eyes track down the length of his body, lingering on the apron.
Buck’s face went hot. “Hi Eds,” he said back softly. He held the door open and gestured for him to step through. “Come in.”
Eddie walked through the door, his eyes never leaving the apron. It was the one Chimney and Maddie had got him for Christmas last year. Charcoal gray denim that was absolutely filthy right now.
And Eddie was still staring at it.
“I don’t—uh, I don’t usually wear this,” Buck stammered.
Eddie finally looked up, his eyes meeting Buck’s. He stepped in closer, reaching his hand out, curling his fingers into the front of the apron.
“You should,” he murmured. “I didn’t know aprons could be so sexy.”
And then he closed the distance between them and pressed his mouth to Buck’s.
Buck’s entire body lit on fire. A little noise at the back of his throat slipped out, making Eddie pull him even closer. They were chest to chest, not an inch of space between them.
Eddie was the first to pull back, breathing a little heavy.
Buck blinked, a little dazed. “Wow. I missed you too.”
Eddie laughed, loud and unrestrained. “Sorry. It’s the apron. Threw me off.”
“Well, geez, if that’s all it takes, I’ll wear it more often,” Buck teased. He threaded his fingers with Eddie’s, giving his hand a squeeze. “I’m happy you’re here.”
Smiling softly, Eddie leaned in again for another kiss, softer this time.
“I’m happy you’re here too,” he said.
Buck chuckled. “You’re happy I’m in my own home?”
“Hey, don’t ruin the moment,” Eddie teased. He turned his attention to the kitchen. “Something smells fantastic.”
Pulling Eddie along with him, Buck guided him to one of the island stools. “That would be the bolognese. Would you like some wine?”
“You made bolognese?” Eddie asked, ignoring the question about wine.
Buck nodded. “Yeah. It’ll be ready in an hour-and-a-half or so.”
“Wow. You made bolognese,” Eddie repeated.
Looking at him, Buck could see a little bit of awe in Eddie’s eyes. “It’s nothing that impressive, Eds.”
“No, no. It is impressive, Buck. Anything that doesn’t come out of a jar from the grocery store is impressive.”
“Oh.” Buck smiled softly. “Well, wait until you find out the noodles are also homemade.”
“Are you serious?”
Buck pointed to the pasta dough on the counter. “I got my masters at Martha Stewart academy, remember?”
Eddie laughed. A bright, carefree sound that Buck would never be able to get enough of.
“That’s right,” Eddie murmured. “How could I forget?”
Buck grinned. “Wine?” he asked again, pulling two glasses down from the cupboard.
“I’d love some.”
Popping the cork and pouring the wine, Buck slid one over to Eddie. “I’ve never bought this bottle before, so if it’s bad, I’m sorry in advance.”
“Well, to a lovely evening with each other and to the potentially bad wine.” Eddie held his glass up.
Buck snorted, tapping his glass against Eddie’s. “Cheers to that.”
They both sipped their wine. Eddie hummed, drawing his eyebrows together thoughtfully.
“Very sweet,” he commented. “I’m tasting notes of grapes.”
Buck laughed. “Imagine that.”
“Hey, I never claimed to be a wine connoisseur.” Eddie took another sip. “But I am very glad that it’s a sweet wine instead of dry.”
“You and your sweet tooth,” Buck teased. He set his glass to the side and started kneading the pasta dough again.
“Can I help with anything?”
Buck shook his head. “No. I’m treating you tonight, okay?”
“C’mon, Buck. Let me help with something. I feel bad just sitting here while you work the entire evening away.”
“I’m not working the entire evening away, Eds. I’m making dinner for someone I really, really like. That doesn’t feel like work to me.”
Eddie softened, his entire body relaxing. “You’re so sweet.” He stood up and came around the corner of the island, standing close behind Buck. He wrapped one of his arms around Buck’s waist and propped his chin on his shoulder.
Buck’s breath stuttered, coming out in a shaky exhale. He stopped kneading the dough.
“I’m so happy we met,” Eddie whispered. “Please let me help cook dinner.”
Turning his head to look at Eddie, Buck was struck all over again by how handsome Eddie was. Like, obviously, he knew Eddie was ridiculously attractive, but with his chin on Buck’s shoulder, he could see the little flecks of gold in his brown eyes. The mole underneath his left eye. The little scar on the bottom of his lip that he hadn’t noticed before.
And he, this super handsome, genuine, kind man liked Buck back. Liked him enough to go on a second date. Enough to offer to help cook dinner.
