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Eddie wakes up early on the first day of their weekend off work with a smile on his face. Their days off work don’t always fall on the weekend, so when it does happen, Eddie always feels grateful - especially when Chris doesn’t have any birthday parties or plans with friends scheduled.
He makes his way to the kitchen after going through his morning routine and makes himself a cup of coffee before sitting at the kitchen table and letting the sounds of the early morning - the hum of the fridge, the combination of birds chirping and the occasional car driving past - wash over him.
Hen had made a comment the other day about how Eddie seems lighter, and now, sitting in the warm glow of the morning sun, Chris asleep down the hall and with plans with Buck and Theo on the agenda for that day, Eddie thinks he finally understands what she means. He does feel lighter. Coming out as gay in your thirties definitely contributes to that feeling. It’s not- it’s not like coming out acted as a fix-it for everything Eddie’s faced in life; the trauma, the losses, the challenges. But it also loosened something in his chest. Coming out so “late” in life should probably feel terrifying, and in some ways, it does, but for the most part, it’s given Eddie a sense of peace he hadn’t known he’d been looking for.
So far, the only people Eddie has come out to are Hen and Chris. He doesn’t know why he hasn’t told Buck yet. It’s Buck. Which is, actually, exactly why Eddie hasn’t told him. Because it’s Buck. Eddie’s best friend. Eddie’s partner. The person Eddie wants to marry, grow old with and hold hands with for the rest of their days. It’s kind of a double whammy conversation he needs to have with Buck, and he hasn’t wanted to ambush Buck with it, especially when Buck has been working out what his new normal looks like with Theo. In Eddie’s - humble and unbiased - opinion, Buck has been doing an amazing job with Theo and with navigating through this many adjustments for a four year old.
Eddie wants to tell Buck. And he will tell him. Just.. not today. Today, they get to have a whole day with Chris and Theo, and Eddie feels like the luckiest man in the world for it. He’d spend every day like this if he could. Just him and his boys. Their family. Because, even if Buck doesn’t feel the same way as Eddie in the romantic sense, they’re still a family, and Eddie will treasure any time they get to spend together.
‘Dad?’ Chris’ voice startles Eddie out of his train of thought.
Eddie smiles when he sees Chris shuffling into the kitchen, rubbing one of his hands over his sleepy eyes. He seems so little again in the delicate morning light.
‘You’re up early,’ Eddie muses, standing up, rinsing his mug off in the sink and placing it in the dishwasher before ruffling Chris’ hair and planting a kiss on his head. ‘Sleep okay?’
Chris shrugs, plopping down at the kitchen table. ‘We’re seeing Buck and Theo today,’ he mumbles, ducking his head down in a way that squeezes at Eddie’s heart so intensely that he feels like it could burst.
‘Yeah, I’m excited too,’ Eddie replies fondly.
‘I was thinking we could go to them early? Take breakfast to them?’ Chris suggests, looking up at Eddie with a grin. ‘We could even pick up those huge pancakes from that place near Buck’s house that Theo loves so much.’
Eddie raises an eyebrow, fighting back a grin. ‘Oh, the pancakes Theo loves so much, huh?’
‘We both love them, but I told Theo that next time I saw him, we could have them. You wouldn’t want me to break a promise to a child, would you?’ Chris remarks.
‘I don’t know, buddy,’ Eddie starts, already knowing they’ll be getting the pancakes. ‘Buck can just make pancakes at home that are almost definitely healthier than those ones.’
‘These are the best pancakes ever, though! They’re huge, and they do so many variations and they’re viral on Tik Tok,’ Chris cuts in.
‘Okay, well I’m definitely telling Buck that you said that his pancakes aren’t the best in the world,’ Eddie comments, pulling a feigned shocked face.
Chris fixes Eddie with a deadpan expression that makes Eddie feel like he’s staring at his own reflection.
‘It’s a different kind. Not better than Buck’s.’ Chris amends.
Eddie grins at him, ‘Go get ready, and we’ll head over now.’
45 minutes later, Eddie and Chris are standing outside of Buck’s front door, takeaway bags in hand. Eddie had sent Buck a message to let him know that they’d be there earlier than planned, but he hadn’t responded. He was likely too busy with Theo to look at his phone, which Eddie understood.
Just as Eddie’s about to put the key in the lock, the front door swings open and Buck blinks at them warily, holding his phone in one hand and with a thick blanket wrapped around him. The area under Buck’s nose is red and blotchy, his forehead is glistening with sweat, and despite the blanket he’s bundled under, Eddie can see him shivering. He’s sick. Buck is sick, and all Eddie wants to do is wrap Buck in his arms and look after him - germs be damned.
‘I was just about to call you, and then I got a “motion at your door” notification on my doorbell app,’ Buck rasps, his voice barely audible. ‘We’re sick.’
Just then, Theo’s head pushes through Buck’s legs, and he moves to stand in front of Buck. He’s wrapped up in the spiderman blanket that Eddie had gifted him - the sight causes warmth to bloom in Eddie’s chest - but he doesn’t appear to be as sick as Buck is.
‘I’m not sick!’ Theo declares loudly. He doesn’t sound blocked up in the way Buck is, but he is sniffling, and he even lets out a sneeze after the words leave his mouth.
‘I’m sick,’ Buck amends, wincing as he speaks. It’s a barely noticeable action, but Eddie knows immediately that it’s probably because of the bright morning sunlight streaming down on them.
‘Come on, in we go,’ Eddie says, ushering them all back into the house.
Buck frowns at him. ‘Eddie, I’m sick,’ he repeats, stepping aside anyway to let them in.
‘I’m aware of that, bud,’ Eddie replies.
‘I’ve been up half the night with a fever, and I was gonna call you earlier to cancel, but then Theo said his tummy was hurting-’ Buck starts to explain.
‘Buck, it’s okay,’ Eddie cuts him off. ‘You go back to bed, and I’ll hang out with Theo, okay?’
‘I can’t ask you to do that.’
‘Good thing you didn’t ask then,’ Eddie points out.
‘Eddie, you don’t have to-’
‘Buck,’ Eddie cuts him off again, his hand naturally coming to rest on Buck’s shoulder. ‘Just let me look after you both.’
Eddie feels Buck relax under his touch, and he valiantly ignores the way it causes his heart to hammer against his ribcage.
‘I’ll just- I’ll lie down for an hour or two max, and then you can leave,’ Buck says through a series of sniffles.
‘Sure, bud,’ Eddie says gently, even though he has zero intention of leaving anytime soon.
‘Theo,’ Buck turns to talk to Theo, who is currently showing Christopher his best impression of Spider-Man doing webslinging hands.
Theo looks up at Buck, and it’s a sight Eddie thinks he’ll never get sick of. The way Theo looks up at Buck with so much love and trust.
Buck kneels down carefully so he’s on level with Theo. ‘I’m gonna go back to sleep for a little while, but Eddie’s gonna hang out with you, is that okay? If your tummy starts to hurt again or you feel like you’re gonna throw up, you tell Eddie, and he’ll wake me up, and you can always come and get me if you need or want me.’
‘Okay,’ Theo agrees happily.
Buck stands up again, ruffling Theo’s hair as he does before turning back to Eddie.
‘Wake me up if-’ Buck starts to say, but Eddie simply places his hands on either side of Buck’s shoulders and turns him around, ushering him back towards his bedroom silently.
