#and while Eddie was too nervous to take the step and begin their relationship...
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The First "Like" and First "Love"
Chapter 1/1 - - - Read it on AO3
Word Count : 2,250
Summary: When the end of the world is over and everyone can feel alive and like themselves again, Steve and Eddie drift together to find something all their own.
... Aka, the first time Steve tells Eddie "I like you" and the first time Eddie tells Steve "I love you".
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It started with Steve and Eddie hanging out, as so much often did those days.
The two of them gravitated to each other after it was all over. Between matching scars and babysitting shifts, they found themselves having more in common than just surviving the Upside Down. Steve talked to Eddie, and Eddie talked to Steve. Whenever they did that, it was like they made their own little bubble. Just a little pocket of air in the world they shared. Of course, if the group was present, they’d quickly find something thrown at them for ignoring their kids and friends.
“Rude!” they’d call the two for not sharing the attention.
So they started to find those little pockets on their own sometimes. Late nights were spent in either's house. Sitting together after movie credits rolled, neither bothering to get up and change the tape or ask if someone needed to leave. They never seemed to want to head off anyway. So, as the night dragged on, they'd talk. Form those little bubbles of just themselves in between hits of weed and the kind of talkative that only comes when they were too tired to keep their mouths shut. Honesty spilling out unabashed under the cover of starlight.
Vulnerability and self-discovery went hand in hand on nights like those.
It was the end of one of those very nights when Steve suggested they get out of the house. It was nearing three in the morning, middle of June, so the sun wasn’t up yet, but it would be in a matter of time. And for some inexplicable reason, Steve just wanted to be outside for the sunrise.
“Where should we go?” Eddie asked, his voice starting to go rough after hours of after-joint conversations, which they couldn’t interrupt for something as silly as getting something to drink.
“Somewhere quiet.” Steve suggested, head lazily lolling on the couch,” Somewhere pretty.”
He was being vague and unhelpful; he knew he was. But almost every place he knew in Hawkins was either tainted with memories of fighting for his life or had absolutely no view to watch the sun. He had no clue where he wanted to take them. Steve just wanted to get Eddie there and be by his side when the world changed.
“I might know a spot like that,” Eddie answered anyway, a smile tugging at his cheek in the sneaky way he liked to wear it as he reached for his keys.
They climbed into Eddie’s van, and he took them away. Steve just closed his eyes and hung his head out of the rolled-down passenger window, letting the wind play with his hair as they made their way to… somewhere. They ended up arriving at this hill off the highway on the edge of town. Eddie parked them off the shoulder and waved Steve to follow him as they went over the mound, settling on the other side that faced east. The grassy pile completely separated them from the road and pointed them right at the sight to come. The sky was already brightening, becoming that baby blue it does when the sun has almost breached the horizon.
It was quiet. It was pretty. It was perfect.
It overlooked this little glade that was bustling with colorful wildflowers and weeds. All sorts of beauty just sitting in this bypassed patch in Smalltown, Indiana. And it was just theirs. There was no other sound, no other distraction. No one else was up, or if they were, they weren’t driving on the highway yet. It was like the whole world had faded into the background, and it was just the two of them. Together. Waiting.
They waited in comfortable silence, laid down but propped up against their arms as the sky started gleaming with yellow. ‘The Golden Hour’ Steve recalls this moment is supposed to be. Or at least, that’s what people like Jonathan called it. Something about the way the light reflected or the angles or the color or something about it was just supposed to make for the best pictures for portraits. Makes people look that much nicer, he supposed.
He’s never thought much of it himself. Dawn, for him, always meant things like driving to early morning swim practices or the end of all-nighters spent defeating monsters or coming off of ragers. But when he looks to his left and sees Eddie. Sees the way the sun is lighting him up against the breathtaking backdrop… he gets it.
And suddenly, it's all he can do. Just look at Eddie. There wasn't any other option his mind could conjure. And he felt this pull he’d been feeling before. This tug to get closer. This need to be more. To be more than Eddie’s friend, a feeling he barely diagnosed himself and knows could overtake him.
But it's all he can think about.
“Golden Hour,” he let the words absentmindedly slip from his lips as he gazed upon the other man's profile.
Eddie heard the mumble without catching the words, so he followed the sound to look back over at Steve.
And Steve almost felt bad. He almost had the decency to be embarrassed to be caught staring. He almost regretted letting the words out to expose him.
But now Eddie’s looking at him and not the sun. Now he got to see those deep brown eyes looking back at him while Eddie’s face was glazed with that magical morning glow. And he can’t bring himself to be anything but happy his thoughtless mutter brought Eddie’s attention to him.
"What's up? I got something on my face?" Eddie asked him, rubbing a hand across his cheeks and chin.
"I like you."
Steve said it quickly, like ripping off a bandaid. Like he couldn't stand another minute not saying it. Because he really couldn’t.
"Like, I really like you.” They’ve just been lounging on a hill for the last hour, but even so, he said it breathless and urgent with veins pumping with adrenaline,” And it doesn’t make any sense, because, look at us. There's no reason we should've even talked long enough to get to know each other. But we did. And now we spend time together like we're the only people in the world. And when we aren't alone, you know and care about all the people I can’t imagine living without. And you’re so fun and exciting, while also finding ways to be warm and kind. And you know what I’ve been through, my past, and I know yours. And you challenge me to be a better person without making me feel guilty for taking so long to figure it out. And you do all these incredible things like they just make sense, like they are all that makes sense to you. And now, I can't stop myself from thinking, every time we're together, how much better it'd be if I could pull you in and-"
Eddie ended his runaway words with his hands, one on Steve's cheek, the other at the base of his neck.
It was everything he’d ever wanted to hear from Steve. His own longing returned. And it wasn’t just a passing interest, it was a real confession. Dripping with praise and adorn and meaning in every word. It meant something to Steve. Eddie meant something to Steve.
"Shut up and kiss me already," Eddie said, voice near begging as they looked at just each other, sunrise forgotten.
And before Eddie could wish for anything more, Steve was quick to comply with the request as they bathed in sunlight and summer air and shared their first kiss.
-
Then they were dating. They’d been dating for a while, announcements to their friends and begrudging support while they all grappled with how annoying the two would be about it. It was fun being annoying as boyfriends. It was fun doing anything as boyfriends.
Now, it’s important to note that Eddie’s never figured himself impulsive.
Not really.
He enjoyed the methodical planning and thought he could put into something before presenting it to someone's bated attention. The work and time invested to make something truly spectacular… it was intoxicating to make all the effort worth it. He loved practicing a kind of faux-impulsivity too. Like slipping on an outfit that said he was some wild thing, one who lived his life at the behest of passion without reason. To curate the story. The one that said he was a freak, just like everyone expected him to be. But it was all carefully, strategically planned.
There was just so much beauty in the attention spent to do something right.
So much power in the intention put in so it was perfect before it was seen.
Even when it came to Steve, he loved the planning part of being a boyfriend. Spent his alone time brainstorming date ideas, writing love notes and songs, preparing surprises, and practicing flirtatious lines. All of it. Plotting something to sweep Steve off his feet was half the fun of doing it.
All this to say that he always figured he'd do something big and dramatic the first time he said 'I love you'. Grand gestures, the size of plot points in love-sick movies kind of dramatic. Like maybe he'd say it at a holiday party or on an anniversary to make it public and showy on a special occasion, or he could fill a house they shared with roses and candlelight and whatever romantic idols he deemed worthy in a few years to make it private and intimate. He figured it'd be something like that.
Because, well, he always figured he'd need a few years to feel ready to say it.
He could wax on about how handsome Steve is, how dedicated, how kind, selfless, caring, strong, and just about every other good word there was. He could do those things, spend days regaling to Steve how amazing he finds him, how enraptured he is. And yet, he never figured it’d be easy to say ‘I love you’. He’d never said it before, aside from Wayne when Eddie felt particularly softhearted. But that was a different kind of love, he knew. Eddie never had someone right enough to say this kind of love to. So, surely he’d need a lot of time to build to it, to really understand something so new, to declare it was love.
But, in opposition to everything he figured about himself... one night, Eddie was just bursting with the need to say it.
They sat slumped together under a shared blanket. Steve was all spread out on the couch where Eddie laid mostly beside him but a little on top of him, held in his arms while he rested his head on Steve's (sadly covered) chest. His ear was planted right over Steve's heart, hearing the slow thumping that told Eddie how comfortable they both were. No fears between them. But Eddie's pulse started to pace, and it had nothing to do with the movie on the screen.
"Steve," Eddie called for him as he lifted his head.
His boyfriend looked back at him, patiently waiting for the rest of what he had to say while a woman on the tv screen started crying those pretty movie star tears over something Eddie didn’t bother to pick up.
In the space between the words, Eddie's brain reminded him that they'd only been together a few months. That it’s still too soon to say such a thing. That he doesn’t want to scare Steve off because he’s just feeling too much. But then his heart reminded him how he felt, and he couldn't bring himself to care less about how little time they’ve shared so far.
"I love you.” He said,” I know it's a lot and we haven't even-"
"Really?" Steve asked him, his hands clutched around Eddie tighter now, eyes wide and... scared.
Eddie just nodded his head," Yeah."
"Say it again."
"What?"
"Please."
But Steve’s voice didn't sound commanding. It was begging. His eyes grew misty and such a sight threatened to break Eddie's heart.
