Chapter Text
Buck was fucked. Like actually fucked, he was done for and there was nothing he could do to fix it. And it’s not like it was his fault, Tommy broke up with him, not the other way around. But still, Buck is the one that has to deal with his parents throwing it in his face that he isn’t made for love. And Buck knows he isn’t, no one loves as deep as he does, but he tried, he tried to push how hard he loved into a box so it wouldn’t drive Tommy out like it did with all of his other partners.
He tried really hard to just seem normal, and act normal, not to push too far and make Tommy uncomfortable, yet, Tommy still left. So Buck guesses his parents are right, he isn’t lovable, maybe by his sister, sure, but Maddie loves everyone, she’s practically an angel sent to earth. Not Buck though, Buck was everything Maddie wasn’t, and not in a good way either.
And now he was stuck in this predicament, pacing around the loft baking seven different types of bread and trying really hard not to call Tommy and beg him to come back. Throwing himself into baking to forget his problems was something Buck was so used to doing that the workers at the corner store already knew to keep at least one bag of flour in the back in case Buck needed it.
And by God, did Buck need some flour right at this moment. Flour and a boyfriend. Well, Buck could buy one of those right now, but sadly the boyfriend wouldn’t be falling in his lap any time soon.
So, he grabs his keys off the counter, shoving them in his pockets while making sure the oven was off, he rather not have to call the 118 in this exact moment, he didn’t need A-shift to see him in this desperate state he’s in. Buck makes his way to the door and to his surprise he sees Eddie, fist raised, ready to knock on the wood.
“Eddie,wh- what are you doing here?” He stutters out, breath catching in his throat. As much as Buck loves having Eddie's presence beside him, at any moment really, this is the one instat where Buck doesn't think Eddie should be present for. I mean, he hasn't even told the man that his boyfriend, a really close friend of Eddie's, has broken up with him, so really, not a great time.
“Hey Buck, are you okay? You haven't been answering any of my texts, i was getting worrie-” Eddie cuts himself off, eyes scanning over the loft and stopping on the kitchen island where there were already the seven loaves of bread, 5 pans of cookies, around 40 muffins, and a very badly decorated cake, all wrapped and ready to be given away to his sister, all the members of the 118, A-shift and B-shift alike, plus, maybe some other homeless shelters around LA. Eddie had this confounded look on his face, like there were pieces clicking together and pieces that looked like they were from a completely different jigsaw puzzle.
“Santo Dios, Buck. What happened? Your whole apartment is a mess, man, and not to bring up the state of your hair!” Eddie is speaking in a soft voice that if you didn't know anything about Eddie you would probably not think anything of it, but Buck knew, he knew Eddie was judging him, very very badly.
Buck reaches for his hair trying to fix whatever was happening up there without his consciousness, but Eddie bats his hand away and lays his own hand on Buck's shoulder making sure he's making eye contact.
“Buck, what the hell is going on? Actually, i don't want to know right now, what i want is to know when the last time you slept was, you look horrible”
“Wow, you really know how to make a man feel special.” Buck says, voice dipping into sarcastic very easily. Eddie rolls his eyes and lightly pushes his friend away. He starts making his way to the living room and sits down on the couch, feet up on the coffee table in front of him.
“Umm, if i tell you i don't remember, what will you think?”
“Jesus Christ Buck!” Eddie sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. He gets up and walks to the kitchen, grabs a cookie off the counter, shoves it in his mouth and goes to grab a cup from the cabinet.
Buck can't help but notice how comfortable Eddie seems in his house, almost like it belongs to him too. And in a way it does, he has a key and everything, spending half his free time there, just as much as Buck spends his free time at Eddie's. But still, his movements are basically homely and secure.
Buck loves it.
He loves having Eddie around in the loft, sitting on the uncomfortable couch, sipping a beer, talking about their day even when they spent it together. It's soft, almost romantic, Buck will never say that part out loud.
He doesn't realize how long he was in his thoughts (read: Dreams) until Eddie is handing him a cup of water, and by damn, Buck was thirsty.
So he sips, sips and thinks about how great Eddie is, how amazing of a partner he would be for Buck if they were even a little bit attracted to each other, but they aren’t, and even if Buck thinks Eddie is one of the most attractive men on earth, that's in a platonic way, clearly.
And that's when the great idea comes in, well, great in Buck’s head, but we aren't going to fight about that right this moment. He needed a boyfriend, someone who could help him deal with his parents and make sure he doesn't go insane, someone he can trust to be by his side through everything tough. Someone who he can consider a best friend, and who is that person to Buck if not Eddie?
“We should date.”
Eddie drops a cup.