Buck could hardly believe how lucky he felt with Eddie holding him like this.
“I’m happy too,” Buck whispered back.
“Happy enough to let me help?”
“Sure.”
As much as he didn’t want to, he stepped out of Eddie’s hold and crossed to the fridge. He pulled out a stick of butter and the parmesan cheese.
“You can be in charge of mixing the garlic butter,” he said. He set the ingredients in front of Eddie. “But that’s it. I’ve got the rest, okay?”
Eddie nodded. “Okay.”
Buck got out all of the ingredients Eddie needed to make the garlic butter. They stood side by side at the island, quietly preparing the dinner they would eat together.
The domesticity of it all made Buck feel so, so warm.
“How was your day today?” Eddie asked as he mashed the butter with a fork.
Buck set the dough in a bowl and covered it with a towel. “It was fantastic, Eds. We learned all about the water cycle this week, so I planned a surprise water balloon fight this afternoon.”
Eddie smiled softly as he focused on his task. “That sounds so fun.”
“It really was,” Buck agreed. “My students all ganged up on me, which was not surprising. They all have perfect aim somehow?”
“How many students do you have?”
“Sixteen.”
“So it was sixteen versus one?”
“Well, no. There was one boy that backed me up. This is unrelated to the events of today, but he’s also my favorite.”
Eddie chuckled. “Completely unrelated.”
Buck started mincing the garlic for the butter. “Did you know that there is the same amount of water on the planet now as when the earth was formed?”
“Is that so?”
“Mhm.” Buck used the flat side of his knife to pick up the garlic. He pushed it into the butter. “You could be drinking dinosaur water.”
“Ew.” Eddie looked at him. “Also, cool.”
“It’s very cool. Ninety-nine percent of the earth's water isn’t even drinkable. It’s either too salty or in the glacier caps.”
“Hm. So only one percent leftover for us?”
“Yup. That’s why we need to reduce our usage of it.”
“I didn’t know that.” Eddie put down the fork he’d been using to mash the butter. “Where do you keep your seasonings?”
Buck pointed to the cupboard next to the stove. “Everything should be in there. Salt, oregano, thyme.”
Eddie turned and opened the seasoning cupboard, pulling everything out and setting it on the island.
“Any other fun facts about the water cycle?” he asked. He popped the cover on the salt and sprinkled some in the bowl.
“Seventy-five percent of the human brain is made up of water.”
“Really?”
“Yup. Isn’t that crazy?” Buck turned to the stove, taking the cover off of the bolognese sauce and stirring it.
“Oh my god, that smells incredible.” Eddie damn near moaned. It made Buck feel like he was standing in the middle of an erupting volcano.
He cleared his throat before his thoughts could get away from him. “It still needs another hour. Sorry, I was trying to get everything ready before you got here, but—”
Eddie stopped what he was doing and crossed over to where Buck stood. He set his hand on the small of Buck’s back and leaned into his side.
“It’s okay, baby,” he murmured softly. “The longer dinner takes, the longer I get to be with you.”
What else was Buck supposed to do but kiss him?
He pressed his lips to Eddie’s, a little harder than he meant to, but Eddie responded just as aggressively. Blindly, Buck fumbled for the cover to put back on the bolognese before grabbing Eddie by the waist and pulling him closer. Eddie brushed his hands along Buck’s jaw, pressing his fingers into his skin.
Buck walked them backwards until Eddie’s back hit the counter, tightening his fingers in the fabric of Eddie’s shirt and deepening the kiss.
Eddie pulled back, just a centimeter. His pupils were blown wide. “Buck,” he breathed before pulling Buck back in by the front of his apron.
“You and this apron,” Buck laughed breathlessly against Eddie’s lips.
“It’s hot, Buck.” Eddie pressed another searing kiss to Buck’s mouth. “You’re hot.”
Buck dropped his hands from Eddie’s waist to the back of his thighs. With a quick motion, he lifted Eddie up onto the counter, right into the mess of flour.
“Holy shit,” Eddie breathed, one of his arms around Buck’s neck. Buck stepped between Eddie’s parted legs. “That was so hot.”
Buck kissed him again, all teeth and heat and wanting. “You must think I’m hot or something.”
Eddie laughed right into Buck’s mouth. “Something like that.”
Buck lost himself in Eddie, tangling his fingers in his hair, tugging on it experimentally. Eddie let a helpless little noise slip from his mouth.
Holy shit. Buck could stay here forever.
“Eds,” he mumbled, licking along Eddie’s lips. “Obsessed with you.”
