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The house sounded the way it always did after a Buckley-Diaz family dinner. That familiar soundtrack had shifted a few months ago, when Buck took Theo under his care. Truthfully, it had been changing ever since Eddie met Buck.
At first, their evenings were filled with Chris's bright giggles and the excited chatter Buck could always coax out of him, whether by telling ridiculous stories or rattling off bizarre facts about whatever animals they'd seen at the zoo. Then for a few months after Shannon’s passing and the lawsuit the laughter got more reserved but it never stopped. Eddie did everything he could to make his kid smile, no matter how impossible circumstances felt. Regardless, he could tell the difference and that’s why he unloaded the “Chris” bomb at Buck in the middle of the grocery store.
After the three of them found their way back to one another, the sound settled again. The only thing that really changed was Chris growing older, his laughter deepening with every passing year but never losing the excitement that came from spending time with his dad and his Buck.
Then for a few most painful months of Eddie’s life the giggles were replaced by silence. Buck stayed by his side through all of it but the missing part of his heart was too strong for Eddie to laugh genuinely. Texas never sounded quite right without Buck, either.
That was when Eddie realized he wanted Buck's laughter woven into those evenings, too. Every day. Forever.
Suddenly, it became very clear why neither Ana nor Marisol had ever found a place in the favorite soundtrack of his life. That place had belonged to his best friend all along. Coming to terms with his sexuality and the fact that he is in love with Buck were easier than Eddie initially had thought. He never confessed, though. Not because he was afraid; if anything, he was almost certain Buck felt the same. But after everything they'd been through over the past year and a half, Eddie wanted to wait until their lives had settled into something quieter and steadier, before turning it upside down once again.
A burst of giggles pulled Eddie out of his thoughts. He turned from the sink, drying his hands on the kitchen towel as he looked toward the table. Chris and Theo were surrounded by puzzle pieces, the half-finished picture spread between them. The toddler was holding one piece with complete confidence, trying to fit it into a spot where it clearly didn't belong. For a second, Eddie couldn't see what was so funny. Then he noticed the result of Theo's hard work. The dog on the puzzle now had a tail that seemed to be growing out of its head. Theo looked up at Chris, his eyes full of mischief, waiting for his reaction. He wasn't confused. He knew exactly what he had done. Chris lasted about two seconds before breaking into laughter. He reached over and ruffled Theo's hair, the same way Eddie had done to him countless times over the years. Something warm settled in Eddie's chest. His heart felt like it had grown a few sizes. Because somehow, his favourite soundtrack had gained another layer. Another kind of laughter. Little giggles filled with mischief and an excited voice that made the whole house feel even more alive. He wouldn't trade that sound for anything.
Eddie turned back to the sink, letting himself get lost in the familiar rhythm of washing dishes. He didn't notice when Buck came back from the laundry room. He didn't notice the footsteps approaching behind him, the familiar scent of him filling the air, or the hand that slipped around his side. Before Eddie could ask what he was doing, something sweet touched his lips. He opened his mouth on instinct and nearly melted when he realized Buck had snuck his favourite candy to him behind the boy’s backs.
“Oh, I love you so much. Buck. Thank you.” Eddie said easily, turning around to press a quick kiss to Buck's mouth.
It was only when he saw Buck's completely stunned expression, and noticed the sudden silence in the kitchen, that Eddie realized what he had just done. Of course candy was what finally made Eddie Diaz, the man with the legendary sweet tooth, accidentally confess his love.
He took a slow breath, trying to ignore the way his heart was suddenly racing.
"Mijo," he said, looking toward Chris, "could you take Theo to your room for a little bit? I need to talk to Buck."
"Come on, Theo. I'll show you my new house in Minecraft," Chris said, already standing up. Theo immediately jumped from his chair and followed him, but Chris paused for just a moment. He looked at Eddie over his shoulder, a knowing grin spreading across his face. Then he gave his dad a very enthusiastic thumbs up behind Buck's back. Eddie had never been more grateful for his son and more embarrassed by him at the same time.
Eddie turned back to Buck, who was still standing completely frozen in place. His eyes were wide, his mouth slightly open, and the only thing that had changed was the hand now resting against his lips, like he was trying to understand whether he had really just felt Eddie's mouth against his.
“Buck, baby, look at me,” Eddie whispered.
He reached for Buck's hand and gently pulled it away from his face, holding it between both of his own. Slowly, those familiar blue eyes finally met his brown ones. For a second, the whole world seemed to stop.
“I’m sorry I did that so out of the blue,” Eddie said, his thumb brushing over Buck's knuckles. “But, honestly? I’ve been holding this in for a year and a half.”
“What do you mean, Eddie?” Buck asked. There was hope in his voice. A fragile kind of hope. But there was a slight tremble there too, like he was afraid to believe what he was hearing.
“First of all,” Eddie said, taking a breath, “I’m gay, Buck.” His voice didn't shake. It wasn't a confession filled with fear. It was simply the truth.
Buck stared at him for a few seconds, processing the words. Then, without hesitation, he pulled Eddie into a tight hug. “I’m so proud of you, Eds.” The laugh that escaped Eddie was filled with relief of finally saying that to someone other than his own son. He hugged Buck back before pushing him away just enough to look at him.
“That’s not all I wanted to say.” Buck went still again. “I realized something else too,” Eddie continued, his voice softer now. “I’m in love with you. I have been for longer than I knew how to admit.” Buck's eyes immediately filled with tears. Eddie felt them in his own eyes too. “I want to be with you. I want to build a life with you. I want to raise our kids with you. I’m in this forever, if you want me.”
“Eddie,” Buck breathed, like his name was a confession itself, “Of course I want you. I love you so much.”
For a few seconds, they just looked at each other, soft smiles on their faces, seeing each other in a new light for the first time. In the same kitchen where they had spent probably thousands of evenings before. The kitchen where they had talked, fought, cooked, laughed, and built almost ten years of memories together.
Buck broke the silence first. “Can I kiss you? Because I feel like I’m going to die if I don’t feel your mouth on mine again in the next ten seconds.”
Eddie laughed softly, shaking his head. “We can’t have that, can we?”
Buck smiled. “Come here.”
Buck kissed him. Or, at least, he tried to. Because the second their lips met, they both smiled too much for it to be anything close to a proper kiss. Eddie couldn't help it. The whole thing was too surreal and too easy at the same time. And he felt so incredibly happy. They broke apart with quiet laughter, foreheads touching, still smiling like two idiots who couldn't believe they had finally gotten here.
Then Buck closed the gap again. This time they managed to kiss properly, and Eddie’s world turned on its axis. Not only because Buck was a great kisser, but because the first time in Eddie’s life a kiss felt like that. At the same time familiar and completely new. He felt like his entire body was on fire and the only things he could focus on were Buck’s lips, Buck’s taste, Buck’s smell. Buck. Buck. Buck.
After a few minutes or maybe eternity, (Eddie wasn’t quite sure), they pulled apart to catch breath. They heard two laughters coming from Chris’s room and they smiled at each other softly, their foreheads touching. At that moment Eddie Diaz knew that the sound that filled the house in the evenings would always change but he was incredibly excited for what comes next.