"I love you." He repeated, taking Steve's hand in his own and lifting it to his lips to press a kiss into his knuckles.
And Steve cried.
He curled up into Eddie and cried tears full of both joy and fear. He remembered the days long past when Nancy said she loved him and the days that followed when she said it was all a lie. Steve had been afraid for a long time that no one would love him. Or that maybe no one could.
And then Eddie goes and says it.
Like it’s nothing. Like it’s meant to be and makes sense. Like it’s easy.
And even though Steve’s scared, even though he is crying all over this milestone in their relationship, Eddie’s there. With his arms around Steve now, fingers running through his hair and saying nothing. Just letting Steve feel all the things he needs to feel without judgment. And Steve stopped worrying that it could be another lie.
When Steve ran out of tears, he pulled back. Looked up at Eddie with puffy eyes and pink cheeks. And he sighed a deep, feeling everything kind of sigh. Then he reached up to grab Eddie’s face, and just before he planted a kiss on his lips, Steve whispered back,” I love you, too.”
And it was the truth.
They loved each other.
What a beautiful thing to share.
#This is just Fluff#Tooth-rotting fluff#My other one shot was to sad and my slowburn is going to take a MINUTE to get this cute#So I wrote this to get some sweetness out of my system#Anyway - this is how I imagine them getting together and falling in love#Steve is the one 'brave enough' to risk their friendship to say 'I like you'#But after being burned so much he's too scared to be the one to say love.#and while Eddie was too nervous to take the step and begin their relationship...#He ends up being the one who needs to tell Steve 'I love you'#Which makes Steve feel safe enough to say it back... ❤️#Anyway I think I'm going to so write a Ronance confession set next between chaps for the slowburn...#Steve Harrington#Eddie Munson#Steddie#Steveddie#Steve x Eddie#Stranger Things#Stranger Things 4#Stranger Things 4 spoilers#stranger things fanfiction#ST4 fanfic#Steddie Fanfic
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More than enough
Pairings: Ex Steve Harrington x Reader. Eddie Munson x Reader
Summary: Steve realises the mistake he's made but someone else is intent on treating y/n the way she should be treated.
Part two to Not Enough ✨
❤️
For the first few days the heartache is unbearable she can't stop crying and spends most of it curled up in bed trying to rid herself of the crack in her heart.
Robin bless her is an absolute rock to her and so is Eddie.
The whole time he's with her, drying her tears and holding her close and being an real sweetheart.
"You absolutely deserve to be someone's only choice sweetheart, Harrington has a lot to answer for".
His words are sweet and they make her heart melt but she knows she's never going to be anyone's only choice or at least that's what her heart tells her at the time.
✨❤️
The first time she heads out of the house its with Eddie and Robin for Icecream.
Slowly very slowly she feels a little more herself, like she can breathe a little easier and when her hand slips into Eddie's while they walk it feels nice, comforting and just... right.
She's so lost in her musings that she doesn't notice Eddie stiffen and Robin whisper a swear under her breath until its too late and she looks across to the Ice cream store where Steve is with Nancy holding her hand and whispering in her ear.
Pain washes over her but she holds her head high determined he wouldn't see her cry, god she's done crying over him when he quite clearly doesn't care one bit.
"We can go back to mine just say the word sweetheart and we can leave". She peers up at Eddie and offers him a small smile.
"No I have to face them a some point don't I?". Steeling herself she heads inside, Robin waves over to Steve who's eyes widen as he sees her and Eddie.
"One second honey". He murmurs to Nancy who gives her a small smile.
It's not really Nancy she's upset with if she's being honest she should have never got her hopes up high with Steve it was silly for her to wish for a happy ending in her and Steve's relationship when he always loved Nancy.
Eddie holds her close to him while Steve approaches and his gaze flicks between her and Eddie.
"Hey y/n uh look Nance and I are... We... She cuts him off and shrugs.
"Figured that out for myself Steve". He looks flustered and nervous which she's never really seen from him before.
"Do you mind Harrington, we were going to get ice cream". Steve meets Eddie's hard gaze and the air charges with tension.
Shit...
"What you are bodyguard or something? A rebound Munson?". Eddie's brown eyes flash and he glares at Steve.
"I'd treat her like a fucking princess, better than you ever could". Robin steps in as she gently pulls Eddie back, she does not want him fighting with Steve even if he is being protective.
"You know how much you hurt her right or do you not care because your dream girl finally has given you the time of day again". Eddie seethes and there's tense silence when Robin steps in.
"Okay boys stepndown with all the alpha male shit there's way too much testosterone flying around right now, Eddie ice cream come on". Eddie nods and she gently squeezes his hand.
Steve looks like he wants to say something else but she cuts in before he can.
"Enough Steve. I know I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up about you and I. I know that, but I can't help how I feel. Eddie has been wonderful so just leave him alone yeah? Back off".
Steve steps back stunned at her tone and she walks away with Eddie her head held high.
That's her first big step in healing the heartbreak she feels and its the first time the pain begins to fade properly.
✨❤️
She smiles as Eddie's head rests against her shoulder it's been a really nice night that started with Eddie taking her to see his band Corroded Coffin perform to them renting out new horror movies to binge on.
He's a little quiet and that worries her because hes only quiet when he's annoyed or upset.
"Eddie you okay?". He softens nodding and looks down at her in a way that makes her heart skip several beats.
"There was this girl at the gig tonight and well she asked me out". The minute he says it she can feel her stomach fall painfully.
Be happy for him, don't be selfish he's been a sweetheart through all the Steve drama she chastises herself.
The words stick in her throat and she struggles to get them out.
"What did you say?". He looks at her intently and begins to gently thread his hand through hers.
"Told her no, I'm not interested in her y/n or any girl except for one but I'm not sure what the girl thinks".
Does he mean her? Shit, she really doesn't want to get this wrong.
"I think she'd be a fool to not want you Eddie Munson". He gives her a shy little smile and brings her hand up to his, kissing it softly her skin tingles.
"It's just I really want to be more than a rebound because I know she's been hurt, she feels like she's never anyone's choice, the only choice but that's wrong. She's always been mine".
Tears roll down her cheeks and she moves towards him and presses her lips to his, they are so soft and feel like heaven and she wonders why the heck she wasn't kissing him sooner.
"You're no rebound Eddie. You are amazing and I wish I'd seen that sooner". His lips are on hers once more and she melts into him.
Everything is different with Eddie, the way he holds her, the sex, his words. It's vastly different from Steve and better in every single way.
It's really no surprise that she finds herself falling in love with him everything was perfect.
Until Steve Harrington happened again...
🖤
Eddie was wrapped around her on her bed as they listened to music, all types of music and yes some made it scoff and roll his eyes but he stayed and listened anyway.
For her.
They weren't exactly expecting company so when her mother announced that a friend of hers was at the door she assumed it was maybe Robin or Max?
Then Steve came into her room looking sheepish casting his eyes over her and Eddie entwined on the bed, it must have been a shock for him because he gaped and stood staring for a full minute.
Within seconds she gets up pissed off and Eddie joins her pulling her close to him.
Steve looks between her and Eddie, Eddie's protective stance and he gulps.
"What the hell do you want Steve?". She demands and he bites his lip moving toward her and cups her cheek.
"I came to apologise, I want you back baby".
What the hell? Eddie growls and pushes Steve away, fury radiates of him in waves.
"You have some nerve man, you realise you broke her heart right? Not that you worried about that though... It was me who held her while she cried and was there for her every day".
A massive rush of love swoops through her for Eddie.
"Come on man we all know you're just a rebound so let me and y/n talk yeah?".
Y/n gapes at him then notices the devastated expression on Eddie's face.
"I should go, leave you to it".
He leaves and she calls him back but he's gone and she turns to Steve with furious tears in her eyes.
"How dare you Steve Harrington! Weeks, it's been weeks and now you come crawling back because what? you and Nancy are in a rough patch".
He blinks surprised at her tone and it infuarates her more.
"Did you think I would sit around looking for you to finally notice me, shit I moved on Steve, I fell in love truly with Eddie. He's who I want and now he will think I am just going to run back to you".
She sighs.
"Go and work things out with Nancy, it's who you want Steve, not me and I need to find Eddie". She can hear Steve's fervent apologies but she's too focused on getting to Eddie to care and rushes after him.
✨
When she gets to his trailer he isn't there and she is panicking inside before realising the place he likes to go to think is the kissing rock.
It's pitch dark outside and she makes her way to it getting caught on sharp twigs and tripping over roots but it's worth it to find Eddie.
Only when she gets there he isn't there and she sobs in frustration and trips over a thicker root, loses her footing and falls scaring her hands on the tiny little rocks that litter the ground.
Suddenly a figure jumps down from the top of the rock and she feels sheer relief. It's Eddie.
"Come here sweetheart, what are you doing out here? Shit, its freezing baby". He cuddles her close to his chest and she smiles knowing that this is where she belongs forever.
"Eddie look Steve... He moves away a little bit but she can still see the tears in his eyes.
"It's okay, I knew he could come back, want you back. I understand if you still want him because why the hell would you want me over him?".
His vulnerable tone twists her heart in two and she takes both his hands in hers.
"Because you are kind, sweet, loyal, absolutely fucking dreamy and have the most gorgeous eyes I've ever seen. You act all tough but inside you are as soft as a marshmallow.