Eddie’s chest heaved, his breath fanning hot across Buck’s face. “Me too. Oh, me too.”
Buck pressed soft kisses across Eddie’s face, mouthing along the sturdy line of his jaw down to his neck. Eddie leaned back, dropping one of his hands onto the counter behind him. The fork Eddie had used to mix the garlic butter clattered across the surface.
“God, Buck,” Eddie whispered. “So good.”
Buck grinned against the skin of Eddie's neck. He tugged on Eddie’s hair again. Eddie let out another sound that sent a bolt of heat right to Buck’s core. He tilted his head to the side, giving Buck more access to the soft skin on his throat.
And then the oven started beeping obnoxiously.
Eddie flinched violently, nearly headbutting Buck in the nose.
“Jesus Christ,” Eddie swore, slapping his hand across his chest.
Buck looked at Eddie for a long moment, his eyes wide. “The oven’s preheated.”
They both dissolved into breathless giggles. Buck dropped his forehead to Eddie’s shoulder, his shoulders shaking. Eddie wrapped his arm around Buck, his body convulsing like Buck’s.
“I completely forgot that I even turned the oven on,” Buck gasped, still trying to catch his breath.
“I forgot we were even supposed to be cooking dinner,” Eddie added. He stroked his thumb across Buck’s shoulder blade.
“This is all your fault, Edmundo.”
“What! How is this my fault?”
Buck lifted his head and stared at Eddie. “You know how this is your fault.”
Eddie shook his head. “No, I really don’t. You kissed me first.”
“Yeah, after you said something super romantic and charming and gave me no other choice.”
Eddie rolled his eyes, but smiled. “Oh sure, back to this. Just romantic and oblivious all the time.”
“You are,” Buck agreed. “Thank you for noticing. But I believe what I said the other night was hot and oblivious.”
“Oh, my sincerest apologies, Evan.”
“Thank you. Now, if you’ll release me so I can continue making you dinner.”
Tightening his arm around Buck’s neck, Eddie shook his head. “Nope.”
Buck smiled softly. “Remember the bolognese? Homemade pasta? Tiramisu?”
“Tiramisu?” Eddie framed Buck’s face with his hands. “You bought tiramisu?”
“I made tiramisu.”
“You made tiramisu?”
Buck nodded.
“You are incredible, Evan Buckley.” Eddie leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to Buck’s forehead.
Buck melted.
“Okay, back to dinner.” Eddie dropped his hands and shooed Buck away. “Go, go. I’m hungry.”
Buck laughed, tipping his head back. “I should’ve known the tiramisu would get you.”
Turning back toward the stove, Buck took the cover off the bolognese and gave it a quick stir. He heard Eddie slide off of the counter behind him.
When he spun back around to start flattening out the pasta dough, his mouth dropped open.
“Oh my god, Eds.”
Eddie looked at him over his shoulder. “What?”
“You’re covered in flour.” Buck pointed to the back of his pants.
“What?” Eddie repeated. He dropped his gaze, looking down to where Buck was pointing. “Oh. Wow.”
Buck bit down on his lip, holding back a laugh.
“Okay, so this is in fact your fault.” Eddie raised an accusing eyebrow.
“Yeah, no. You’re absolutely right. I’ll own this one.” Buck gestured up to the loft. “I’ll get you a clean pair, one sec.”
Before Eddie could say anything, Buck bolted up the stairs to the bedroom and ripped open one of the drawers on the dresser. He pulled out a pair of gray sweats before making his way back down.
“I, uh, have these, if you want.” He held out the sweats. “I can throw your jeans in the washer.”
Eddie smiled at him. “Thanks, baby.” He grabbed the pants and sauntered into the bathroom to change.
Smiling to himself, Buck uncovered the pasta dough. He dusted the counter with fresh flour before setting the dough on it. Grabbing the rolling pin, he started to flatten the dough, rolling it into a thin sheet.
The bathroom door opened. Eddie stepped out wearing Buck’s sweats. They were a little long on him, pooling around his ankles. He looked so soft, so cuddly, that Buck wanted nothing more than to wrap him in a blanket and cuddle on the couch.
It also sent a possessive little thrill through him. Eddie wearing his clothes.
“You’re staring, Buck.”
Buck blinked. He hadn’t realized he was.
“Do they look that bad?”
He shook his head, rolling another pass across the dough with the rolling pin. “No. No, quite the opposite actually.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. You look really good in my clothes.”
