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“Just admit it, Buck. You’re a scaredy cat.”
Buck huffs and flops against the arm of the couch dramatically, moving away from Eddie indignantly. He is not a scaredy cat, okay? He just prefers to not be in emotional stress when watching a movie because movie nights are supposed to be relaxing. Suspense means the exact opposite of that.
So, once again, he is not a scaredy cat. He just likes to keep his nervous system regulated.
“I am not,” he says vehemently.
Eddie smiles over at him. It’s a playful thing and Buck hates how much it doesn't get on his nerves. He rolls his eyes. “God, Eddie. Just play the freaking movie. I’ll prove it to you.”
He raises his eyebrows, clearly in disbelief of Buck's words. “Alright,” he chuckles. “Just don’t hide in my shoulder when things get tense.”
“Whatever,” Buck mumbles. He settles back, tucking his legs up into himself and gets ready to prove his best friend wrong.
📺
The movie begins and Buck is already fighting the title Scaredy Cat. Now, he isn’t going to say it out loud but as he watches the body camera footage of someone attempting to save themselves from the maze of the backrooms he can’t help the slight locking up of his body. It’s stressful for the first scene, okay? That’s all.
“Doin’ okay, bud?”
Buck side eyes his gaze over to Eddie. The man is looking at him with an expression that screams pride in his knowledge of Buck, but there’s also something soft there, fondness lurking behind the teasing.
“Yeah, great.” He clears his throat and looks back to the screen as it cuts to the introduction of a little girl leaving her handprint in cement while a house – hers, presumably – gets torn down around her.
Okay, that’s easy. Maybe the trailer was just over-exaggerating and it’s not going to be as sca – tense as it looks.
📺
He is never going to look at a pirate the same again.
“So,” Eddie draws out, stretching. “That wasn’t so bad. I was expecting worse.”
Buck refrains from glaring at him. It’s a question he isn’t going to actually ask out loud because Eddie will make it his goal to show Buck but – what exactly would be worse?
“Yeah, right?”
Eddie flicks off the TV and in the reflection of the black screen Buck sees him bring a leg up onto the couch and turn towards him. He takes a deep breath. “Buck, it's okay,” Eddie says, his tone low as if he were talking to a child. “If the scary movie did in fact scare you, you can admit it.”
“Shut up,” he snaps. “It did not scare me. It’s not even listed as scary, alright? It’s suspenseful! Science fiction!”
Eddie hums, conceding. “Okay, alright. Whatever you say, bud. I’m gonna head to bed,” he says, standing up. He rounds the couch, gently patting Buck’s shoulder. “You just let me know if you need anything, ‘kay?”
“Yeah, Ed’s, thanks.”
Buck will not be needing anything because he is also going to sleep.
📺
He can’t sleep. And fine, maybe the movie did scare him because every time he closes his eyes, he can’t help the feeling of something tall with the wrong face standing in a dark corner, watching him.
Obviously, Buck knows that there isn’t anything actually there but the feeling is still uncomfortable. He makes sure his feet are secure in his blanket, not hanging over the couch as bait for some freaky thing to grab onto.
And then he sighs because he just wants to sleep. He peeks at Eddie's door down the hallway from over the back of the couch. No. He shouldn’t because Eddie will immediately understand when he feels a weight dip next to him, will gain a smug smirk that will make Buck have to admit defeat.
But he wants to so badly.
No. He’s a grown man who won’t let a movie (suspenseful!) ruin his sleep schedule. So, he closes his eyes and wills away the images of the uncanny placement of furniture.
📺
Buck wakes up with a jolt. He must have successfully dozed off at some point because he was just having a very bad dream. A scary one. He sighs, forcing his breathing to slow.
Sometimes, there is something worse about being left with only the feeling you had during a dream and not the context as to why. He can’t remember what the dream was about, just that it was not good and he never wants to experience it again. At least not alone.
He looks over to Eddie’s door again, how it’s cracked open just slightly. ‘You just let me know if you need anything, ‘kay?’
Buck curses at himself and stands up. When his bare feet hit the carpet, he has the very childish urge to run. But it's not that far from the couch to Eddie’s room so he’s there soon enough, gently pushing the door open. It's a wave of relief to see Eddie’s form on his bed, comforting in a way that’s unique to what their relationship is.
He quietly pads his way to the empty side of the bed, the one furthest from the door, and brings one knee up as he pulls back the covers. He cringes when he hears a sleepy mumble from Eddie.
“B’ck?”
Sighing, he mumbles back, “yeah, it’s me.”
Eddie sits up and flicks on his bedside lamp. He rubs the sleep from his eyes and looks up at Buck. The smug smirk Buck was expecting never comes, instead he gets a small smile and eyes shining with understanding. “Did the move scare you, bud?”
Buck relents, shoulders sagging. He sits down on the side of the bed, picking at a loose thread on the comforter. “Okay, fine. Maybe a little. I had a dream.”
“I’m sorry. A bad one?”
“Mhm.
That smile again. “Do you want to keep the light on?”
He shakes his head. “No, I’m good now.”
📺
Some handful of minutes later, after he’s gotten himself tucked into the sheets with lights off and Eddie breathing quietly next to him on his back, Buck has yet to shut his eyes.