He can’t help but watch after Buck as he shuffles back towards his bedroom, his eyes staying on him until Buck’s bedroom door clicks shut.
When Eddie turns back around, both Chris and Theo are staring at him. Theo’s eyes are shining brightly as he looks up at Eddie, and Chris is looking at him with an amused expression.
‘Something funny, son?’ Eddie asks, raising his eyebrows questioningly.
‘You look like a cartoon character with hearts floating out of their eyes,’ Chris comments with a shrug before turning on his heel towards the kitchen.
Eddie stands frozen to the spot for a minute because even though he’d come out to Chris, they had not talked about Eddie’s feelings for Buck. That was a whole separate thing and an entirely different conversation, but apparently Chris just… knows. Or knows that his Dad looks at Buck “like a cartoon character”.
‘Dad, Theo, you better hurry up before all the pancakes disappear,’ Chris calls from the kitchen.
Eddie blinks, and he sees Theo standing as still as possible next to him.
‘We’re statues,’ Theo informs him and then his eyes widen as he looks up at Eddie. ‘Are the pancakes gonna disappear?’
Eddie beams down at him. ‘We better go get some before they disappear into Chris’ tummy.’
Theo grins and races off to the kitchen, and Eddie makes a mental note to make sure Theo gets the pancake that looks like it’ll do the least damage for a little boy with a stomach ache.
When he gets to the kitchen, his heart warms at the sight of Chris and Theo together. Chris is taking the food out of the takeaway bag as Theo stands next to him, bouncing back and forth on the balls of his feet excitedly. They look like brothers, and the thought, despite not being the first time it’s popped into Eddie’s head, causes his insides to feel like they’re about to somersault out of him.
‘Chris, why don’t you and Theo go and pick a movie to watch after we’ve eaten, and I’ll bring our food in?’ Eddie suggests.
Chris turns to look at Eddie, raising his eyebrows questioningly. Eddie glances down at Theo and then back to Chris in a silent plea and thankfully, Chris seems to get the message.
‘Come on, Theo, we better pick a movie, otherwise my Dad will pick something boring,’ Chris says.
Theo immediately bursts into giggles before nodding his head solemnly and clutching Chris’ hand.
‘We’ll pick something real good,’ he promises, letting Chris lead him out of the kitchen.
Eddie watches them go with a smile on his face before turning to get their food ready.
He takes out one of Theo’s plates - the one with the dinosaur print, because he knows that’s his favourite - before opening up the containers. He cuts one of the pancakes in half before putting one of the halves onto the plate, cutting it up into smaller pieces and then placing some chopped up fruit into the other sections of the plate.
He grabs two plates for himself and Chris and carefully slides Christopher’s - insanely big - pancake onto one plate, and he nods in satisfaction when he manages to do it perfectly without spilling any of the toppings or breaking any of it off. Chris would not have let him live it down if he’d ruined this “culinary experience” for him.
Eddie fills up Theo’s water bottle for him and takes out the bubble tea that Chris had requested from the pancake place. He carries everything for the boys through to the dining room table before going back to the kitchen to plate up his own food. By the time Eddie gets back to the table, Theo and Chris are already sitting down, waiting to eat.
Theo talks to them excitedly throughout most of their breakfast, but by the time Eddie and Chris have finished eating, Theo’s chatter dwindles down, and his food goes about half eaten.
‘How about we build a blanket fort and go watch the movie you guys picked out?’ Eddie suggests.
Theo perks up a little at the suggestion, so Eddie quickly carries their plates through to the kitchen, making quick work of disposing of the uneaten food and loading dishes into the dishwasher. On his way to the living room, he stops at the linen closet, grabbing a few blankets. He also goes into Theo’s room and gets his pillows so he can make the fort that bit cosier for him. Once he has all the blankets and cushions and pillows assembled, Eddie quickly assembles the fort, arranging it in front of Buck’s couch and making it so the top of the fort is covered but with the TV still visible in front of them. He dashes back into Theo’s room, grabs a few of his favourite stuffed toys and places them by Theo’s spot in the fort.
Eddie stands back to assess the assembled fort, and he smiles as he’s struck with a familiar sense of deja vu - remembering how he and Chris would build forts as often as they could when they first moved to LA.
When Eddie goes to get Chris and Theo, they’re still sitting at the dining room table. Theo’s chair has been pulled right next to Chris’, and his head is resting against Chris’ arm as both boys stare intently at the screen of Christopher’s Switch.
Eddie smiles and barely resists the urge to take a photo of them.
‘Fort is ready, boys,’ Eddie announces.
Chris and Theo’s heads snap up, and they both greet Eddie with matching grins before they both stand up to make their way over to the fort.
‘Theo, can you go ahead and make sure the fort is good enough?’ Eddie asks. ‘Chris and I will be right there.’
‘What’s wrong, Dad?’ Chris asks as they both watch Theo walking over to the fort and inspecting it closely.
‘You don’t have to stick around today. I know this isn't exactly what you thought we’d be doing today, and I get it if you don’t want to be in a house full of germs,’ Eddie says softly. ‘You can call one of your friends, and their parents can pick you up, or I can drop you somewhere once Buck is awake-’
‘I want to be here,’ Chris responds, cutting him off. ‘Buck and Theo are family, and we look after family when they’re not doing well.’
‘You really are the best kid ever, you know that?’ Eddie says, pulling Chris in for a hug and planting a loud kiss on his head. When did his baby get so grown up, and is there a way Eddie can freeze time - even just for a moment?
‘How’s the fort looking, Theo?’ Eddie asks as he and Chris walk over to join Theo, standing in front of the fort.
‘Nearly perfect,’ Theo comments, tapping a finger against his chin.
‘Nearly?’ Eddie repeats, raising his eyebrows and grinning in amusement at Chris.
‘We have to get in it first before we can say it’s perfect!’ Theo explains as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world.
‘Yeah, Dad, how can we get proper results without running a proper test?’ Chris retorts, grinning over at Eddie.
Eddie looks between the boys - Chris watching him with an amused expression, and Theo nodding seriously to everything Chris is saying.
‘Okay, well, get in then and let me know how I did,’ Eddie chuckles.
Chris and Theo clamber into the fort; Theo nestling into the middle amongst his plushies, and Chris getting it on the other side.
‘We have to do the test,’ Chris tells Theo seriously.
‘What’s the test?’ Theo asks him, his eyes wide and full of wonder.
‘Copy me,’ Chris replies.
Eddie watches fondly as Chris - with Theo mirroring him - wiggles on the spot. They both lie down then, repeating the wiggling actions before sitting back up.
‘Turn around while we discuss, please,’ Chris says, looking up at Eddie, who replies with a two-finger salute before spinning on his heel and turning away from them.
Eddie bites back a smile as he listens to their hushed whispering.
‘You can turn around now,’ Theo tells him.
‘Well? How did I do?’ Eddie asks.
Chris and Theo exchange a look before turning their attention back to Eddie.
‘Perfect,’ they reply in sync.
Eddie grins at them, pulling out his phone and snapping a couple of photos of the two boys in the fort. Chris goans at first but it doesn’t take long before he’s pulling silly faces along with Theo as they both pose.
‘You have to come sit with us now,’ Theo tells Eddie.