All these things are why I am in love with you Eddie Munson, I don't want Steve back, we are done. I want you, only you".
His lips are on hers in seconds and he's smiling while kissing her and lifts her up in his arms.
"You mean it baby because I warn ya, you are stuck with me from here on out".
She couldn't think of anything better than that and pulls him in for another kiss❤️
🖤✨
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realistic hopes/predictions for season 7 of 9-1-1:
documentary style episode, similar to grey’s anatomy’s “these arms of mine” episode. this is a result of taylor’s book and the lafd trying to get better press.
on the topic of taylor’s book (this one is less likely knowing the show-runners), she outs buck. buck has a breakdown as a result and has to take leave for a bit to deal with his mental health.
one of the main characters dies - probably bobby. i don’t want him to die but it’s getting a bit old for everyone to miraculously survive every disaster. he died under the rubble and the ending we saw was part of his heaven or whatever.
with bobby gone - on vacation or dead - we see chim step up as captain and take on an administrative role. he struggles with the decision making process, weighing every choice he makes against the probability of his people making it out alive.
we get to see the madney wedding! of course things go wrong and nearly ruin it but maddie will be at the alter saying something along the lines of “even in disaster, even when things are falling apart, even when there’s no hope. i love you and i do.”
we see the downfall of the buckley parents and their true intentions and conditional love towards buck. yet again, this is unlikely, but we see further into their treatment of buck and potentially the abuse he suffered through. this will most likely happen at the wedding or the afterparty.
hen and karen welcome the new baby! hen struggles with balancing family and work and we see two exhausted parents trying to make it through the day. they begin to argue and a wedge forms between the two, leaving doubt in their marriage.
buck notices and volunteers to babysit but has to call eddie less than an hour in for backup. chaos ensues and christopher is somehow the voice of reason, knowing how to deal with babies (most likely due to a health and pe standard issue baby doll challenge)
eddie is going to therapy more often and tries to process his trauma in healthy manners. he has nightmares and flashbacks but he’s doing better. the man has a semi-breakdown while drinking beers with buck about chris being a teenager. he ends up breaking things off with marisol so he can work on himself.
chris is finally allowed to be a moody teenager who does teenager things instead of being infantilized! he starts high school and has a crush sometime through the season. he asks for relationship advice from buck, too nervous to ask his dad after shannon and all that.
we get to see more of may as she goes through college. maybe she ends up with ravi? if bobby dies, she’ll move back home to help out athena.
athena has a serious chat with taylor regarding the content in her book and the definition of libel. if bobby is dead, she’ll spend time going through the grieving process and dealing with the aftermath.
#911#buddie#911 buck#eddie diaz#evan buck buckley#evan buckley#bobby nash#chimney howard han#henrietta wilson#hen#chim#maddie buckley#christoper diaz#edmundo diaz#robert nash#athena grant#911 season 7#predictions
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my sweet darling - how about an armed forces 911 AU? Maybe Eddie meets Navy Seal Buckley overseas? Maybe they meet back stateside at the VA?
You, my darling, always send me such fun and interesting prompts. I promise I didn’t forget.
Ooh, okay. Let’s see...
Prompt Me with AUs
Delta X-Ray (I am Sinking)
Read on Ao3
Eddie first sees him as he’s getting off the plane in Washington. He’s going to receive a medal. Apparently his work in Bagram made him a hero and not a broken, shell of a man. Who knew. And really, it’s just a glance because he has other things to worry about besides a Navy man getting dressed down by his captain. He doesn’t need to hear what’s being said to know that’s exactly what’s happening. He’s seen that look too many times, felt the hot breath of his superior as they spat harsh words meant to ‘toughen him up’.
As he passes the sailor, he hears something to the effect of “if it happens again, you will be dismissed.” And Eddie wonders how many times this particular man has received this exact lecture. It doesn’t really matter, anyways. He just wants to get his medal, shake a few hands of politicians who think they had anything to do with his ‘accomplishment’ and go home to his wife and child – ex-wife, he reminds himself. Shannon had the papers shipped to Afghanistan. Couldn’t get away fast enough, his mind bitterly supplied. All he would have at the end of the day was his son, and a medal to replace the wedding band he’d worn since he was 19.
Before he knows it, he’s standing on a small stage, a million lights flashing in his eyes as cameras and stage lights practically blind him. His shoulder aches – out of the sling for the afternoon so he can at least look more put together than he feels – and he’s dizzy from the attention. That’s his excuse for why he doesn’t recognize the man standing beside him.
“Seaman Petty Officer First Class Evan Buckley.” A blond man steps forward and Eddie catches himself staring at the dress whites and stone expression for longer than is strictly necessary. He seems a far cry from the officer being scolded less than an hour ago, but it is definitely him. And he was standing on stage beside Eddie, about to receive a medal of his own.
“For distinguishing oneself by heroism not involving actual conflict with an enemy of the United States, Petty Officer Buckley is awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal.”
As he watches the stripes being pined on the officer’s lapel, he lets himself wonder what crime the man could have committed to be dressed down and rewarded in the same afternoon.
He’s so curious, in fact, that he nearly misses his own name amongst the titles thrown around.
“Staff Sergeant Edmundo Diaz.” He steps forward, holding his breath until the entire ordeal is finally finished. “For gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States, Staff Sergeant Diaz is awarded the Silver Star.” The medal is heavier than he anticipated, but he supposes that makes sense. It is quite a burden he’ll be carrying around, and now he has a gold star to go with it – he wants to chuckle at the irony of his ‘Silver Star’ actually presenting as a golden one.
It seems everything about his life is a life.
There were a lot of reasons Eddie hated attending events like this: The politics, the bravado, the crowds of people ‘thanking him for his service’. Mostly, though: he never knows anyone. Sure, he can charm a senator or two for a few minutes, swap stories with other officers from other divisions about where they were and what they saw. But those are fleeting relationships, meant to get him through the day. He’ll go back to his hotel room at the end of the night with no more friends than when he’d stepped off the plane in this awful, awful town. Eddie is tired of ‘schmoozing’. With any luck, today will be the last time he has to tell the governor’s wife how lovely she looks in her dress.
That’s when he spots the man sitting at the edge of the bar like he’s trying to hide from the world, and he decides to make his way over.
“Do you mind if I join you?” He asks, even as he sits down.
The other man’s eyes light with recognition – and damn, are they as blue as the sea. “Not at all. Diaz, right?”
“Eddie.” He supplies, raising a finger to the bartender to snag his attention. If he is going to make it to the end of the evening, he’s going to need one, good drink. “And you’re Buckley.”
“Actually, it’s Evan but you can call me ‘Buck’.” His amusement must be evident because his new drinking buddy supplies the answer. “There are a surprising amount of ‘Evan’s in the Navy.”
It had never occurred to him to check how many ‘Eddie’s were in his squadron. Maybe he should ask his CO if that’s why he always called him by his full first name.
“Congratulations, by the way.” Buck looks somewhat nervous even as the words leave his mouth. “On your medal. Good job.”
“Oh.” Is all Eddie can bring himself to say as he stares into the bottom of his glass. “Thanks.”
“You don’t look too happy about it.”
He really isn’t doing a good job of hiding his emotions if this relative stranger ca read him so easily. “No, I-” he takes a deep breath to recalibrate his thoughts and paste his best fake smile. “It is a great honour.”
“Bullshit.” Buck laughs in his face but for some reason, Eddie doesn’t bristle nearly as hard as he expected. It almost feels playful. The rest of Buck’s response is cut off by his buzzing phone on the counter. The man quickly grabs it long enough to check his notifications, returning it to its place at the bar with a disappointed look.
“Are we keeping you from something?”
“Uh, no.” It’s Buck’s turn to look caught out and in need of recalibration. His expression changes much slower. “I’m just waiting for a call from my sister. I sent her an invitation to this thing but she never responded.”
Eddie has experience with family not coming to big social events like this one. Of course, in his case, he never invited them in the first place.
“Family ain’t easy.” He shrugs as he takes a long sip of whatever burning liquid he’d ordered – it really doesn’t matter so long as he can stay sitting here and not mingling with the crowds of vultures.
“It’s more than that.” Buck looks worried, and the way he bites his lip is… Eddie shouldn’t be focusing on that. “It’s just…” The man shakes his head, dismissing whatever feelings were eating at his gut. “I don’t want to bore you.”
“Please.” Eddie leans into his space with a playful smile. “It can’t be any more boring than this event. Please try to bore me to tears, if you dare.”
When Buck smiles, Eddie’s heart flutters out of his chest and sits beside him as they listen to Buck begin to speak. He tells Eddie about his sister, how she cared for him growing up, how she went away with her asshole of a boyfriend – now her deceased asshole of a husband – leaving him to fend for himself. He talks about travelling the country, trying every odd job he could get his hands on, until a buddy of his suggested he join the Navy. And he loves the work, he really does, but he hasn’t seen his sister in over a year. Their last conversation ended in a fight about some family secret that Buck is reluctant to talk about. Even Eddie can tell that the man just misses his sister. No matter what the argument was about.
Eddie finds himself talking – in less detail – about Shannon and the divorce and his son at home. At Buck’s prompting, he shows off his favourite photos of Christopher (avoiding the one burning a whole in his shirt pocket, torn and bloody, which never leaves him). The man’s face positively lights up when he sees the kid, offering an appropriate amount of sympathy for his divorce without pushing him for more emotions.