Eddie’s cheeks turned a pretty shade of pink. “Oh.” He crossed back into the kitchen and came to stand right next to Buck, leaning into him. “They’re cozy.”
“That’s the softest pair I own.”
“Such a gentleman.”
Buck set the rolling pin down after deeming the dough thin enough and picked up a knife to slice it into noodles.
“I’ve never had homemade pasta before,” Eddie said softly.
“No?” Buck looked at him. Eddie stared at the rolled out dough, tracking Buck’s movements as he sliced through it.
“Nope. If it doesn’t come out of a box, it’s probably not in my house.”
Buck snorted. “I used to be like that too. Until I moved out of my parent’s place and had to figure it out.”
“How old were you when you moved out?”
“The day I graduated high school. I had been accepted to an early enrollment program at Penn State, so I left as soon as I’d gotten home from the ceremony.”
“As soon as you got home from the ceremony?”
Buck took a deep breath. “Yeah. Just me.”
“Your parents weren’t there? Maddie?”
“No. Maddie, uh, she had moved to Boston already with her first husband.” Buck sliced another section of the pasta. “I don’t know if Chim has told you anything about that, but it wasn’t a good marriage.”
Eddie hummed. “He’s talked about it a few times, but nothing explicit.”
“Yeah, well. I couldn’t hold it against her that she wasn’t there. But my parents…” Buck trailed off with a shrug.
“I’m sorry, Buck.” Eddie snaked his arm around Buck’s waist and squeezed his hip.
“It’s whatever. It’s in the past.” Buck smiled softly at Eddie. “What about you? What’re your parents like?”
“Where you have absent parents, I had overbearing, trying-to-control-every-aspect-of-my-life parents.”
“Mm. Two sides of the same coin.”
“Not really. Being alone…I can’t imagine what that was like.”
Buck’s chest pulled tight. “Yeah, well. It got better after I went to college. I met people, made friends, all that good stuff.”
“I’m really glad you didn’t stay in Pennsylvania,” Eddie whispered. “I’m glad you found your way out here.”
Buck softened. Eddie just seemed to always know what to say.
“I am too.” He turned his head and pressed a gentle kiss to Eddie’s temple. “LA is better with you in it.”
“You can’t just say something like that and not kiss me, Buck.” Eddie lifted his head from Buck’s shoulder and pursed his lips.
Buck was more than happy to oblige, kissing him softly once before turning back to the pasta dough.
“How’d you even learn to do this?” Eddie murmured. He reached for his forgotten glass of wine and took a sip. “I didn’t even realize you could make homemade pasta.”
“My first attempt at making it was a disaster. One big dough ball of undercooked pasta,” Buck snorted.
“Hey, we all have to start somewhere,” Eddie teased, laughing.
“I taught myself how to cook when I moved into my first apartment, after my freshman year at Penn.” Buck cut another portion of dough. “Eating out wasn't an option and since I wasn’t living on campus anymore, I didn't want to pay for cafeteria food.”
“I never had the chance to learn how to cook,” Eddie said quietly.
“No?”
Eddie shook his head against Buck’s shoulder. “Shannon got pregnant right before we both graduated high school, so I enlisted right away. At the time, it made the most sense. I could make money quickly that way and send it to her, you know?”
Buck hummed. “Yeah, that makes sense.”
“But that meant I was shipping out for basic pretty much as soon as we graduated,” Eddie continued. “And there really wasn’t a chance to learn anything besides military training. I was sent to Afghanistan a few weeks after basic.”
Buck paused his movements, turning to Eddie. He hadn’t known how quickly and how young Eddie had been when he joined the military. When he was sent overseas to fight in a war he hadn’t created.
Eddie looked…melancholic? His eyes were cast down at the island, staring intently at the pasta dough. He was completely still, his thumb not even stroking Buck’s hip anymore.
“Well,” Buck started, “it’s never too late to learn how to cook.”
Eddie blinked and looked up at him. “I know. I just…you know, Chris was born, so I reenlisted. I served a second tour and then I was injured overseas, so they discharged me to come home and heal, but then Shannon wasn’t happy and left and we divorced and then–”
Buck set his hand over Eddie’s where it rested on Buck’s hip. He squeezed it.
“Hey. You don’t have to explain yourself to me, Eds,” he said gently. “I can teach you to cook, if you want.”
“You can?” Eddie asked.
“Of course. Matter of fact, we can start right now.”
Buck transferred the knife he’d been using to cut the pasta dough into Eddie’s hand.
“We’ll start easy. You just need to cut the dough into strips.”