Eddie grabs the remote for the TV before joining the boys in the fort and hitting play on the movie that Chris had already loaded on screen.
They’re about twenty minutes into Toy Story when Eddie feels Theo shifting and before he knows it, he’s half sprawled onto Eddie’s lap.
Eddie gently maneuvers him fully onto his lap, and Theo snuggles his head against Eddie’s chest, his eyes not leaving the screen.
‘Your tummy hurting again?’ Eddie whispers.
‘A little bit,’ Theo replies, sniffling.
‘I’m sorry, buddy. You want me to carry you to your bed, and we can watch the movie later?’
‘No, I want to stay here,’ Theo replies, shaking his head. ‘And I’m not tired.’
Theo does miraculously stay awake for the rest of the movie, but he stays sitting in Eddie’s lap and from the corner of his eye, Eddie sees Chris taking a few photos.
‘Did you like Toy Story, Theo?’ Chris asks after the movie ends.
‘I liked it to infinity and beyond, and I want to dress up like Buzz Lightyear, and you can be Woody!’ Theo responds excitedly.
‘There’s four more movies,’ Chris informs him, matching his tone to Theo’s.
Theo’s eyes widen in excitement when he hears that. ‘Can we watch them all??’
Eddie lets out a soft chuckle, ruffling Theo’s hair. ‘Yeah, let’s put number two on now,’ he replies.
‘I want Buck to be in our fort with us,’ Theo sniffs, looking up at Eddie with eyes that remind Eddie so much of Buck.
‘I know, buddy. Me too,’ Eddie agrees. ‘He’s real sick, though, so he needs to rest lots so he can be all better. How about I go and check on him, though, yeah?’
Theo nods, sliding off Eddie’s lap and nestling himself back amongst his pillows and blanket.
‘You guys start watching the movie, and I’ll be right back,’ Eddie says, standing up, pausing to check Theo’s temperature with the back of his hand against Theo’s forehead. He feels a little warm - nothing too concerning, but Eddie makes a mental note to check it with a thermometer later.
When Eddie reaches Buck’s bedroom, he opens the door as quietly as possible, softly clicking it shut after him so he doesn’t disturb Buck.
Buck is fast asleep, curled up in on himself on one side of the bed. His mouth is hanging open, and he’s snoring, clutching the blanket up to his chin, with sweat glistening on his forehead.
Eddie walks over to the bed, gently sitting on the edge. His hand is itching to reach out and softly rake his fingers through Buck’s hair and he’s barely resisting the urge to take Buck into his arms.
‘Kinda creepy to watch me sleep,’ Buck rasps.
Eddie curses under his breath, jumping when he hears Buck’s voice.
‘Oh, sorry, did I scare you?’ Buck jokes, his voice sounding rougher than sandpaper.
Eddie reaches over and grabs the bottle of water on Buck’s bedside table, gesturing for Buck to sit up. Buck complies, and Eddie hands him the bottle of water, waiting for him to drink before he speaks again.
‘I thought you were sleeping, asshole,’ Eddie says, but there’s no bite to his tone.
‘Been in and out of it really. I keep getting too hot and too cold,’ Buck explains. ‘But more importantly, how’s Theo doing? Is he feeling better? Worse? Has he eaten anything?’
Eddie smiles fondly at Buck’s line of questioning.
‘Theo is doing okay. He managed about half his breakfast, and he’s a little warm, but nothing to be worried about. His stomach is a little sore again, but we made a fort, and we’re watching the Toy Story movies,’ Eddie explains.
‘Thank you for looking after him this morning,’ Buck replies with a smile. ‘I think I’m starting to feel better, so if you don’t want to stick around anymore, I get it.’
And Eddie doesn’t even need to know Buck as well as he does to know that’s a lie.
Eddie raises an eyebrow at him. ‘Did you not hear the part where I said we’re having a Toy Story marathon?’
‘I know, man, but you shouldn’t have to be stuck here with all our germs and-’
‘Why are you acting like me being here, helping you guys out, is some kind of burden to me? There’s nowhere else I’d rather be today, okay? I have your back, and that includes sick days, so just… rest and let me take care of you and Theo,’ Eddie tells him, tracking Buck’s eyes with his own until Buck meets his gaze.
Buck stares at Eddie for a moment before nodding. ‘Thank you,’ he says softly, his eyes not leaving Eddie’s.
Eddie feels his heart thrumming in his chest, and he clears his throat, finally breaking eye contact.
‘Do you want to try eating anything?’ Eddie asks.
Buck grimaces and shakes his head. ‘Not right now,’ he replies.
Eddie nods understandingly before reaching his arm out and placing a gentle hand on Buck’s forehead.
‘You’re burning up, bud,’ Eddie says softly, and without thinking about it, his hand moves up and gently rakes through Buck’s hair, his thumb rubbing soothingly against Buck’s forehead.
Eddie hears Buck take a sharp intake of breath, and his hand instantly freezes in place from where it had been stroking Buck’s hair.
‘I’ll just- I’m gonna get you something to help cool you down,’ Eddie says, clearing his throat and letting his hand drop.
Eddie doesn’t wait for Buck’s reply, leaving the room as quickly as possible before he does something stupid like checking Buck’s temperature by pressing his lips against Buck’s forehead and then leaving a trail of soft kisses down Buck’s face before settling against his lips.
Not that Eddie would do that. Or that he’s even thought about doing that.
Eddie makes quick work of getting a bowl of cold water and a clean face towel before heading back to Buck’s room. Buck is still sitting up in bed when Eddie gets back, staring at the spot where Eddie had been sitting.
The room is quiet whilst Eddie soaks the towel in the water and Buck lies back down. The silence isn’t uncomfortable or awkward, though. Silence with Buck is never awkward. Silence with Buck feels like comfort, familiarity and home. Eddie carefully places the towel on Buck’s forehead, and Buck closes his eyes, relaxing into his pillows.
‘That feels nice,’ Buck sighs happily, and Eddie can’t help but smile too.
‘Eddie,’ Buck continues before Eddie has a chance to reply.
‘Yeah?’
‘I lied,’ Buck responds. ‘When I said I was starting to feel better. That was a lie.’
Eddie bites back another grin. His best friend is sick and feverish, and yet Eddie can’t help but find everything he does or says so endearing. Eddie should be showing Buck sympathy and not smiling at everything that comes out of his mouth because he sounds cute.
‘Yeah, Buck,’ Eddie replies, breathing out softly. ‘I know.’
‘Yeah,’ Buck agrees, sounding content as he lets out another sigh. ‘Of course you do. You’re Eddie.’
Eddie smiles and shakes his head fondly. ‘Get some rest, I’ll come check on you again soon.’
‘Is Chris still here? He doesn’t have to be if he doesn’t want to. God, I love that kid,’ Buck starts to mumble. ‘And tell Theo that if he wants me, he can come and get me and that I love him. And if does start to feel worse or his temperature gets worse, wake me up and-’
Eddie raises an eyebrow as Buck cuts himself off mid-tangent. He waits a few seconds to see if he’s going to continue, but Buck’s breathing has evened out, and he’s softly snoring, so it’s safe to assume that he’s asleep again.
Eddie watches the rising and falling of Buck’s chest and thinks that, despite how congested he sounds, Buck looks so peaceful when he’s asleep. He lets himself watch for a moment longer - hearing Buck’s voice in his head telling him that it’s creepy to watch him sleep - before taking the flannel off Buck’s head and placing it with the bowl of water on the bedside table, next to Buck’s water bottle and some flu medication.