It’s easy talking to Buck, he realizes after a few hours. Because suddenly, the venue rental is nearly up and he’s still sitting at the corner of the bar, talking to Buck. Sure, a few people have passed by and shaken their hands, thanking them for their service – Eddie cringes every time and Buck has to hide his laughter once he realizes – but for the most part, it’s just the two of them, sitting and talking.
“The flag signalling we use now was established in 1855.” Buck explains as he leans further into Eddie’s space. “And while Robert Morse invented Morse Code in the 1830s, the International Morse Code that we use didn’t come out until the 1850s.”
“How do you know all of that?” Eddie was fairly certain he hadn’t had to study the history of communication when he was in training. But he’d also been very focused on his medical textbook.
Buck was incredibly cute when he blushed, Eddie decides – though he opts to keep that opinion to himself for now. “I get bored and I read.” The man shrugs nonchalantly, as though he hasn’t been entertaining Eddie with stories of Naval history and his own dumb-ass mistakes all evening. Honestly, Eddie wants to sit here all night and listen to Buck tell him stories of the world. It seems like he’s lived a lifetime already. And what has Eddie done? Gotten a girl pregnant, joined the army, gotten shot, and now he doesn’t even have a wife to go home to.
“Can I ask you something?” Eddie realizes too late that Buck looks nervous. He thinks he probably wouldn’t have said yes if he’d noticed. “How did you get your medal?”
Now he knows he doesn’t have to answer – and his initial instinct is to close out his tab and see if he can run to El Paso on his still-injured leg. But he also realizes that he hasn’t told anyone since it happened. Not the full story. Even now, he might not have the words. But he tries.
“Our helicopter got shot down while transporting wounded. I could still move so I got everyone out. Or I tried to get them out.” The echo of gunfire is not as distant as the others told him it would be. He can still smell it. “Support finally arrived and they decided to give me a medal for holding down the fort.”
Buck places a gentle hand over his and Eddie gasps, reminded that it has been a very long time since anyone has touched him. God, how he misses it.
“You saved wounded soldiers in the middle of the desert while being fired on. And you think you were just doing your job?”
“I’m an army medic.” He reasons with the bottom of his glass. “It’s my job to save people.”
“Maybe. But I don’t think that’s why you do it.” Without elaborating, Buck smiles at him and Eddie forgets the question.
“What about you?” He asks instead. “What’s yours for?”
Unlike the enthusiastic, bubbly personality he’s been talking to for the last few hours, Buck melts into the face he saw up on that stage. The stoic, professional.
“We were on our way back from an escort mission when we encountered some rough seas. I happened to be on deck with the chief mate when he had a stroke. I tried to tend to him but the storm was getting worse and no one could find the captain, so I just took over navigation. It was rough, I had no idea what I was doing, but we all made it out safely and the chief mate was okay.” As Buck shrugs, memories of an overheard conversation come flooding back to Eddie’s mind.
“Wait, were you on the USS Angelo?”
“Yeah. Why?”
Eddie can’t believe it. He has to laugh. “You were the cadet who sailed out of Hurricane Ida?”
“I am a petty officer first class, I’ll have you know.”
“Buck, you navigated a 2,000 ton ship out of a hurricane and all they gave you was a lousy medal?”
“I should get that printed on a t-shirt, or something.”
“That was incredibly reckless but also incredibly brave. Buck, you’re a hero.”
“I was just doing my job.” The smirk tells Eddie he knows exactly what he’s doing but it still hits him that he’s throwing Eddie’s words back in his face. Cute and cheeky.
He doesn’t know why he asks – well, he does, but it’s incredibly stupid and impulsive, and he definitely can’t blame it on the alcohol but he sure would like to.
“How long are you in town?”
Buck looks pleasantly surprised by his question but answers with regret in his eyes. “I head out with the Fifth Fleet in the morning.”
Wow. “You just got a medal, and you’re headed out to earn another one?”
“Something like that.” Buck laughs and Eddie wishes he was braver than he felt. “But I won’t be gone forever. And I’m really good at telegraphy if you wanted to send anyone a message.”
He’s so grateful that Buck has the good sense to be everything he needs right now. Because asking the next question is easier with someone standing next to him. “I suppose I’ll need a way to get in touch with you, then.”
Buck winks and Eddie has never been gladder that the concept of ‘standing’ was only metaphorical. The man should not be so irresistible after only a few hours, but Eddie can’t help but watch him push off his barstool and walk around the side of the bar.
“Hey, Diaz!” The spell is broken long enough for him to look across the room at where his name is being called. He waves at old friends – well, Senior Airman Han and Space Force First Sergeant Wilson are the closest things he has to old friends but in actuality, he’s not sure he knows their first names. “We’re going to the afterparty, want to join?”
On a normal night, Eddie would decline on the basis that he doesn’t want to go, and would rather lay in bed and watch reruns of ‘Murder She Wrote’. Tonight, Eddie wants to decline on the basis that he doesn’t want to go, and would rather stay up all night talking to someone who makes me feel curious about the future.
“Not tonight.” He shouts back across the room. “I’ll catch you at the next ceremony.”
They wave him off because they know it’s the same excuse he makes every single time but the only thing that matters is getting back to Buck.
“So.” He turns to the bar only to find it empty. The seat beside him is also unoccupied, as is any of the space surrounding him.
Had he dreamed up Buck? Had he been imagining this person who made him feel like divorce wasn’t his last chance at happiness? Was he truly so desperate and lonely?
“Hey.” Eddie looks up with too much hope in his eyes to only come face-to-face with the bartender. “He left this for you.” The man – who is not Buck, no matter how much Eddie hopes to see those eyes again – slides a napkin across the counter and walks away before Eddie can ask anymore questions.
He picks up the napkin and reads the blue ink-stained note written in messy scrawl.
Kilo
--... .---- --... ..... ..... ..... -.... --... ----. .----
The dots and dashes he recognizes as a series of numbers – a phone number, he hopes – but the word above? He tries to recall his academy days.
Kilo. Short for Kilogram. Used in the International Code of Symbols to represent the letter ‘K’. In Maritime Signal Flags, it indicates: I wish to communicate with you.
He’s pretty sure the bartender hates him for how late he stayed and how loudly he laughed at Buck’s note, but he can’t bring himself to care. Instead, he spends his energy memorizing the napkin’s contents long after he’s input the number. It’s more than just a piece of paper: it’s hope.
#military au#911 on fox#911 fox#buddie#eddie diaz#evan buckley#buddie fic#911 fic#first meeting#cj answers things#florenceandthemachine#cj writes things#love flo
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I’ve never had a home (until you came around)
So I wrote a fic, it’s long so maybe you’ll be more comfortable reading it on ao3
Thank you @cyllaeth for being patient enough to re-read the whole thing (and also for being available 24/7 to freak out over these two)
It’s a quiet day. The station is silent and Buck is spread out on the couch, a book in his hand. A mystery book. Chimney recommended it to him the other day but Buck’s never been a big reader, for as long as he can remember. He finds it too hard, to stay focused and stay still for several hours in a row. He needs action. He needs to move, stay busy and as much as he would love to finish this book so he can share his opinions with his friend, today is just not the day.
He’s been feeling restless, fidgety during the whole day and of course it had to happen during one of his most boring shifts. Not that Buck doesn’t appreciate the silence. He does. It actually feels nice to have some time to rest and relax, for a change. He even managed to take a nap in the beginning of the afternoon but now that his batteries are recharged, he’s desperately waiting for a call.
He sighs and tries to bring his attention back to his book but gives up after a few seconds. He’s been reading the same paragraph for more than twenty minutes and if you’d ask him, he would be incapable of telling you what’s the main plot of the book. He sees the words, he reads them but it’s like his brain can’t process a single thing.
He lets the book fall on the couch and sweeps the room with his eyes. There’s Chimney, seated at the kitchen’s table, still reading the same parenting book, a highlighter in his right hand. Hen, who seems as focused as his friend – if not more – her eyes squint in concentration as she writes some words on her notebook, most likely still revising for her big exam coming up. There’s Bobby quietly busying himself in the kitchen, preparing lunch for the whole team.
And then there’s Eddie. Eddie, sprawled on the other side of the sofa, looking at Buck with an amused expression on his face. Buck raises his eyebrows at him in confusion but his best-friend just shrugs his shoulders and looks away.
“I’m bored.” Buck sighs, defeated.
“Just read your damn book, Buckley.” Chimney says from where he’s seated. “I can hear you wriggling on the couch for the past ten minutes, you’re making me nervous.”
Buck rolls his eyes and throws a pillow at his face before taking his cellphone out of his jean’s pocket. There’s a message from Carla and a big smile breaks in on his face when his eyes fall on a picture of a (more than unstable) Lego house, accompanied by a small text.
“Bucky, I just built a new lego house!! (this is Christopher)”
“Looking good, superman!”
“God I love that kid so much.” Buck says, the words coming out of his mouth of their own accord. This earns him a confused look from Eddie who instantly straightens up when Buck lends him his phone, and it only takes a few seconds for a soft smile to appear on his friend’s face as well.
“He just answered.” Eddie adds, handing him his phone back to him.
“Can you come home this week-end so we can build the fire station together?”
“You got it!”
“You can come over on Sunday if you want.” Eddie offers and Buck only nods, mirroring his smile.