Eddie looked at the knife in his hand and then looked at Buck. “I don’t–I’m not sure how to do this.”
Buck smiled softly at him. “Here, let me help you.”
He put his hand over Eddie’s and guided it over the dough.
“Just like this.” Buck pushed down lightly on Eddie’s hand and started dragging the knife through the dough. When they reached the end, Buck took his hand off of Eddie’s and grinned. “See? You’re a pro already.”
Eddie laughed, his eyes lighting up beautifully in contrast to the melancholy just a moment ago. “I wouldn’t say I’m a pro already. Not even close.”
“Hey, no. No arguing with me in my own home about this. I’m always right in my own home.”
Chuckling, Eddie held his hands up. “Okay, okay. You win.”
“Thought you’d see it my way.” Buck smirked. “Can you cut the rest of this? I should get the garlic bread prepped.”
“Sure.” Eddie set the knife on the dough again and started cutting strips.
Buck reached across the island, grabbing the bowl with the garlic butter and the loaf of French bread. The two of them worked quietly beside one another, their elbows brushing every now and then.
Once Buck had the butter spread on the bread, he got a big pot out and filled it with water before setting it on a burner.
“Okay, all done with the pasta,” Eddie said, setting the knife down on the counter. Buck crossed over to the island and looked down at the noodles Eddie had cut. They were uneven, some thicker than the other, slightly jagged in some spots.
They were perfect.
“Gold star for you, Edmundo Diaz!” Buck claimed with a bright grin.
“Oh, cool! Now I have a silver star and a gold star!”
Buck faltered. “You have a silver star?”
Eddie nodded. “Yeah. From my military days.”
“From your military days,” Buck echoed. “How did you get a silver star?”
Eddie took a long sip from his wine glass. “We were transporting a wounded soldier back to base. Our helicopter got shot down.”
“Jesus.”
Nodding solemnly, Eddie continued, “we were under fire when I came too. I, uh, I managed to get everyone out of the chopper and to cover.”
“That is incredibly brave, Eds.”
Eddie shrugged, clearing his throat. “I just did what anyone would’ve done.”
“No.” Buck shook his head. “If I’d been in your position, I don’t think I would’ve been brave enough to do that.”
Eddie shrugged again. “I guess the only good thing that came out of it was getting to come home early.”
Buck stepped closer to Eddie, setting his hand on his waist. “You mentioned you were injured overseas earlier? Is that why you came home early?”
“Yeah. Shot three times during the extraction.”
Buck’s breath caught. The fact that this wonderful, kind, soft man in front of him faced such violence at such a young age made his heart ache.
“That’s terrifying, Eds.”
Eddie nodded. “It was.” He sniffed, blinking his eyes rapidly. “But I’m here now. I have Christopher. That’s all that matters.”
Buck wrapped him up in a hug, holding him close. Eddie melted into him, sticking his face in the crook of Buck’s neck and wrapping his arms around Buck’s waist. He hadn’t expected the evening to become so vulnerable and heavy, but he was thankful Eddie trusted him enough to tell him about his past.
“You make me feel safe,” Eddie whispered. The way his lips moved against Buck’s skin made goosebumps rise.
Buck smiled softly, brushing his lips across Eddie’s temple. “I’m glad I do.” He dragged his hand up and down the length of Eddie’s spine.
Only when the pot on the stove started rattling did Eddie pull back from Buck. His eyes were slightly pink around the edges.
“Sorry,” he murmured, wiping his eyes with the heel of his hand. “I swear, I don’t usually get emotional this often.”
“You don’t have to apologize, Eddie. Seriously.”
“This is only our second date and I’ve cried both times, Buck.”
“And that’s okay. I’m not judging you. Honestly, it feels really special that you trust me enough to be emotional.”
Eddie let out a soft breath. “I don’t deserve you.”
“Too bad. You got me anyway.”
The corners of Eddie’s mouth turned up in a soft smile. “How lucky am I? I’ve never met anyone like you, Evan Buckley.”
Buck’s entire body turned warm as a grin split his face. “Edmundo, Edmundo. The luck is all mine. Now, we have pasta to boil and garlic bread to bake, so, back to work.”
“Yes, chef!” Eddie exclaimed with a dramatic flair.
Buck’s head tipped back with a laugh. “Can you put the garlic bread in the oven? Set the timer for fifteen minutes.”
“On it.”
As Eddie took care of the bread, Buck dusted the pasta with flour before putting the dough on a sheet pan and taking it over to the boiling water.