Being as quiet as possible, Eddie leaves Buck’s bedroom and makes his way back to the living room, where the boys are still nestled in the fort, watching Toy Story 2.
Eddie clambers back in and Theo beams up at him, immediately climbing back onto Eddie’s lap.
‘Is Buck coming to our fort?’ Theo asks hopefully, looking up at Eddie.
‘No, I’m sorry,’ Eddie tells him. ‘He’s still feeling super sick.’
‘Okay then,’ Theo replies, his voice small and sad as his shoulders sag.
‘But how about you draw him a picture for when he wakes up? I bet he’d love that,’ Eddie says.
Theo’s eyes light up at the suggestion. ‘Yeah! Can I use the new crayons Aunt Maddie got me?’
‘Of course you can. You sure you feel well enough for some arts and crafts?’ Eddie asks, checking Theo’s temperature again with the back of his hand. It feels the same as before which is a good sign, but Eddie still wants to check it with a thermometer to be on the safe side.
Theo nods enthusiastically as he stands up.
Chris hits pause on the movie as Theo clambers out of the fort, dragging Eddie along behind him.
‘Come on, Chris!’ Theo calls back as he drags Eddie over to where Buck keeps Theo’s arts and crafts supplies.
‘You wanna sit at your table and do it?’ Eddie asks, gesturing to the folded up kids table that Buck had purchased, which is mainly used by Theo and Jee when they have playdates.
Theo shakes his head. ‘No, I want to sit with you,’ he responds.
‘That’s no problem, we can sit at the big dining room table,’ Eddie replies, with a smile. He remembers when Chris was younger and how much clingier he would be with Eddie on sick days.
Eddie spreads out the piece of card, as well as Theo’s crayons and the stickers he’d wanted to use, on the table before pulling two chairs closer together. He goes to the bathroom to grab the thermometer and age appropriate medicine for Theo, and as he’s leaving, Chris walks into the bathroom.
‘How’s Buck doing?’ Chris asks.
Eddie winces. ‘Not great. Fever’s got him pretty bad, but hopefully the rest will help, and it’ll be out of his system soon,’ he explains. ‘You hanging in there? The offer’s still there to leave if you want. Buck even wanted me to tell you the same.’
Chris rolls his eyes. ‘You’re both the exact same, you know that? I want to stay. Plus, Theo wants my help making the card for Buck. He knows true talent.’
‘He does,’ Eddie agrees, grinning. ‘But he also loves you a lot and thinks you’re the coolest person he knows. He’s not wrong about that either.’
‘Again, you and Buck are the exact same,’ Chris replies, ducking his head. ‘He texted me saying the exact same thing the other day. But I’m pretty sure he was crying.’
‘You got that over text?’
‘It’s Buck. I could just tell.’ Chris explains, and Eddie can’t argue with that logic.
‘Alright, well I’ll see you out there,’ Eddie says, closing the door to the bathroom behind him and jumping out of his skin when he turns on his heel to see Theo standing directly in front of him.
Theo giggles at Eddie’s reaction. ‘You were gone for ages,’ he explains, throwing his arms up in the air exaggeratedly.
Eddie nods seriously. ‘You’re right, I’m sorry,’ he responds somberly.
‘I forgive you,’ Theo replies, just as seriously, before offering Eddie his hand.
Eddie smiles and gladly takes Theo’s hand, letting him drag Eddie over to the dining room table, and he lets Eddie check his temperature (which is thankfully reading as normal) and feed him some medicine - “This tastes GOOD. I hope Buck got yummy medicine too” - before he settles on Eddie’s lap, with Chris sitting on the chair beside them.
Theo and Chris immediately get to work on the card, swapping ideas back and forth as Theo bounces up and down on Eddie’s lap any time Chris adds something to their drawing that he loves. And Eddie - well, Eddie’s heart feels like it could burst out of his chest at the sight of them. When Theo first met Chris, he was instantly obsessed. He became Christopher’s shadow in a way that could have been annoying to a teenager that may not have necessarily wanted a four year old following him around, but Christopher had taken to Theo instantly. He looks out for Theo in a way an older brother would care for their sibling, and it only adds to making Eddie feel eternally grateful for the family he has - the whole 118 family, but also the small unit of Chris, Buck, Theo and Eddie that he likes to think of as his.
And the more time that passes, the more it just feels like this is how it’s supposed to be. How the rest of their lives should be. Together.
Eddie had shared these thoughts to Hen one night over a glass (or, several glasses) of wine.
‘And this is why you just need to tell Buck how you feel,’ Hen had said.
‘I can’t do that. He just told me he’s “not even remotely thinking about or looking for any romantic relationships” right now. Theo is his priority, and I get it. That’s how it should be. What kind of asshole best friend would I be if I heard him say all that and then I turn around and tell him “Oh, hey, by the way, I know you’re not in the headspace for romance right now, but I’m in love with you”? It would mess with his head, and I don’t want to do that.’
And Eddie had meant it. He’s not going to be selfish by confessing his feelings to Buck, especially when, right now, Buck needs his best friend.
‘Ta-da!’ Theo announces proudly, pulling Eddie out of his train of thought and back to reality.
Eddie blinks before letting his eyes drop down to the table in front of them, and instantly, his face breaks into a grin.
‘This is amazing, Buck’s gonna love it,’ he tells Theo and Chris, who have both turned their bodies to beam up at Eddie.
‘M’hungry,’ Theo declares through a yawn.
‘Okay, how about I go and make some lunch, and you and Chris can go back to the fort and carry on watching Toy Story 2?’ Eddie suggests.
‘I’m hungry, but my tummy hurts still,’ Theo says, pouting.
‘I’m sorry, sweetheart,’ Eddie replies softly. ‘But I’ll make you some super yummy magic soup.’
‘Magic soup?’ Theo echoes, his eyes widening.
‘Mm,’ Eddie hums. ‘It’s full of lots of things that will help make you feel better.’
Theo contemplates this for a moment. ‘You should make it for Buck, too. But so much soup because he’s bigger and sicker,’ he states.
‘You’re right, he is,’ Eddie agrees. ‘I’ll make sure Buck has lots of it too.’
Theo nods in response, seemingly pleased with this answer, before sliding off Eddie’s lap and making his way over to the fort.
‘Dad?’ Chris says as he stands up to follow Theo back to the fort.
‘Yeah?’ Eddie replies as he starts to clear up the table.
‘Can I have some too? Of the soup? I know I’m not sick but-’
‘It’s your favourite. I know. I was going to make enough for you as well, don’t worry,’ Eddie tells him with a smile on his face.
Chris grins in response and starts to head over to Theo, who would probably be sending out a search party any minute now.
Once lunch has been made - a big batch of soup that was a recipe that Abuela used to make for Eddie when he was little - and the boys have been fed, Theo crawls back into the fort, falling asleep almost instantly, clutching onto his dinosaur stuffed toy.
Chris uses the time to sit in the backyard and play on his Switch whilst Eddie cleans up. Once everything has been cleaned and put away, Eddie reheats the remaining soup on the stove before pouring it into a bowl and placing the bowl and a glass of water on a tray.
He carries it through to Buck’s bedroom, expecting to find Buck still asleep except- Buck isn’t there.