“You know I can’t say no to my favorite Diaz.” He answers.
“You’re spoiling him too much.” Eddie reproaches him while nudging him playfully. And Buck doesn’t feel that restless anymore. He feels good, warm, and tries very hard to think about anything else but the intimacy he’s suddenly sharing with his best-friend, whether it be the way their knees touch, the way Eddie’s hand feels on his wrist, his thumb tracing slow circles on his skin, or the way his own heart pound against his chest, so hard and so fast he feels it might explode.
That moment only lasts a few seconds. A couple of minutes, at most, until they all gathered around the table to share lunch. The atmosphere is calm, serene, but Buck’s head is spinning and he’s afraid. Afraid to look up and catch Eddie’s eyes, afraid to do something that can give him away, afraid to say something which may be deemed inappropriate. Because the truth is, when it comes to his best-friend, he doesn’t know what is appropriate and what isn’t anymore. Their relationship has always been very intimate, sure, but it feels to Buck that it has just reached another milestone.
That’s why he’s not prepared when Eddie says these next few words.
“I asked her out. Ana. She said yes.” He says, and Buck’s mind goes blank.
She said yes. Of course she did – he thinks. Who would say no? Who would say no to his kind, sweet, caring and stupidly hot best-friend? They’d be crazy not to – he wants to say, but once again his words get stuck in his throat and he just fakes a smile instead. Faking smiles to avoid any awkward conversations. He can do that. He’s been doing that for years.
“You did?” Hen asks, his eyebrows raised, seemingly surprised.
“That’s… That’s cool man. I guess.” Chimney adds, but the whole atmosphere has changed. It’s not calm anymore. It’s dense, heavy, filled with a sense of bitterness no-one dares to question. It’s common knowledge now that Buck is helplessly and desperately in love with his best-friend, it’s not a secret and Buck gave up on trying to hide it from his colleagues a long time ago. After all, he’s never been very good at keeping this kind of things to himself, never been very subtle, but Eddie is Eddie and Buck doesn’t know if his best-friend’s inability to see the signs comes from a place of denial or simple obliviousness, but what’s the point now? He’s moving on.
“Buck?” Eddie asks and Buck jumps with surprise. He looks up at his best-friend and smiles widely.
“That’s awesome man.” He says, and tries to muster all the confidence he can get, but that’s a wasted effort and his best-friend is already watching him with confusion. Confusion and worry.
“Are you okay?” He asks. And Buck wants to shake his head no. Because of course he isn’t, but what can he say? It’s too late, now. And so he just clears his throat and gets up, ignoring the way Hen looks at him with compassion. “I- I just need some air.” He says, turning around, but stops dead in his track when Eddie’s hand stops him from getting further by encircling his wrist, softly.
“Hey.” Eddie says and his voice is so soft Buck wants to scream. “You sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine. I just need- I just need some air.” He repeats, and rushes down the stairs.
He steps out of the station and keeps walking until he reaches a small bench. He sits down and takes a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He looks up at the sky, his eyes bright with tears he’s been trying to hold back for the past ten minutes.
“You’re okay, Buck?” Bobby asks from behind, and Buck quickly wipes his tears with the sleeve of his jacket, turning his head around to hide himself from his Captain.
“I’m fine.” He says. “I’m fine.”
“Hey, none of that with me, alright?” Bobby adds, and takes a seat next to him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Why don’t you just tell him, kid?”
“I never thought I needed to.” Buck answers. And that’s probably the worst part. For a year now, he was convinced that him and Eddie were on the same page. There seemed to be a secret agreement between them and that was enough for Buck.
We’re not together officially but god forbids we date anyone else. That was the deal. Or so he thought. They were raising his son together. Buck was Christopher’s emergency contact, they were practically living together, the signs were there and they were clear. How could Eddie not see them?
“Maybe it’s time you use a more direct approach.”
“I’m not so sure how more direct I can be, Bobby. The guy’s just clueless. I’m pretty sure I could tell him I love him to his face and he would still find a way to make it sound completely platonic.”
Bobby huffs out a laugh. “You really do, don’t you? Love him, I mean.” He asks with a small smile. “I thought it was just a crush but it’s a lot more than that, isn’t it?”
Buck stares at Bobby for a few seconds, until he lowers his head with a sheepish smile.
“Of course it’s more than that.” He says. “Bobby, Christopher and Eddie… They’re it for me. There’ll never be anyone else, I mean it’s Eds, you know? He’s… He’s my soulmate.”
“Then don’t give up until it’s too late, alright?” Bobby answers, holding his gaze. “Cause trust me you still have time.”
Buck doesn’t answer anything and keeps his head down. They sit together for a while until the bell rings. And just like that, Buck puts his feelings aside and focuses on the task at hand.
---
It turns out Ana is great, and that’s probably the worst part now that Buck thinks about it. It would have been easier not to be on board with their relationship if she was inconsiderate, insensitive or straight-up rude. But no. She’s sweet, caring and nothing but kind to him and Buck doesn’t even find it in him to hate her. Eddie seems to love her a whole lot already and if his best-friend loves her, then he owes it to him to be happy for him, right? It only makes sense. What kind of friend would he be otherwise? What kind of friend would that make of him? A poor one, to say the least.
He’s seated at the table in Eddie’s kitchen, Christopher by his side. This one has been strangely quiet for the whole dinner and Buck wonders whether he missed out on something. He’s nibbling at his peas, his eyes fixed on his plate and his usual very cheerful demeanor has been replaced by a sullen one. His shoulders are slumped, but not by choice, Buck knows that kid well enough to see that something is bothering him, something so big he seems to struggle to carry the weight on his own.
“So Buck.” Ana starts and Buck looks up at her with a smile. “How did you two meet?”
“Oh uh we met at work.” He says, finding it weird that she doesn’t already know the answer to that question. “He was a new recruit.”
“He used to hate me.” Eddie says with a smile, nudging him playfully.
“Shut up, I didn’t hate you I was just feeling-”
“Threatened?” Eddie cuts him off, mocking him. Buck huffs out a laugh and cradles his chin with his right hand to make him look away. Because there’s really no need for his best-friend to notice how his cheeks start to redden now, is there?
“You think you’re so funny.” He adds.
“Bucky is dad’s best friend.” Christopher says out of the blue, holding his fork tight around his fingers, his eyes fixed on Ana.
“I thought I was yours!” Buck exclaims, faking being hurt by pressing his hand over his mouth in shock. This earns him a small laugh from Christopher who vigorously nods.
“Well his second best-friend, then.” He corrects himself. “And they love each other very much.” He adds, firmly, almost as if he’s trying to prove a point. Buck frowns for a few seconds but eventually nods at him, making sure Christopher knows he agrees with him on every point.
“We’re all very close.” Buck adds, conversationally.
“The 118 really is like a big family, isn’t it?” Ana asks. “Edmundo talks a lot about you guys.”
Edmundo. That may be the only thing Buck doesn’t like about her and from the way Eddie flinches next to him, he suspects he’s not the only one. He only hums approvingly and lets his eyes fall on his best-friend. He finds it weird, how Eddie acts around Ana. He finds it weird and unsettling. And at first, Buck only thought it was because he was meeting her for the first time and Eddie really wanted both of them to get along. Which made sense. They were best-friends after all, and Buck would probably feel the same way if he was in his shoes.
But now that he takes a closer look at him, Buck realizes that it’s not it. Eddie looks doubtful, hesitant, unsure, almost as if he’s dancing to another tune. He smiles and laughs and acts the same but something just feels off, wrong. It’s like he’s there but not quite, like his brain is working too fast and he has trouble catching up. His gestures lack of confidence, Buck can sometimes see him trying to reach out to Ana but his hand often stops midway, stays motionless for a few seconds until Eddie brings it back on his thigh, biting his lower lip. And Buck gets the willingness to impress the other person and makes sure that everything goes well, but it’s like Eddie is playing a character and that, Buck can’t get behind.
Ana is talking about her role as a vice-principal and Buck is only half-listening, not because the conversation isn’t interesting but because he’s too deep into his thoughts to focus on what she’s saying.
“Dad?” Christopher asks after a while, the slice of prune pie still left untouched on his plate. “Can I go back to my room?”
“Try and eat a bit before, alright?”
“I’m not hungry.” Christopher answers, and Buck holds back a smile when Eddie watches his son with a knowing look. You’re still hungry, you just don’t like the pie Ms Flores baked, don’t try to fool me. That’s what Eddie’s saying; Buck has become an expert in knowing how to understand non-verbal communication between the Diaz boys throughout the years and this time isn’t any different.
“Fine I just don’t like it, it’s gross.” Christopher says, his voice indifferent.
“Christopher!” Eddie exclaims, pointing the finger at him.
“I’m going to my room.” He repeats, getting up and leaving the kitchen without looking back. A heavy silence slowly settles in the kitchen and Buck wastes no time to get up as well.
“I’m gonna check up on him.” He says, placing a comforting hand on Eddie’s shoulder, not missing the way all the tension seems to melt away from his body at the touch.
Buck stands up and lets his hand linger a bit more on Eddie’s back, leaving the kitchen with a sigh. When he gets to Christopher’s room, this one is seated on the ground, his back facing him. A few books are lying around next to him and a whole box of Legos has been spilled on the carpet. Buck takes a few steps forward and knocks on the door a few times, smiling at him when Christopher looks up.