“Okay, Eds. Cooking lesson number two,” Buck started. “Cooking the pasta.”
Eddie came and stood beside him. “Arguably the most important part.”
“Yes. Correct. And the key to cooking it correctly is salting your water.” Buck grabbed the salt from the seasoning cabinet and poured some in the pot. “Generously.”
“And why is that?”
“Because plain pasta dough is boring. Adding salt to the water brings out more of the flavor. It also makes the texture of the pasta more enjoyable.”
“Hm. The more you know,” Eddie teased.
“Alright. It’s time.” Buck turned to Eddie, raising one eyebrow. “Is the young grasshopper ready?”
Eddie nodded, mock saluting. “The young grasshopper has been training approximately twenty-five minutes for this.”
Buck snorted. “We’re in good hands then.” He slid the pan of raw noodles over to Eddie. “Alright, drop ‘em in.”
“Just…drop them?” Eddie questioned. “Right in the water?”
“Yup. Right in the water.”
“Aren’t they, like, delicate? Should I really be dropping them? I feel like I shouldn’t be dropping them.”
“Eds, it’s okay. They have a soft landing in a nice, hot bath. Trust me, they love it.”
Eddie’s face lit up in a cheeky grin. “You’re such a dork.”
“Yeah, yeah, so you’ve said.”
Grabbing a handful of noodles, Eddie dropped them in the pot. Some of the boiling water splashed over the edge, sizzling on the burner.
“Oh, shit! Eds, not like that!” Buck exclaimed.
Eddie’s mouth fell open. “Wait, what? You said–Buck, you said they loved it!”
Buck let out a loud laugh, a cheeky grin growing on his face. “Gotcha! I’m just teasing. You aced that.”
“Oh my god, Buck!” Eddie laughed. “I thought I ruined dinner! I was ready to open up DoorDash and order pizza!”
“Sorry, sorry. I couldn’t resist!”
The noodles cooked quickly, the bolognese was ready, and the garlic bread was perfectly crispy. Buck pulled two plates out of the cupboard to start plating the food.
“Okay, Eds. Your time in the kitchen has officially ended for the day. Follow me,” Buck commanded. He reached his hand out, waiting for Eddie to grab it before pulling him towards the table. He only dropped Eddie’s hand to pull out a chair, gesturing for him to sit.
Eddie’s cheeks turned pink. “Why thank you, sir.” He sat. Buck slid the chair in.
“Okay. Dinner will be served in just a few moments.” Buck wandered back into the kitchen and started plating the food. He served up a healthy portion of pasta and topped it with the bolognese, grating some fresh parmesan on top of that. He finished it off with a sprig of fresh basil and a slice of garlic bread.
Buck carried the plates over to the table, setting one in front of Eddie and the other in front of his seat.
“Buck, this looks incredible.” Eddie’s eyes lit up with awe. “I don’t think I’ve ever been this excited to eat before.”
A soft chuckle slipped out of Buck’s mouth. “Let me get the wine, I’ll be right back.”
He crossed over to the fridge, opening it and grabbing a fresh bottle of wine. He also grabbed the flower bouquet he’d been saving for the right moment. With Eddie sitting at the table in Buck’s sweats and looking at the plate in front of him like it held all the secrets of the world, he figured now was the exact moment he’d been waiting for.
A little flicker of doubt made him hesitate for a moment before turning back to the table and making his way over.
“Alright. Here is the wine,” he set the bottle down between their plates, “and these are for you.” He held the flowers out towards Eddie, his breath catching.
Eddie went still at the sight of the flowers. His lips parted slightly. He blinked.
“For…for me?” he said quietly, never taking his eyes off of the flowers.
Buck nodded. “You got me flowers for our first date. I wanted you to know that you deserve flowers too.”
Almost mechanically, Eddie reached forward and took the bouquet from him. He brought them up to his nose, inhaling the scent. When he finally tore his gaze away from the flowers and looked up at Buck, his eyes were shiny.
“You got flowers for me?” he said, barely above a whisper.
“I did.” Buck felt his face turn warm. “I hope that was okay.”
Suddenly, Eddie pushed up from his chair. He stepped close to Buck, put his empty hand on Buck’s cheek, and kissed him. Just a sweet, slow kiss that made Buck’s knees go weak.
“I’ve never gotten flowers before,” Eddie whispered, pressing his forehead to Buck’s. “Thank you, baby. Thank you.”
“You like them?”
“Buck, I love them.”
I love you. I love you I love you I love you.