Eddie frowns, carefully placing the tray on one side of the bed before heading out of the bedroom.
He smiles when he sees Buck standing at the dining room table, holding the drawing that Theo and Chris had made.
‘This is the best piece of art I’ve seen in my life,’ Buck murmurs when Eddie approaches him.
‘They’re a talented pair,’ Eddie agrees.
‘I’d say they should hang it in the Louvre, but no. It’s going to be framed and hung here. The Louvre can seethe in their jealousy at the Buckley-Diaz masterpiece I have sitting in my home,’ Buck declares.
Eddie, very bravely, ignores the way that made his heart feel.
‘I’m sure they will be,’ he responds instead. ‘What are you doing out of bed, bud?’
‘I’ve made a miraculous recovery,’ Buck explains, turning to face Eddie. ‘I feel better than ever.’
Once again, it doesn’t take a Buck expert - which Eddie is - to know that he’s lying. Not only is Buck shivering, but his voice is hoarse, and he somehow sounds more blocked up than he did earlier. Not to mention the sweat glistening on his forehead and his red, sore looking nose.
And once again, Eddie can’t help but think that Buck is the most beautiful person he’s ever laid eyes on. Nobody should look good when they’re sick. No grown adult should look cute or beautiful when they’re sick, but here Buck is. A sick, grown adult looking cute and beautiful.
Eddie simply sighs, not bothering with a verbal response. He simply moves behind Buck, placing his hands on Buck’s shoulders and marches him back to his bedroom.
He lets go of one of Buck’s shoulders, only to close the door behind them before placing it back on Buck and marching him over to the bed and gently pushing him back onto the bed - mindful to not knock the tray.
Buck squeaks as he lets himself be pushed onto the bed.
‘Just let me check on-’ Buck starts as Eddie kneels down to lift Buck’s legs off the ground, moving them onto the bed instead.
‘Theo’s fine, he’s taking a nap right now,’ Eddie cuts in, bundling Buck up underneath the blanket and fluffing the pillows behind him before moving the tray onto Buck’s lap carefully.
Buck’s face lights up as soon as he lays eyes on the soup in front of him. ‘Is this the famous soup?’ he asks.
‘Famous soup?’ Eddie repeats, raising his eyebrows questioningly.
‘Your Abuela’s soup,’ Buck starts. ‘You make it for Chris all the time when he’s sick and your Abuela did the same for you.’
Eddie’s heart definitely doesn’t feel like it’s close to galloping out of his chest at that.
Buck picks up the spoon and, before Eddie can warn him that it’s going to be hot, immediately feeds himself some soup.
Eddie winces as he watches as the realisation dawns on Buck.
‘Hot,’ Buck hisses, with a pout.
Eddie really wants to kiss those pouted lips.
‘Eddie,’ Buck whines when Eddie doesn’t respond.
‘Aw, bud,’ Eddie coos in mock sympathy, matching Buck’s pout.
Buck rolls his eyes, nudging Eddie playfully with his outstretched leg.
‘Blow on it first,’ Eddie says, using the same tone he does with Theo, earning him another shove from Buck.
‘What would I do without you?’ Buck mutters, but he does, in fact, blow on his next spoonful.
‘Probably have a burnt tongue and blisters on the roof of your mouth,’ Eddie responds.
‘Your bedside manner may suck, but your soup is amazing,’ Buck comments.
‘Got complaints about the person taking care of you, Buckley?’
‘Mm,’ Buck hums in response. ‘Yeah, I’d like to speak to whoever’s in charge.’
‘Tough luck, bud. I’m at the top of the chain of command for Buckley care.’ Eddie shrugs, unable to fight the grin spreading on his face.
Buck rolls his eyes again but matches Eddie’s smile with one of his own.
‘Alright, I’ll leave you to it,’ Eddie says, standing up and patting Buck’s leg over the blanket.
Buck opens his mouth to say something, but snaps it shut instantly.
Eddie studies Buck’s face for a moment.
‘So, Theo loves Toy Story now,’ he says before sitting back down on the bed, feeling warmth blooming in his chest as he sees the relief wash over Buck’s face.
‘Oh, yeah?’ Buck asks, settling back against the cushions, moving the tray closer to him.
Eddie fills Buck in on everything he’d missed, pulling his phone out of his pocket to show Buck the photos he’d taken that day.
By the time Buck’s finished his soup, he’s close to falling back asleep.
‘Back to sleep now,’ Eddie tells him, moving the tray from Buck’s lap and standing up.
‘Yes, sir,’ Buck responds drowsily, lifting his hand to his head in what Eddie assumes is meant to be a mock salute.
Eddie waits until Buck’s eyes flutter shut before he leaves the room, carrying the tray to the kitchen and loading the used dishes into the dishwasher. He heads into the living room where Toy Story 2 is playing on the screen.
He crawls around to the front of the fort, where Theo is awake and still bundled under his blanket, with Chris sitting beside him.
‘Eddie!’ Theo exclaims excitedly.
‘Hey buddy, you have a good nap?’ Eddie asks, shifting himself into the fort again, and Theo instantly crawls back onto Eddie’s lap.
‘Yeah,’ Theo replies. ‘When I woke up, I sneezed so many times, and I asked Chris if I would explode, but he said no,’ he adds with a pout that rivals Buck’s.
‘Did you want to explode?’ Eddie asks.
Theo drops his head back to look up at Eddie and fixes him with an incredulous look.
‘Yeah,’ he responds, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world.
‘It would be really cool,’ Chris offers.
‘So cool,’ Theo agrees, sighing wistfully, making him sound a lot older than he is.
Eddie chuckles, shaking his fondly at the pair of them.
As the rest of the day passes, they finish watching Toy Story 2, and they get 10 minutes into the 3rd movie before Theo starts to get restless. They spend a bit of time in the backyard, and Theo drives around in his toy car for a little while and plays with some of the toys he has in the garden. By the time early evening rolls around, they’re sitting at the dining room table again, with a stack of puzzles sitting on the table in front of them.
Theo insists on doing the first one by himself, his eyebrows pulled together and his tongue poking out in concentration as he works, and he ends up completing two puzzles on his own.
‘I did it!’ Theo announces proudly, earning him a round of applause and cheers from Eddie and Chris.
Theo beams at them, and whilst he chooses the next puzzle - one he says he wants to do with Chris - Eddie slips away to check on Buck.
He’s awake when Eddie gets in there, taking his next dose of medicine.
Before either of them can say anything, Theo comes bounding into the room and hurls himself onto the bed.
Buck grins at him, opening his arms widely which Theo takes as an invitation to crash into him.
‘Buck! I did two puzzles on my own, and I watched Toy Story, number one and number two! And we played outside, but only for a little bit because Eddie says I have a cold and he said I had to wear my jacket,’ Theo babbles excitedly.
‘Eddie’s right,’ Buck says, watching Theo talk with so much fondness and attention on his face.
‘I know, he’s Eddie,’ Theo replies.
Eddie ducks his head then, feeling warmth spreading from his neck to his cheeks and ears.
‘And Eddie made magic soup, and Chris and I drew a picture for you, and Chris said I’m not gonna explode, but we both think it would be cool if I did, and Eddie built us a fort, and Chris showed me how to test it,’ Theo explains, showing Buck by standing up on the bed and wiggling his butt around. ‘Like that!’