“Hey, is it okay if I come in?” He asks, waiting for Christopher to nod to sit down cross-legged next to him, leaning his back on the bed. “You okay in there, buddy?”
“No.” Christopher’s voice is low and filled with an animosity Buck’s not used to hear.
“What’s going on?”
“I don’t like her.” He says, and Buck frowns.
"You don’t like Ms Flores?” He asks, and Christopher nods again, sticking two Legos bricks together. “Why? I thought she was your favorite teacher, back then.”
“She was. I like her as a teacher, not as dad’s girlfriend.” He says. “I don’t understand why she needs to be around all the time. I like it better when it’s just the three of us.”
“I like that too buddy but your dad and her like each other very much, you know? That’s why they’re spending so much time together. But I’m always going to be around, okay? The thing we have, the three of us? It’s not going to go away. I promise. I’ll always be there.” He explains, but from the way Christopher bites his lower lip and keeps his head down, he can see he’s still unsure.
“But I don’t think she makes dad happy, Buck.” He adds.
“You don’t?”
“No. Not as much as you do. He’s always so happy when you’re here. You make him smile, and laugh. I like him better when he’s with you. When he’s with her, he’s weird. He doesn’t act the same way, I don’t like it. And she always uses complicated words and the conversations are boring and she never plays with me. And she doesn’t know how to do the voices when she’s reading a story. You’re the only one who knows how to do it.”
Buck sighs and runs one of his hands through his hair, not knowing how to extricate himself from that situation without giving himself away. Because Christopher might be a kid but he’s far from being stupid, or naive.
“You tried telling what you just told me to your dad?” He tries.
“Why can’t you just be the one who stays?” Christopher asks and ignores his question. “I don’t understand why you can’t be the one who stays.” He repeats and his voice is louder than it was a few seconds ago. “We don’t need her with us, we need you.”
“Chris, your dad and I… We’re best friends. We’re best-friends and we like each other very much but sometimes… Sometimes, a person needs more. Sometimes, it’s not enough.” He says, closing his eyes to try and stay focused.
“But you’re enough!” Christopher says. “You are and I know dad thinks the same. He loves you.”
“He told you that?”
“He doesn’t need to, I just know.” Christopher shrugs his shoulders. “He’s more like himself when he’s with you. He’s smiling and laughing and he’s always looking at you the same way he used to look at mom when she was still around. He doesn’t look at her like this. He never did. And I hope he never does.” He adds and Buck lowers his head down, cursing himself mentally.
“Listen Chris, me and your dad, we… We can’t have what your mom and dad used to have.”
“Why?” He asks, confusion clearly shown on his face.
“Well, because I’m a man and-”
“But if he’s looking at you the same way he used to look at mom, why does it matter if you’re a man or not? My friend Amy at school, she has two dads. I know it’s possible, and you love my dad. I know you do.”
“I-” Buck tries but his words get stuck in his throat once again, and he never thought a nine-year-old kid would manage to back him into a corner like that and yet here he is. “It’s – It’s complicated, buddie.”
“It’s not. It’s only complicated because you’re an adult and adults always like to say that everything is complicated when they don’t want to explain stuff to kids. But it’s not. It’s easy. You’re always looking at him. When you come for the movie nights, you’re always the one who make dinner for us because we love your cooking. You hug him every time you leave our house and you do the same things with me that mom used to do. You’re helping me with my homework, you’re telling me a story every time I go to bed and you’re always making me feel better when I’m sad.”
“When did you become so smart?” Buck asks, wiping his tears with the back of his hand.
“So you do love him.” Christopher says. “You love my dad.” He adds, placing one of his hands on Buck’s cheek.
“I didn’t say that.”
“Yes but you said I was smart. If you think I’m smart, then it means I’m right. You love my dad.”
Buck huffs out a laugh and smiles when Christopher wraps both of his arms around his neck.
“If you love him, you should tell him.” He says. “Carla always tells me that if you love someone, then you should tell them.”
“And I should listen to Carla, right?” Buck asks.
“You should always listen to Carla.” Christopher rectifies. “That’s what my dad says.”
“Alright then.” He answers, tousling his hair. “Then I’ll try. I promise.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t tell him anything.”
–--
When Buck gets back to the living-room, Ana is gone and Eddie is back to his usual self. Disheveled hair, his sleeves rolled up and the few first buttons of his shirt unbuttoned. His posture is more relaxed and natural, the tension has disappeared from his shoulders and it’s like he’s breathing again.
He’s clearing the table and Buck joins him, wiping the plates and the silverware while Eddie handles the washing part.
“Ana left?”
“She did, I- I kinda asked her to, I wanted to make sure Christopher’s okay.” Eddie says, his voice filled with worry. “He doesn’t like her very much, does he?”
“It’s- It’s not that.” Buck says, trying to figure out what’s the best way to act right now. “He’s just… He’s just adjusting, Eds, and- you don’t need to rush into this, you know?”
“You think I’m rushing into this?” Eddie asks, looking up at him in search of reassurance.
Buck sighs and looks down at the plate in his hands, wondering what to say. Telling him the truth is not an option, at least not right now. He can see his best-friend’s head is filled with unanswered questions and doubts and the last thing Buck wants is to give him another reason to panic and overthink, and saying I’m in love with you and I really wish you would stop trying so hard to play a role that doesn’t look anything like you when you’re with her because it’s making me everyone uncomfortable is probably not the way to go.
“Maybe?” Buck says, carefully.
“Buck.” Eddie starts, exasperated. “Straight to the point, please?”
“Look, I… I just don’t understand what you’re trying to prove, here.” He answers, placing the dried plate in the cupboard.
“I’m not trying to prove anything, but Bobby told me I should start taking advantages of the opportunities that are right in front of me and that’s what I’m doing. I’m dating Ana. She’s nice. I like her.”
“Who are you trying to convince here, me or yourself?” Buck asks. “He really said that? Bobby, I mean? And you think he was talking about Ana?”
“Well if not her, who else? She was right in front of me during that call.”
Buck huffs out a laugh and shakes his head, pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers. It’s like the universe is screaming at you. And you refuse to listen. That’s what he said to him that day and Buck has to refrain himself from repeating these exact same words.
“Listen Eds. All I’m saying is that you don’t need to pretend to be someone that you’re not when you’re with her. You shouldn’t have to do that for a relationship to work. And I get it. I do. I get the will to impress her but that’s not what this is about here, Eds.” He says. “Christopher sees it too, you know.”
Eddie whirls his head around. “He said that to you?”
“Not in these actual words.” Buck precises. “But that was the overall idea, I think.” He adds. “It’s a big change for him, I guess he just needs time to… To adjust.”
“Should I go talk to him?” Eddie asks and that’s just another thing that makes Buck want to scream. The way Eddie always comes to him for parental advice as if Buck’s as involved in raising Christopher as he is, as if Buck is as entitled as he is to take decisions concerning Christopher’s well being. It makes him hope for something bigger, makes him hope for something greater, makes him hope for something he knows he can’t have.
“I don’t know Eds.” He still says after a while. “He probably needs some time alone.”
“Alright.” Eddie agrees, leaning against the kitchen counter, the dish towel placed on his right shoulder. “Thanks.”
“Well I should probably head back.” Buck says with a smile. “I’m pretty tired and it’s a big shift tomorrow.”
“Drive safe.” Eddie answers and wraps his arms around his back to bring him closer. Buck rests his chin on his right shoulder and closes his eyes for a few seconds, sighing in relief. Because as much as he would like for them to stop being so intimate, a part of him is simply always going to be drawn to him, and when Eddie moves his hand from his back to his neck, letting his fingers play with the roots of his hair, Buck is pretty sure the universe is ganging up against him.
---
It starts slowly, so slowly Buck doesn’t really think anything of it, at first. After all, it’s only texts. Texts that Eddie doesn’t answer to, texts that Eddie ignores. It’s nothing much, nothing worth arguing over and the last thing Buck wants is to sound possessive or excessive, and so he says nothing.
But then days turn into weeks and it’s just not texts anymore, it’s calls that are ignored, movie nights that are canceled and Buck tries to stay calm, he tries very hard to stay calm and clear-headed but he can’t shake off the feeling that he’s being left out from what used to be his safe place. And that’s something Buck could have handled, that’s something Buck could have faced but what’s intolerable for him is that he promised Christopher that things would never change, that he wouldn’t go away, and yet that’s exactly what’s happening. And Buck hates himself for it.
“It’s not gonna last.” Hen says one day when they’re both seated at the kitchen’s table inside the fire station. They had shared a lunch together and Eddie had taken the opportunity to formally introduce Ana to the team. Nothing quite out of the ordinary – Buck thinks, if it isn’t for the fact that once again, Eddie didn’t look like himself the whole time Ana was there. “I mean don’t get me wrong Ana’s awesome but that’s just not gonna last.” She repeats, once Eddie left the station to walk Ana back to her car.
“Ditto.” Chimney only says as he’s taking a seat next to them. “There’s no chemistry there, trust me.”
“So it’s like that, now?” Buck asks with a knowing smile. “You have a kid and all of a sudden you’re an expert in loving relationships?”
“You really don’t need to be an expert to see that it’s not gonna work.” Hen intervenes. “What are your thoughts, Cap?”
“If this is something Eddie wants to pursue then we should trust his judgment.” Bobby says carefully but the hesitant expression on his face says otherwise.