He just can’t. And he’s never going to say yes to watching any kind of scary – suspenseful, tense, whatever – movie again because this always happens; he’s freaked out of his ass and his brain won’t stop running. Let him separate fiction from reality.
Holding back a huff, he turns on his side, putting him to face Eddie. The sight of him would be relaxing, something tranquil only if there weren’t empty, dark space behind him. He quickly twists his head to look over his shoulder, just to confirm he’s safe and there's no pirate lurking.
“Buck,” Eddie mumbles.
His voice is a quiet thing, his volume calm, but it still makes Buck jump, nonetheless. He snaps his head back, cursing. “Don’t do that, Ed’s, jeez. I thought you were asleep.”
He turns on his side as well, laying his cheek on his hand atop the pillow. “I can’t sleep if I can feel the nervousness vibrating off of you.”
“Yeah, well that movie was creepy.”
“Buck,” Eddie laughs softly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know it was going to freak you out this much or else I wouldn’t have suggested it.”
“It’s fine,” he sighs, pulling the sheets tighter around him as if that could ward off anything. “I’ll be over it by, like, next week.”
Eddie doesn’t say anything back, he just gazes at Buck. And Buck, well, he can’t really handle it so he closes his eyes, pretending to attempt to slumber again.
Then Eddie speaks.
“Do you want me to hold you?”
He opens his eyes. The obvious answer is yes that he does want that very much. But does he want it because he’s a scaredy cat or because it’s Eddie and he just wants it.
Eddie stutters in the silence of Buck’s answer. “I mean – would it help if I held you?”
He meets Eddie’s questioning eyes. “Yeah, yes. Please.”
“Okay,” he whispers, a hint of relief on his face. He opens up his arm and murmurs, “c’mere, bud.”
Buck’s hesitation is small, if even there at all. He wiggles over ungracefully, closing the scant space between them by inserting himself under Eddie’s raised arm, folding himself into the area underneath his chin with his head on the bicep underneath him. Eddie wraps his top arm around him, all his warmth seeping through Buck’s shirt.
Their legs tangle next and for the first time that night, since watching the movie, Buck feels completely languid. Safe.
He can feel Eddie place his face against his head, his breath falling softly into his hair when he speaks. “Is this better?”
“Mh. So much better,” he mumbles, slumber reaching him comfortably this time.
📺
He wakes up warm. Not sweaty or hot, just pleasantly warm. He stretches out, a groan leaving his chest as his feet hit someone else’s. Oh, right. Eddie. His best friend Eddie. The one he watched a movie with, the one who teased him about said reaction to weird movie, the one who held him – is still holding him.
Eddie shifts against him, his arms tightening around Buck as he stretches, too.
They’ve woken up in the same position that Buck remembers them starting in, just with slightly more tangle and less space, because that was somehow possible. The sun is fighting to reach their covered limbs through the drawn curtains, leaving them with a morning dawn and streaks of light.
“Mh,” Eddie hums. “W’ht time is it?”
“I don’t know,” Bucks says against his skin. “Early. I just woke up.”
Eddie pushes his body halfway up, making sure to not dislodge Bucks head in the process. He squints over his form, reading the alarm clock on the nightstand. “Yeah, early,” he sighs, flopping back down.
He readjusts their positions only enough so he can look down at Buck without getting a crick in his neck. “How did you end up sleeping?”
Buck nuzzles back into his bicep. He’s blushing, he can feel the heat in his face. But whether it’s from his dramatics – and yes, he can admit he’s dramatic but that doesn’t mean he is not valid, okay? – of last night or because, once again, Eddie is still cuddling him – offered to cuddle him in the first place! – Buck does not know.
“Good.” He clears his throat. “Yeah, great. Very comfy. Very safe.”
He feels more than he hears Eddie chuckle. “Well, I’m glad you were very comfy and very safe. No eight foot tall pirates around to get you when I’m here, right?”
“Exactly,” he smiles.
Eddie goes quiet for a moment. Then, “so, what would you say to another movie?”
Buck rolls off of him, groaning as he pulls the comforter over his head. “What, just so you can tease me some more? I thought we were past that.”
“No! No more teasing. Again, I’m sorry, bud,” he laughs. The covers are pulled off of Buck, revealing Eddie leaning over him. “I’m sure there’s a new romance in the theaters.”
Buck frowns up at him. “But you don’t like romances. And we never go to the movies because we like to wait until it’s free and watch it at home.”
Eddie stares at him and then huffs, knocking their foreheads together once. “But you like romances,” he murmurs. “And I want to romance you.?”
“Oh,” Buck whispers. “Oh. Like – like a date?”
Eddie nods. “Let me take you on a date, Buck. And give you a movie you’ll actually enjoy.”
Buck gapes up at him. And then nods. Over and over and over. “Yes. Holy shit, Ed’s. You wanna go on a movie date with me?”
He brings his hand up to brush through Bucks curls. “I wanna go on every date with you,” he confesses.
“Really? For how long?” Then, “wait,” Buck says, slowly. “You did this on purpose, didn't you? You know I don’t like scary movies and so you –”
Eddie shuts him up with a first kiss. On the lips, that is.
He is going to praise the hell out of The Backrooms.