‘Ah, the good old wiggle your butt fort test,’ Buck jokes.
‘Yeah!’ Theo agrees happily, plonking himself back down on the bed, before letting out a series of sneezes.
‘Wow, bless you! That was a lot of sneezes,’ Buck comments, grabbing a tissue from the tissue box next to him and holding it to Theo’s nose as he blows into it.
‘I won’t explode,’ Theo says gloomily.
‘I’m glad to hear it,’ Buck tells him seriously.
Theo fixes him with the same look he’d given Eddie.
‘I mean- I’m sorry?’ Buck tries again.
Theo sighs dramatically before flopping himself on the other side of Buck’s bed.
‘Can I stay here?’ Theo asks, looking up at Buck.
‘Of course you can, honey,’ Buck replies softly.
Eddie watches them with a smile as they both nestle themselves into the bed, turning to face each other as Theo continues recounting the day for Buck who listens happily and asks questions that Theo excitedly answers.
He slips out of the room quietly and shuts the door behind him, going back to where Chris is sitting at the dining room table on his phone.
‘Theo’s hanging out with Buck for a while, and I’m gonna make a start on dinner,’ Eddie tells him when Chris glances up.
‘Hey, Dad?’ Chris asks.
‘Yeah?’ Eddie responds as he starts to tidy the puzzles away from the table.
‘Can I go to Denny’s house for dinner and a sleepover? His Moms just got him a new game and they said I could go over there tonight if it’s okay with you? They’ll even pick me up from here.’
Eddie grins at him. ‘Yeah, Chris, of course you can. You’ve already done more than most kids your age would wanna do on a Saturday. Go have fun,’ he tells him.
‘Thanks, Dad,’ Chris replies, glancing back at his phone to presumably text Denny back.
‘You have a spare set of clothes and overnight stuff here that you can take with you,’ Eddie says, as he puts the puzzles away before heading to the linen closet to grab an overnight bag.
Eddie goes to grab Christopher’s spare clothes from where he knows Buck stores them in a drawer in his room, and when Eddie opens the bedroom door, he sees Buck and Theo are curled up together, fast asleep and letting out a series of synchronised soft snores. Eddie smiles at the sight, resisting the urge to take a photo. He quietly gets Christopher’s things and quietly closes the bedroom door behind him once he’s done.
‘How are Buck and Theo? I wanna say bye to them before I go,’ Chris says when Eddie gets to the dining room table.
‘Sorry, buddy, they’ve both fallen back to sleep,’ Eddie replies, organising Chris’ stuff into the bag for him. Eddie knows Chris is a teenager and is capable of packing his own bag but- sue him for wanting to do things for his baby.
‘I’m surprised you didn’t take a photo,’ Chris comments. ‘I don’t think I’ve met anyone who takes as many photos as you do on a sick day. I’m pretty sure there’s probably a photo album in a box somewhere dedicated to every flu or cold I’ve had in my life.’
Eddie chuckles, reaching out and ruffling Christopher’s hair. ‘Don’t act like I didn’t see you taking photos of me and Theo in the fort earlier.’
‘Which have already been sent to both yours and Buck’s phones, don’t worry.’ Chris responds. ‘Did you then?’
‘Did I what?’
‘Take photos of the sleeping patients,’ Chris laughs.
‘I considered it, but I left my phone out here,’ Eddie grumbles, gesturing with his head to where his phone is sitting atop the table.
Chris laughs harder then, and Eddie grins at the sound before joining in with the laughter too. They sit at the table and talk - Chris catching Eddie up on the latest school gossip - whilst they wait for Hen to arrive.
Soon after, Denny texts Chris to let him know they’re outside, so Eddie heads out with Chris to say hi to Hen, choosing to ignore the knowing look she gives him when he tells her that he’ll be crashing on Buck’s couch in case he or Theo needs anything. After saying bye to them all, Eddie heads back into the house. He goes to the kitchen and makes a start on the dinner. By the time he’s getting dinner in the oven, Buck and Theo are seemingly still asleep, so Eddie uses the time to quickly tidy up the living room as much as possible - leaving the fort in place in case Theo wants to go back into it after dinner.
He’s about to pick the remote up to put a movie on, but when he glances at the table next to the couch, he notices a book sitting on top of it, with a post-it note attached to the cover. Eddie picks it up and smiles. It’s a book that Eddie had mentioned to Buck the other day - a new release that had caught his eye but that he’d been unable to buy yet. The post-it, in Buck’s handwriting, reads “For Eddie”.
Eddie quickly slips out of the house to grab his reading glasses from his car before getting himself comfortable on the couch, with the book in hand.
He’s able to read one chapter before the timer for dinner goes off. Eddie places the book down on the couch and goes to the kitchen, getting the food out of the oven and leaving it to cool down on the side. Buck and Theo are still sound asleep, so Eddie figures he has time for at least one more chapter.
Eddie is so absorbed in reading his book that he doesn’t hear the padding of feet on the floor, and his attention is only pulled away when he feels the couch dip slightly next to him.
He turns to see Buck sitting beside him, shivering despite the soft looking hoodie he’d put on at some point.
‘You okay, bud?’ Eddie asks gently.
Buck grumbles something incoherent in response, definitely still half asleep, and before Eddie can comprehend what’s happening, Buck shifts closer to Eddie until his body is pressed right into Eddie’s. Buck wraps his arm around Eddie’s middle before nestling his head against Eddie’s chest.
Eddie feels frozen for a split second. Maybe he’s sick too, and this is a hallucination brought on by fever because, despite how many times - today alone - that Eddie has thought about cuddling with Buck, this isn’t something they’ve ever done.
Buck lets out an unhappy little noise, and Eddie instinctively relaxes his posture, letting his free arm wrap around Buck and pull him closer.
Buck sighs happily then, and Eddie feels any worry he had about their current position slip away, and he lets him enjoy the fact that not only is he holding Buck in his arms, but this is something Buck wanted and is making him feel better, even if just a little bit.
Eddie goes back to reading his book a few moments later, after managing to pull his eyes away from Buck’s sleeping figure, pressed so warmly and securely into Eddie. Maybe Buck just needed a platonic cuddle from his best friend. Eddie can do that. He is doing that. Very bravely and platonically.
Without even thinking about it, and as if his hand acted on its own accord, Eddie moves his arm up, and his fingers gently start to card through Buck’s hair. It takes him at least three times of repetitive movement to realise what he’s doing, and his hand freezes in Buck’s hair instantly.
That is, until Buck lets out that same unhappy little noise as before, so Eddie hesitantly starts up the movement again until Buck relaxes in his sleep again.
They haven’t done this before, but now that Eddie’s had a taste of it, he’s even more certain that this is something he wants to do for the rest of his life. He lets himself relax even more, enjoying the warmth of Buck draped over him and reading the book. His hand only ever leaves Buck’s hair when he needs to turn a page, and even then, he makes sure he does it as quickly as possible so he can go back to the comforting motion.
Eddie is so absorbed by his book and by having Buck in his arms that he doesn’t even see Buck’s eyes open.
‘Wha-’ Buck’s tone is slurred, thick with confusion and drowsiness.
Eddie smiles when he hears Buck’s voice, placing the book facedown on the armrest of the couch and looking down at him.