“But?” Hen asks. “We get it you’re nice but tell us what you really think.”
“Well let’s just say when I told Eddie to take advantage of the opportunities that were right in front of him, I didn’t necessarily mean Ana.” He admits, his eyes on Buck.
Buck shrugs his shoulders and looks down with a sad smile. “Yeah no offense but I don’t think he got that part, Cap.”
“He will.” Bobby affirms.
“Yeah I’m not so sure about that.” Buck contradicts him. “She’s already more around than me and I- Look I promised Christopher I wouldn’t go anywhere cause he’s freaking out about the whole thing but this is exactly what’s happening right now. He’s moving on. And there’s no place for me there anymore, which – you know – it’s fine. I should have seen this coming. But it still hurts, and I don’t mind me hurting but I know Christopher’s hurting as well and that I- I can’t stand it, Cap. I just can’t.”
“Then tell him, Buck.” Bobby advises. “Tell Eddie.”
“Tell me what?” Eddie says from behind. Buck whirls his head around but it doesn’t seem like Eddie heard more than that and he lets out a relieved sigh.
“I just-” Buck stops mid-sentence and only goes on when Hen sends him an encouraging smile. “I was just wondering if we could do something with Christopher someday. It’s been a while and… Well I miss the kid.” He adds and Eddie’s face instantly softens.
“Of course we can. You have anything in mind?”
“Well there’s this space museum not far from here. It’s still a one hour drive but you know I- I figured we could give it a try.” Eddie smiles and instantly nods, taking his phone from his back pocket.
“Great. I’ll ask Ana if she’s down for it.”
As soon as these few words are out in the open, a heavy silence settles in the room. Buck bites his lower lip and looks down at his feet with a sigh, Chimney snorts and Hen lifts her hand to her forehead in embarrassment.
“… Or not.” Eddie says after he reads the room, putting his phone down on the table. “Just the three of us?” He asks and Buck looks up at him with a hopeful expression.
“If that’s okay.”
“Of course it’s okay Buck, I-” Eddie starts and sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers. “God, I’ve been an ass, haven’t I?”
Buck dismisses it with a hand’s gesture. “It’s okay.”
“No it’s not.” Eddie says, shaking his head. “It’s not and I’m sorry.” He adds. “Can you… Can you guys give us a moment?” He asks, and Hen instantly gets up and gestures at Chimney to do the same. When Buck turns his head, they’re both gone and Bobby is already seated in his office, probably busy with some paperwork. He’s alone with Eddie. “Alright I’m listening.”
“Listening to what?” Buck asks him, confused.
“Listening to you telling me how much I fucked up as a friend.”
“You didn’t fuck u-”
“Buck.” Eddie cuts him off, firmly resolved to hear what’s on Buck’s mind. Buck holds his gaze for a few seconds, looking for a way out, but looks down and sighs in defeat.
“Eddie it’s fine.” He says. “You were probably busy with Ana and I know what it’s like to have the impression that your life only resolved around the other person at first, it’s- As I said. It’s fine. And you know I probably should have seen thi-”
“No.” Eddie cuts in again, placing one of his hands on Buck’s shoulder. “You’re not getting out of that one by blaming yourself, okay? Now tell me. What did I do wrong?”
“You ignored my texts.” Buck says, shrugging his shoulders like it’s not a big deal but Eddie keeps staring at him and encouraging him to say more and what the hell? - Buck thinks. His best-friend is the one looking for confrontation here and he’d be damned if he didn’t take the opportunity to get it all of his chest. “You ignored my calls.” He adds. “You canceled movie nights two times because you had plans with Ana – which is fine cause you’re allowed to do that but damn Eddie, Christopher made me promise that I wouldn’t go anywhere, he made me promise that things wouldn’t change if you started dating Ana and look at us, now. I’m barely coming over to your house anymore. It’s been one week and a half since I last saw him and you know damn well that I love this kid like he was my own and I hate myself for letting him go through that.”
“What else?” Eddie asks, his eyes already bright with tears.
“You shut me out, Eddie.” Buck answers, looking up at him, his eyes filled with a determination that scares him. “You shut me out.” He repeats but slower, this time.
“And how did that make you feel?”
“Lonely.” Buck answers honestly. “Angry. Sad. Confused. But mostly lonely.”
“Why is that?” Eddie asks and Buck huffs out a laugh, looking up at him incredulously.
“What do you think?” He answers and his tone comes out harsher than he intended and Eddie looks up at him in surprise. “I’ve never had a home, Eddie.” He adds, and his voice breaks. “I’ve never had a home until you came around. Even with my parents I felt like a stranger in my own house. And I know I said that the 118 has always felt like a family to me and I mean it but you and Chris? You gave me a home, Eds.” Buck says. "I mean I- I love you, alright?”
“And we love you too.” Eddie answers, cupping his cheeks with his hands. “We do, and you’re always going to be a part of this family, okay? I promise. I’m sorry I acted like a jerk.” He adds, bringing his lips to his forehead and Buck swears he can feel his heart cracked open at the touch. “Listen I promised Ana I would get dinner with her tonight but how do you feel about spending some time with Christopher?”
“I’d like that.” Buck says with a smile.
“I promise I won’t be long” Eddie adds. “And tomorrow we can go to that space museum. Just the three of us. Deal?”
“Deal.”
---
When Eddie goes back home after their shit, he has to witness Buck breaking down in tears and hugging Christopher close to his chest. Christopher had his eyes closed and from the way he’s clinging on to Buck, there is no doubt in Eddie’s mind that Buck’s absence had left a large void in his son’s life. And his heart breaks at the sight.
Bucky you’re home – Christopher had said to him, his chin rested on his right shoulder.
You’re home – Eddie repeats quietly to himself as he makes his way over to Ana’s house. He knocks on the door a few times and smiles at her when she opens it, taking a step to the side to let him in. She guides him to the couch and immediately starts to talk about his day as a vice-principal, which is usually something Eddie would try and listen with the greatest attention, but not today. Not today. Today, Christopher and Buck’s words are being played over and over again in his head and Eddie’s mind is a thousand miles away from that room.
Bucky you’re home.
I’ve never had a home until you came around.
You and Chris? You gave me a home, Eds.
I’m not home – Eddie suddenly thinks to himself.
“I’m sorry?” Ana asks, confused and Eddie whirls his head around when he realizes he just said those words out loud. “You’re not home?”
And suddenly, everything makes sense.
Home. It became such a strange concept for Eddie along the years. A constant evolution. In the first few years of his life, home was wherever his parents were. His childhood house, a cabin in the mountains during Christmas’ holiday, a tent in the middle of the forest. It didn’t matter where he was, as long as he was there with his parents, and his sisters.
And then he met Shannon and suddenly the word ‘home’ wasn’t only resolving around his parents and his sisters anymore. It became a bit larger to include her and then Christopher. His son was already his whole world back then and Eddie would have done anything for him.
But then Afghanistan happened and his life in Texas started to be tainted by arguments and harsh words. And so Eddie fled, convincing himself that maybe the army could become his new home. But god, was he wrong, and he quickly was hit by the realization that he would never really be home if Christopher wasn’t by his side.
And sure he considers the 118 as his family but his home? His home is with Christopher.
Eddie doesn’t really know when Buck first entered into the equation.
Maybe it’s when he first met Chris and that these two instantly hit it off. Maybe it’s when Buckley-Diaz movie nights became a thing. Maybe it’s when Buck helped him build a skateboard for his son or maybe it’s when he saved him from a tsunami.
Maybe it’s a combination of all these examples and a thousand more, and to be perfectly honest Eddie doesn’t really care because Buck is there now and he doesn’t want him going anywhere.
After all, people always say that home is where the heart is.
And Eddie’s heart? Eddie’s heart is with Buck. With Christopher first, but then Buck.
So no. “I’m not home.” Eddie repeats, his eyes lowered to the ground. “I – I’m sorry Ana but I – I can’t do this anymore. Us. It’s not going to work. I wanted it to work and I thought it would but it won’t. I’m sorry.”
“Edmundo.” Ana sighs, placing her hand on his thigh.
“Eddie.” He answers. “It’s Eddie. Not Edmundo.” He adds. “I really am sorry. You didn’t do anything wrong. Hell, you’ve almost been perfect but-”
“But I can’t compete with him.” She finishes for him and Eddie whirls his head around, his eyes wide.
“How can you- you’ve only seen him twice.”
“Then it must really says a lot about what he feels about you.” Ana answers, smiling sadly. "He looks at you like you’re his whole world. And sometimes, you’re looking at him the exact same way.”
Eddie pinches the bridge of his nose and looks down, sighing. “I’m sorry.” He repeats. “I’m sorry I swear I didn’t mean to lead you on, I really thought I was doing the right thing. But I wasn’t, and to be perfectly honest with you, Ana, I haven’t – I haven’t really been myself around you. You make me nervous all the time and I feel like – I feel like I have to become someone else when I’m with you. At first I thought it was just the nerves of starting a new relationship but… But weeks passed and it’s still there. I’m trying too hard and I’m not sure – I’m not sure it’s the right way to go.” He admits. “With him, it’s easy. It’s always been easy and maybe that’s the problem. It’s always been so easy that I – that I never took the time to wonder if there was something more going on.”
“And there is?” Ana smiles at him and this time it’s not sad, it’s sincere, honest.