Buck had always been one to fall fast and hard. He was so full of love and had so much to give that when he finally had someone he could share it with, it always happened fast.
But this…this was fast, even for him. He’d only met Eddie a week ago. One week. Only seven days had passed since he and Eddie met at the dinner party at Maddie’s.
He felt it though. He could feel himself falling deeper and deeper with every second that passed.
Clearing his throat, Buck brushed a kiss against Eddie’s cheek before pulling away. “Good. I’m so glad you love them.”
Eddie grinned. “Not to ruin the moment or anything, but if I don’t get a bite of that pasta soon, I might actually spontaneously combust.”
“Well,” Buck said cheekily, “good thing you’re a firefighter. You can put yourself out.”
Eddie laughed. “Let’s just avoid the situation altogether and just eat, yeah?”
“Yes, great plan. The date can turn hot without actually needing to call the fire department.” Buck grinned at the way Eddie’s cheeks turned pink. “Especially because we’re in the one-eighteen district.”
“Oh god, I didn’t know that!” Eddie laughed, sitting back down in his chair. “That’s the last thing I would want to happen. Chim and Hen walking into our date.”
Buck sat down too, pulling his chair in and tangling his ankle with Eddie’s underneath the table. “Chim would definitely tell Maddie as soon as possible and then I’d never hear the end of it.”
Buck reached forward and grabbed the wine bottle, refilling his and Eddie’s glasses. He held his towards Eddie when he was done.
“To not spontaneously combusting and having our evening interrupted by your team.”
Eddie wrapped his hand around the stem of his glass and tapped it against Buck’s. “The most meddling people I know.”
They both sipped. A sharp, almost acidy taste coated Buck’s tongue. At the same time, Eddie coughed. His face scrunched with displeasure.
“This wine is disgusting,” Buck said. It left a sour aftertaste in his mouth.
“Very dry,” Eddie tacked on. “I don’t think I can drink this, Buck, I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s okay. I can’t either.” Buck set his glass down and picked up the bottle again, looking at the label. “That mom on Pinterest lied to me.”
“I’m sorry, what?”
Buck looked up, meeting Eddie’s confused look. “Oh. I was looking for wine recommendations and some mom on Pinterest swore this was good with bolognese.”
Eddie laughed, bright and carefree, eyes crinkled in the corners. “Oh my god, of course you’d take advice from mom’s on pinterest.”
“Hey! They have never led me astray, Eddie!”
“Until now,” Eddie cackled.
“Until now,” Buck echoed. He grabbed Eddie’s glass from him and carried them over to the sink. “I, uh, I don’t have another bottle. Is beer okay? I know it doesn’t really fit the vibe or go with—“
“Beer is great, Buck,” Eddie said gently. “That’s more my speed anyway.”
Grabbing two beers from the fridge, Buck settled at the table again, passing one to Eddie.
“Okay. I think we can officially eat now,” Buck said.
“Finally. The anticipation has been killing me, baby.”
God. Eddie calling him baby made him feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
They started eating, digging into the soft pasta and twirling it on their forks. Buck watched Eddie as he lifted his forkful to his mouth and ate it.
“Oh my god,” he breathed, his mouth still full of half-chewed food. Buck probably should’ve found it disgusting, but he didn’t. “This is life changing, Buck.”
Buck’s entire body turned warm. “Life changing, huh?”
“Like, I’m not even joking. This is incredible.” He took another bite. “I can’t believe you can just…cook like this.”
Buck grinned, preening under the weight of Eddie’s words. He took a bite of his own, savoring the flavor of the bolognese with the fresh pasta.
“I’m a better baker than I am a chef,” Buck commented. “Wait until you taste the tiramisu.”
Eddie sipped his beer. “Mm. Confident. I like that.”
Buck took a bite of the garlic bread. “Excellent work on the garlic butter, sous chef.”
“Thank you, chef,” Eddie teased back.
The rest of dinner passed in relative silence, both of them too busy inhaling their food to have conversation. Buck replaced their beers once and dished up more pasta for both of them. Once their plates were empty for the second time, Eddie leaned back in his chair with his hands over his stomach and groaned.
“I am so full,” he complained. “God. That was so good.”
Buck ate the last bite on his plate. “Yeah? You liked it?”
“I ate two massive platefuls, Buck. Yes, I liked it.”
Laughing, Buck grabbed the empty plates and carried them to the sink. “Well, I hope you saved some room for dessert. This is the star of the night.”