‘Hey, sleepyhead,’ Eddie greets him softly.
‘Ed- Eddie?’ Buck says, frowning in confusion as he takes in their positions.
Eddie watches as Buck’s eyes widen, and he feels Buck tense up against him. Eddie’s hand, that had still been combing through Buck’s hair, immediately drops down onto the couch.
Buck practically catapults himself out of Eddie’s arms, scrambling to stand up and nearly tripping over himself as he does.
Eddie instantly mourns the loss of the warmth of Buck’s body and the feeling of closeness and comfort. His hand twitches, wanting nothing more than to be tangled in Buck’s soft curls again.
‘Eddie,’ Buck starts, mortified. ‘I’m so sorry. I didn’t even think. I was half asleep, and I was convinced that I was dreaming- not that- not that I dream about that but- I’m sorry,’ his voice comes out in a whisper at the last few words, and his eyes are wide and scared. Like he’d done something wrong.
‘It won’t happen again,’ Buck adds softly.
Eddie wants to argue with that. He wants to tell Buck that it should happen again. That he liked it, and if Buck liked it too, then that was okay. But Buck is freaking out. He’s scared he’s crossed a line, and maybe it wasn’t something he’d actually wanted, or meant, to do.
‘It’s okay, bud. We’re all good,’ Eddie tells him, keeping his tone as light and breezy as possible. ‘Don’t worry about it.’
Buck’s shoulders visibly relax a little, but Eddie can still see the tension all over Buck’s face. He wants to say something, but before he gets the chance, Buck is already turning on his heel to leave.
‘I should check on Theo,’ Buck says quietly, not turning around to look at Eddie.
Eddie watches after him helplessly, swallowing the lump in his throat and pushing down the feeling bubbling in his chest.
He stands up and goes into the kitchen to start plating up dinner, finding comfort in busying himself.
By the time he’s plated up dinner for Buck, Theo and himself, Buck is walking into the kitchen.
‘Where’s Chris?’ Buck asks, breaking the silence.
‘Sleepover with Denny. Hen came to pick him up a while back,’ Eddie replies. ‘How’s Theo feeling?’
‘He’s starting to feel worse,’ Buck tells him, sighing sadly. ‘I gave him some more medicine, and he fell back asleep pretty quickly. Seemed pleased that I told him he can sleep in my bed tonight.’
‘Temperature?’ Eddie asks, carrying his and Buck’s plates through to the dining room table.
‘He’s warm, still reading normal though, but I’ll keep an eye on it,’ Buck replies, following him to the table, carrying the two glasses of water Eddie had poured for them.
‘And how are you feeling?’ Eddie asks as they both sit down at the table.
‘Good,’ Buck replies instantly.
Eddie raises an eyebrow at him disbelievingly.
‘Okay, well- not good, clearly,’ Buck responds, gesturing to himself. ‘But I do feel better.’
Eddie hums in response. ‘Good, I’m glad,’ he replies.
‘Thank you,’ Buck says softly, glancing over at Eddie, their knees bumping together underneath the table.
Eddie feels his skin tingling at the contact. ‘You don’t have to thank me, Buck,’ he responds, willing his body to calm down.
‘Yes, I do,’ Buck huffs out a short laugh. ‘Today would have been a lot harder without you. And Chris.’
‘Nowhere else I’d rather have been,’ Eddie says with a smile, echoing his words from earlier that day.
Buck returns his smile, but Eddie can still see the uncertainty behind Buck’s eyes and the way his eyebrows are pulled together in a tense frown.
The rest of dinner is mostly in silence. It’s not an awkward silence, but it’s not their usual silence either. This silence is deafening. It’s bursting at the seams with the words hanging in the air between them. Words that need to be spoken but are instead filling the room until they both inevitably choke on them.
‘I can clear up from dinner, you don’t have to stick around,’ Buck offers.
He’s offering Eddie an out. Maybe it’s an out for both of them. Buck, so he can hide away with the feelings of worry and panic he’s clearly feeling and for Eddie… What does Buck think he’s giving Eddie an out for? That Eddie’s uncomfortable and doesn’t want to be around Buck anymore?
‘I was gonna crash on the couch,’ Eddie explains. He isn’t even sure why he’s saying it if Buck doesn’t want him to stay. ‘In case you and Theo needed anything.’
Eddie watches as Buck’s face softens, and he thinks that maybe he’s gotten through to him. Maybe he’s broken through the wall of worry and shame that Buck had put up.
‘That’s okay, man. You’ve already done more than enough. More than-’ Buck says instead, cutting himself off at the end and letting the words drift into the air, along with the other unspoken words.
Eddie tries to get Buck to meet his gaze, but Buck is very pointedly avoiding Eddie’s eyes.
‘I’ll head out then,’ Eddie says softly. ‘Need help with the dishes?’
‘No, it’s okay. I’ve got it,’ Buck responds, just as softly.
Buck reaches out for Eddie’s plate at the same time that Eddie reaches to pass it to him, and their fingers brush against each other.
Eddie hears Buck inhale sharply, but by the time he looks up, Buck is already half way out of his seat and heading into the kitchen.
‘I’ll see you soon… call me if you guys need anything. You know I’ll be right over,’ Eddie tells him, following Buck into the kitchen.
‘Eddie,’ Buck starts. ‘I- I’ll see you around,’ he says, clearly changing his mind about whatever he was originally going to say.
Eddie gives him a soft, assuring smile, wanting to reach out and squeeze Buck’s shoulder in comfort, but he’s not sure how either of them would react right now at the contact.
He ends up sitting in his car for five minutes before he pulls away and then he ends up driving around aimlessly for ten more minutes.
Eddie doesn’t even realise that he’d been driving in a circle and ended up back on Buck’s street until he’s parking the car in the same spot it had been all day, directly outside of Buck’s house.
His body seems to be working on autopilot now as he steps out of the car, unlocking Buck’s front door with the key Buck had given him and- he freezes when he hears Buck’s voice coming from the living room.
Had Theo woken up? This isn’t exactly a conversation Eddie wanted to have in front of Theo. Not that he even knew what he’d come back here to say. His body had just brought him back. Like a magnetic pull.
Eddie toes his shoes off and softly walks towards the living room. He can see Buck sitting on the sofa, the now disassembled fort in front of him. Buck is clutching Theo’s dinosaur soft toy in his hands, but there’s no Theo in sight.
‘And then I woke up, and I was cuddling Eddie!’ Buck whisper-exclaims, oblivious to the fact that Eddie is standing a few feet away from him.
Oh, so it’s the toy dinosaur that Buck is talking to.
Fuck, Eddie loves him so much.
‘And it was- it was bad,’ Buck continues.
Eddie feels his heart drop. Buck thought it was bad to cuddle Eddie?
‘Not the actual cuddling,’ Buck clarifies, as though he can hear Eddie’s thoughts. ‘That was good. Really good. But that’s the problem. I enjoyed it way more than I should have. I can’t be the bi man in love with his straight best friend who makes said best friend uncomfortable by cuddling him.’
‘You didn’t make me uncomfortable, bud,’ Eddie says softly, trying not to startle him.
It doesn’t work.
Buck squeaks, dropping the dinosaur on the floor instantly like it had just burned him.
‘Fuck, this fever’s really getting to me,’ Buck mumbles. ‘I’m talking to a dinosaur, and now it’s talking back to me. And apparently it’s Eddie.’
