Work Text:
Frank is just about to assign Eddie his therapy homework for the weekend when a sharp knock echoes through the room. Before he can respond, Buck bursts through the door.
“I’m so sorry to interrupt, Eddie. I’ve got to grab Theo’s car seat out of your truck. Maddie called—he’s vomiting, so I’m going to get him now. I called Pepe—she’s fine with putting Chris in an Uber to your house, if you are…”
Eddie is already fishing his keys out of his pocket. Buck turns to Frank with an apologetic wince. “Sorry again. I’m Buck,” he says, introducing himself as if that explains everything.
Frank looks puzzled. He glances past Buck at Eddie with a quizzical smile. “Uh… Theo’s guardian?” Buck tries again. Frank shakes his head. “Evan Buckley?” he offers, hopeful.
It becomes painfully clear that Frank has absolutely no idea who Evan Buck Buckley is.
“Here are the keys,” Eddie says quickly, tossing them to Buck and avoiding eye contact.
Buck takes one last look between Eddie and Frank, then slowly backs out of the office. “What the hell?” he mutters once the door closes behind him.
As he changes the car seats and drives to Maddie’s, confusion curdles into hurt. Eddie returned to therapy after a particularly nasty call they both attended. Buck had been nothing but supportive. He often took Eddie out to dinner afterward to decompress, like they were planning to do today. Was he too supportive? Too much?
Oh God, Buck thinks, I’ve done it again. I pushed too hard into someone else’s life. He doesn’t talk about me because I’m not that important. Sure, our weekly dinners are the highlight of my week, but he’s just being polite. The family dinners with the boys—Theo and Chris—he’s just being nice, helping out another single dad. I’ve made this relationship my cornerstone, and to him, I’m just some guy.
Buck pulls into Maddie’s driveway. Just behind him, a truck squeals to a stop, blocking him in.
“Hey, pal,” Buck calls irritably, “you’re gonna have to move—wait… Eddie?”
Eddie jumps out of the truck. “Buck!”
Thunder cracks overhead as rain begins to pour. Buck shakes his head, too frustrated to talk, and heads toward Maddie’s door. He just wants to grab Theo and go home.
“Buck!” Eddie shouts, running toward him and blocking his path.
“Eddie, enough,” Buck grumbles.
“I’m sorry about what happened with Frank.”
“Okay,” Buck shrugs, shivering in the rain.
“No. Not okay.” Eddie’s voice is firm. “Ask me why I didn’t mention you to Frank.”
Buck sighs miserably. “Fine. Why didn’t you ever mention me to Frank?”
“Yeah, that’s exactly what Frank asked. And then he asked me a whole bunch of follow up questions. How close we were. And I didn’t know how to answer that…”
See? Buck thinks. It’s because you forced a whole relationship out of nothing.
“So Frank kept going. He asked about your relationship with Christopher and mine with Theo. I told him you were close with Christopher. When I explained the guardianship clause in my will, he put his pen down. And when he asked how long I’d known you—and I said one year, but that I learned everything I needed to know in that year—that’s the first time I heard Frank swear.”
Buck’s breath catches.
“When he asked about Theo, he looked at me and said, ‘So you’re raising two kids with him.’” Eddie looks delighted, almost disbelieving.
“And he kept going. Question after question about us. I told him how you took over our lease when I went to Texas. That I was jealous of the dog you tried to adopt. That I was jealous of every single person you ever dated. That I know what you sound like snoring because you sleep over all the time. That you and Chris like pineapple pizza and I eat it because I like both of you. That you bake more in my kitchen than yours. That I’m willing to throw hands for you—probably kill for you. That on my worst, saddest days, I think I’m willing to live for you.”
Buck’s eyes widen.
“I think I broke Frank,” Eddie continues softly. “And finally he returned to the central question—why didn’t I ever mention you in therapy? And by then, we both knew the answer.”
Eddie is drenched, hair plastered to his forehead, shirt clinging to him. He’s grinning, holding onto Buck’s arm like it’s the only solid thing in the storm.
“Why didn’t you ever talk about me in therapy, Eddie?” Buck whispers.
“Because I knew Frank would ask all the follow up questions, and I’d have to really look at our relationship. And I wasn’t ready before.” Eddie’s voice is steady. “But I’m ready now. Buck, I didn’t talk about you in therapy because I built my life around you. Because I am in love with you. I have been in love with you for years.”
Buck steps forward and pulls Eddie into him—arms, chest, everything—closing the distance like he’s been waiting years for permission. He crashes his lips into Eddie’s. Eddie wraps an arm around the back of Buck’s head, holding him close. Buck’s back bumps against the wall of the house. Eddie pulls back just enough for their foreheads to touch, breath mingling.
“Me too,” Buck whispers. “I love you too.”
“And when I realized it,” Eddie says, brushing rain from Buck’s cheek, “I drove here as fast as I could. Thank God you drive like a grandmother,” Eddie murmurs.
Buck laughs and leans in for another kiss.
Maddie’s voice rings out cheerfully through the porch camera. “We can keep Theo here, Buck. You two go home and continue this discussion there.”
Chimney’s voice follows: “Also, you might be cited for public indecency if you stay on our porch.”
Buck and Eddie grin at each other. Buck hesitates. “Is this too soon?”
Eddie shakes his head. “No. Frank agrees. I’ve waited too long.”
He kisses Buck once more. “Come home with me.”