“Buck, please,” Eddie deadpanned. “I always have room for dessert. Don’t be ridiculous.”
Buck dished up two generous servings of the tiramisu and slid it across the table to Eddie. He watched as Eddie spooned some up and ate it.
Immediately, his eyes closed. He groaned.
“Wow. Wow wow wow.” He swallowed and took another bite, once again talking around his food. “There’s no way you made this. You had this shipped directly from Italy, didn’t you?”
Buck’s head tipped back on a laugh. “A chef never tells his secrets.”
Eddie smiled softly at him, the light above the table making his eyes sparkle. “I can’t believe you made this. It’s…I don’t even know if I have a good enough adjective to describe it. I really don’t. It’s…godly?”
Buck snorted. “Godly?”
“Heavenly, maybe? Like, if I died and went to heaven tonight, the only thing I’d ever want to eat up there would be this.” He used his spoon to point to the tiramisu before scooping more up.
“High praise from the sweet tooth king himself. I’m honored.” Buck tried to keep his tone light and teasing, but he honestly was feeling a little flustered at Eddie’s praise. Buck could get used to it.
After finishing dessert, both of them too full to even think about doing the dishes, Buck found himself curled up on the couch with Eddie. Buck wrapped his arm around Eddie’s shoulder, pulling him in tight against his side. Eddie let his head drop onto Buck’s shoulder. A movie played, unwatched, on the tv in front of them. Buck had thrown a blanket over them. Eddie had stolen most of it, but Buck didn’t mind.
“You’re comfy,” Eddie whispered.
Buck looked over. Eddie’s eyes had fallen shut since the last time Buck had looked at him, which honestly, couldn’t have been longer than a minute.
He tipped his head, his cheek brushing against the crown of Eddie’s head. “I have an even comfier bed. If you just…if you wanna stay.” His stomach flipped.
Eddie let out a soft breath. “Buck…”
“I mean, you’re already wearing my sweats, which are basically pajamas.”
Reaching out, Eddie laid his hand on Buck’s thigh. “I shouldn’t, Buck.”
Buck tried not to think of it as rejection, but after the night they’d had, he thought maybe…maybe Eddie would want to stay.
“Not that I don’t want to, baby,” he whispered.
Oh. Okay, Buck had a habit of catastrophizing before absolutely necessary.
“It’s just, I have to get Chris from his friend's house early tomorrow morning. I wouldn’t want to disturb your weekend off anymore than I have too.”
“Eddie, you would not be disturbing my weekend off. It’s quite the opposite actually. You being gone is more disturbing than anything.”
Eddie chuckled softly, his eyes still closed. “Buck. It’s okay.”
“I’m serious, Eds. You can stay. You are more than welcome to stay. Matter of fact, I encourage you to stay.”
Lifting his head, Eddie opened his eyes and looked at Buck for a long moment. “It wouldn’t be…rushing anything?”
Buck thought back to their last date, the way he and Eddie had agreed to take things slow. To do things right because this meant something to both of them.
But…fuck that. Eddie meant everything to Buck already. Having him stay the night wouldn’t be rushing anything. Not when being with Eddie felt so right.
“No,” Buck said, his voice gentle and low. “We wouldn’t be rushing anything.”
A slow smile lit up Eddie’s face. “Well, how can I say no to you?”
Buck softened, his body melting into Eddie’s. “You’ll stay?”
Eddie nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, I’ll stay.”
Setting his hand over the one on his thigh, Buck squeezed it. “Okay.”
“Okay,” Eddie echoed.
Buck threaded his fingers with Eddie’s and led him upstairs to the loft. He offered him a toothbrush and together, they brushed their teeth side by side in the en suite. When they were done, they curled up together under the same blanket. Eddie was curled on his side, his head pillowed on Buck’s chest. Buck had an arm thrown over Eddie’s waist.
“Thanks for tonight,” Eddie whispered. “No one has ever made me feel so special before.”
Buck pressed his lips to Eddie’s temple. “My pleasure, sweetheart.”
Eddie lifted his head, looking at Buck through his lashes. Buck took the hint and met him halfway, kissing his mouth softly.
As Buck listened to Eddie’s breathing even out, he couldn’t stop the warm feeling that rushed through him. The smile that grew across his face.
He’d always liked the idea of soulmates. Being one half of a whole. But he’d never believed that he’d had one. He always thought he’d be destined to walk this life out of balance because he didn’t have his other half to even him out.
But, with Eddie asleep in his bed beside him, Buck finally felt like maybe, just maybe, he’d found his other half.