Eddie can’t help the grin spreading across his face. He walks around to the couch and sits beside Buck.
‘Hey Buck,’ he greets him as Buck turns to face him. Buck’s face goes through a million different emotions but, to Eddie’s relief, settles on smiling back at Eddie.
‘Eddie, you came back,’ Buck breathes softly.
‘I’ll always come back to you, Buck,’ Eddie replies earnestly, before leaning down and picking up the dinosaur. ‘And you were talking to Theo’s dinosaur. And then dropped him straight on his head. Don’t worry, though, I won’t tell Theo.’
Buck blinks at him. ‘How much of that conversation did you hear?’
Eddie hums. ‘Enough,’ he replies.
‘Eddie,’ Buck whispers, sounding devastated as his face crumples.
‘Like I said, you didn’t make me uncomfortable,’ Eddie continues.
‘I crossed so many boundaries and then practically shoved you out the door!’ Buck responds, coughing immediately after.
Eddie reaches out for the bottle of water Buck has placed on the floor and passes it to him silently, waiting for Buck to take a few sips.
‘Whose boundaries?’ Eddie asks.
‘What?’ Buck replies, frowning in confusion.
‘Whose boundaries did you cross?’
‘Yours!’ Buck exclaims, his tone still in a whisper so he doesn’t disturb Theo or strain his voice.
‘And what boundaries of mine did you supposedly cross?’ Eddie questions.
Buck opens his mouth to respond, but he falters trying to come up with a response.
Eddie swallows and glances down at where Buck’s hand is fidgeting on the couch in between them. He moves his own hand so it’s resting next to Buck’s and brushes his pinky finger against Buck’s own pinky finger.
‘Buck,’ Eddie starts, letting out a shaky breath. ‘I’m gay.’
Silence fills the room for what feels like an eternity, but is actually mere seconds.
For the second time that day, Buck catches Eddie off guard by pulling him into a hug so tight that Eddie lets out a surprised noise, but he immediately lets himself relax into Buck’s embrace. He thinks that maybe it’s okay to let himself have this moment, as his face is smooshed into Buck’s hoodie.
‘I’m so proud of you,’ Buck says softly. His voice is still raspy, and his breath tickles against Eddie’s ear and Eddie can’t help the way his body shudders in response.
‘There’s something else,’ Eddie says, his tone muffled from where he’s squished into Buck.
‘Huh?’ Buck asks, sounding breathless.
Eddie wriggles out of Buck’s arms, much to both of their dismay, but only enough so that he can look at Buck. Buck’s arms stay firmly wrapped around Eddie, and Eddie moves his own arms so one hand is resting on Buck’s shoulder and the other, after a millisecond’s deliberation, he places it on Buck's waist.
Buck’s eyes track the movement, and then his eyes find Eddie’s again - filled with equal parts hope and terror.
‘You told the dinosaur you’re in love with me,’ Eddie murmurs.
Buck sucks in a breath, and his eyes instantly drop, but Eddie’s own eyes follow his until they’re staring at each other again.
‘There’s something else,’ Eddie repeats. ‘That I wanted to tell you.’
Eddie’s eyes fall to Buck’s throat as he watches him swallow. Eddie licks his lips as he watches him. He eventually looks up again to see Buck watching him, and Eddie feels himself flushing under the heat of Buck’s gaze.
‘I love you, Buck,’ Eddie says, no longer letting the unspoken conversations stay in a mid-air suspension. ‘I’m in love with you,’ he clarifies. ‘I’m so in love with you that it was physically painful being around you all day and not being able to reach out and hold you. It felt like someone stabbed me in the gut. Actually, worse than that. I’d know.’
Buck fixes him with an unimpressed look at the last part, but his expression immediately softens again when Eddie moves his hand from Buck’s shoulder to cup his jaw instead.
‘You love me,’ Buck whispers.
‘I do,’ Eddie confirms with a grin. ‘And you love me.’
‘I do,’ Buck parrots.
Eddie will not acknowledge the way hearing that come out of Buck’s mouth made his insides feel.
‘And I’m not having a really good, but crazy, fever dream?’ Buck asks, frowning.
‘This is very much real,’ Eddie promises. ‘We can have another conversation tomorrow too when your fever has broken, but for now, just know that this is real and I love you. Now will you let me kiss you?’
Buck’s eyes widen for the briefest second before he beams at Eddie, closing the distance between them slowly.
Eddie’s eyes flutter closed, and he feels his heart jackhammering in his chest so loudly that Buck can probably hear it.
‘Wait, no. I can’t kiss you!’ Buck suddenly announces.
Eddie frowns, opening his eyes and looking at Buck with a pout.
‘Why not?’ he questions petulantly.
‘Because, Eddie!’ Buck starts, throwing his hands up in exasperation. ‘I’m sick. I will not pass my germs on to you.’
‘I think that ship has sailed, bud,’ Eddie tells him.
‘Nope,’ Buck says firmly. ‘Not happening. We’ll kiss when I’m better. We’ll kiss a lot when I’m better. I’m snotty nosed and full of germs right now, it's- it’s disgusting.’
‘You don’t want to kiss me, Buckley?’ Eddie asks, looking at Buck with wide eyes and pouting again.
He bites back a grin as he watches Buck’s resolve crumble in front of him.
‘Eddie,’ Buck breathes out. ‘I want to kiss you so badly.’
‘So kiss me then,’ Eddie retorts gruffly.
Eddie hears something that can only be described as a growl leaving Buck as he once again closes the distance between them, his fingers tangled into the back of Eddie’s hair as Buck pulls him in until their lips connect.
Eddie has thought about this moment a lot. He’s pictured their first kiss more times than he can count, but nothing could have prepared him for the real thing. It starts soft and gentle, but it doesn’t stay like that for too long. Buck kisses him like a man starved, and Eddie grabs Buck by a fistful of his hoodie, pulling him impossibly closer as his tongue licks into Buck’s mouth. It shouldn’t surprise Eddie that even kissing each other is something that feels so natural for them. They’ve always been so in sync with each other, so it’s only fitting that their bodies would be the same. Like a call and response.
Buck eventually pulls away breathlessly, much to Eddie’s chagrin. He lets out a quiet whimper at the loss of contact.
‘Hard to breathe,’ Buck says, huffing out a breathless laugh.
Eddie hums. ‘You relax then, baby,’ he whispers, leaning forward and gently pressing his lips on the side of Buck’s face, peppering soft kisses all over Buck’s face. ‘I told you, let me look after you.’
The combination of the kisses and Eddie’s words seem to draw out a soft whine from Buck, and Eddie smiles at the reaction.
‘You’re so getting sick now,’ Buck mumbles as Eddie’s lips continue to leave a trail of kisses down Buck’s jaw and to his neck.
‘Worth it,’ Eddie murmurs against Buck’s skin.
‘Just means,’ Buck starts, his words pausing as Eddie starts to suck on the supple skin at the base of Buck’s throat.
Eddie pauses and looks up at him expectantly.
‘Just means,’ Buck tries again. ‘That it’ll be my turn to look after you.’
Eddie smiles, feeling heat pooling in his body at the words. ‘Mm, yeah, I like the sound of that,’ he says, before continuing to kiss Buck on every inch of available skin he can find.
There really is nowhere else Eddie would rather have been today.