“I think so.” Eddie admits, huffing out a laugh. “Yeah. Yeah, of course there is. Definitely.”
“Then you should go tell him that.” Ana answers.
“I can stay.” Eddie instantly says. “We had planned this for a while and I”
“You want to be with him.” She cuts him off. “Edm – Eddie. I love you. But if your happiness lies with him then I’m not going to put myself between you and him. Go.” She adds, and seems taken aback when Eddie wraps his arms around her back. She rests her chin on his shoulder and lets herself enjoy the intimacy.
“We can finish that conversation anytime, alright?” Eddie says, standing up. “We could get a coffee next week and get everything off our chests once and for all. How does that sound?”
“That sounds good.” Ana smiles.
Eddie waves at her one last time and rushes out of the house. He steps in his truck and starts driving. His head is spinning and his heart is pounding against his chest but he’s never been so sure of anything in his life. This is what’s been missing. This is what’s been missing all these years. Buck. The missing part of the puzzle.
Eddie parks next to Buck’s car and stays motionless for a while before feeling brave enough to get out of his truck and walks towards his house. He stops at the front door and closes his eyes, only for a few seconds. He takes a deep breath and lowers the handle. He steps in and here he is. Buck. His best-friend is standing up behind the kitchen’s counter, seemingly busing preparing pizza dough.
It’s only when Eddie closes the door behind him that Buck looks up at him, his brows furrowed in confusion. “Eddie?” He asks. “I thought you had a date night with Ana.”
“I did.” Eddie says with a smile. He takes a few steps towards him. “I cut it short.”
“Why?” Buck is still frowning but Eddie can note a slight glimmer of hope crossing his eyes.
“She wasn’t the person I wanted to spend the evening with.” Eddie only says and before he knows it, he’s pressing Buck against the fridge, capturing his mouth in a hungry kiss. His left hand cradles his chin and he places the other on the back of his neck. A startled noise comes out of Buck’s mouth but it only takes him a few seconds to kiss him back with just as much passion, his thumbs on his cheeks and the rest of his fingers running through his hair. Eddie smiles against his lips and moves his hands from his face to his waist, bringing him closer.
When they break apart, Buck’s hair is disheveled, his cheeks red and his lips swollen and Eddie huffs out a small laugh, his right hand grabbing onto his shirt tight, his eyes closed.
“God I’ve been so stup-”
“Shut up.” Buck cuts him off by pressing their lips together another time. The kiss is gentler this time, slower, and when Buck pulls at his hair a bit, Eddie can’t stop a small whimper from slipping out past his lips. “Wait.” Buck says, pushing him a little by placing his hand on his chest. “What about Ana?”
“I broke up with her.” Eddie instantly says, chasing his lips another time but Buck is faster and stops him from doing so by changing their positions and being the one having him pressed against the fridge.
“Why?” Buck asks.
“Because I’m in love with you.” Eddie answers so simply and that seems to be enough for Buck who lashes forward and crashes their lips together and Eddie would lie if he said he didn’t like being pressed against the fridge like that. He moves his mouth from Buck’s lips to his jaw, his neck, but stops dead in his track when a voice resonates from behind.
“You did it.” Christopher says and they jump away from each other, getting the creases out of their shirts in embarrassment. Eddie’s eyes fall on Christopher but his son only has eyes for Buck. “You told him.” He adds and a large smile breaks in on his face.
“I did.” Buck answers and huffs out a laugh when Christopher comes to him and wraps his arms around his legs. He takes him in his arms and hugs him, his eyes still fixed on Eddie.
I’ll explain later – Buck mouths to him silently with a smile.
Eddie only nods and his face softens when Christopher buries his face in the crook of Buck’s neck. It only lasts a few seconds, though, and when his son’s eyes fall on him, a small laugh escapes his lips.
“Dad, you have flour all over your hair.” He says, and Eddie runs his hands in his curls, smiling when the white powder falls on the flour. Buck looks up at him and smiles apologetically at him but Eddie dismisses it with a hand’s gesture and wraps his arms around the both of them. He sighs in relief and breathes in the scent of Buck’s after shave and Christopher’s shampoo and thinks to himself:
This is exactly where I want to be.
“Welcome back home, Buck.”
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Chapter 2
Venom/Eddie x Reader
Tw: cussing
Your fists are trembling before you realize that you were clenching them enough to dig into the palm of your hands. As much as you considered laying your hands down flat to calm down, you could only unclench them in a gesture of stress before balling them up again. You had barely made it outside of the building when you rested your back against the wall.
“Fuck…” You rasp.
It was so infuriating when he decided to come at you with this passive-aggressive shit. Almost like he saw you as the problem. He loved Jessie and really missed having that shit-faced motherfucker in your life. Raf acts as if you betrayed him when you decide that you never wanted to come in contact with that childish low-life. You had plenty of names for Jess, but you really needed to shake them out of your head for now. This is about Raf stepping out of line with you.
Good. Great. Wonderful.
You felt like so much shit at the moment. Whenever things got rough you would always storm into the apartment to hug him and cuddle until he helped you calm down. A searing hot tear glided down your cheek, although your face was emotionless. It hurts.
Hurts to know that you couldn’t go to him this time. This is what you get when you refuse to spend time outside of your home. You’re not really sure how long this was going to last either. But you were as stubborn as you were torn between apologizing and finding another place to sleep tonight.
Finally your brows invert in anguish and you look up in a poor attempt to stop the tears from pouring. Your arms felt as heavy as your chest. It’s times like these that make you wonder if Raf even liked being your friend.
“You don’t get to fucking call me that…” It was more of a breath than a whisper, but it was an effort to try to keep youself from spiralling into thoughts that degraded you into thinking this was all your fault and that you were a terrible person.
Maybe you were, but at the moment you weren’t in the mood to hear it from yourself. Growing up you had to teach yourself to keep out of that spiral or you would do something drastic. It doesn’t always succeed and yet it was at least an effort being made.
This time your brows furrow as you aggressively wipe away tears on either side of your face before cracking your knuckles. You need to try to ground yourself and shake off some bad thoughts before you could hear them. That sounded weird. Now you rush out of the area to keep your mind running just as you were rather than focus on the bad thoughts. Sometimes you would pace around the apartment when you were alone just to think of things to defend yourself or think up whatever you could for a distraction. The latter being less useful than the first.
Right now you were jogging across the street to head to whatever seemed familiar. You had to be careful as you had the tendency to get side tracked and get a little lost in a street you rarely traveled.
Raf had no place to guilt trip you into even being friends with someone that cheated on you. Jess could never gather enough humanity to even acknowledge what you had gone through in that relationship. ‘Yeah I understand your decision…’ you scoff at the thought. Raf told you all sorts of shit like that after the break up. A few months later and Raf develops this little habit of scaring off anyone you would bring around him and later talk up your ex like a car salesman. You still haven’t felt like you needed to talk to Jess. As a matter of fact, you owed neither of them anything. Regardless of the fact that you three used to be an inseparable trio.
You grit your teeth.
Rafael is a selfish naive piece of shit if he thinks he will ever get you to crack and open up your life to that whore. You are not obligated to talk to them; that is that. If Raf can’t come to peace with you cutting a whole motherfucker out of your life then that was his own problem.
Fuck.
“Fuck!” You grunted silently to yourself-punching a nearby surface that seemed to be a wall.
The mere voice in your head that reminded you of his constant excuse made you cringe in a sudden wave of anger. ‘I’m stuck in the middle’, was short for, “You’re not being fair! Stop being the problem and make up with Jess so I can enjoy myself in the presence of both of you!”
First of all-Raf isn’t in the middle of anything! He is a grown man and can go see Jessie whenever he wants to or even invite him in while you’re out! He is the only one making everything such a big deal. ‘News flash, Raffie, you’re no peacemaker here!’, your blood boils at the fact that he couldn’t treat you two as separate friends. Even Jess was able to understand you wanted no part of them!
You cut people out of your life for a reason! Not only did they cheat on you, but was generally an asshole too! Just because Raf can’t gather the strength to end something completely does not mean you had to adapt to what he wanted! It is not illegal to cut someone out of your life and it could be perfectly healthy for you, even! Regardless if your circle has only gotten smaller and smaller over the years...
“I don’t need any of that shit! If I have to I’ll move, Raf!” Your voice hissing his nickname,”If you can’t live without that bitch and me then I’ll do you the fucking favor of cutting myself out of your life! Who the fuck says I need either of you!?”
You stop dead in your tracks and look down at your shoes. There was guilt and suffering swelling inside of you. You had only said that because you couldn’t think of any other way out of it than having him hate you. Hot streaks of tears return as you lower yourself into a crouch and hold your head. You don’t bother to fight the urge to pull your hair.
‘I do-I need you…’
A pathetic plea that lands on nobody’s ears. This was going to be the death of you if you keep going down this path. The sun was beginning to set. Orange and pink flourishes across the skies. Sobs rake through your body as you hide yourself into the alleyway. What the literal fuck? You could knock a man into a coma and here you were weeping like a lonely child. ‘You’re a selfish piece of shit-go to hell-he tries hard for you and here you are talking shit-what kind of friend are you-what kind of a sibling-a waste of a contact-a waste of a life-a bastard-motherfucking piece of-’
Your heart was stuck in a traffic of emotions. The selfish asshole doesn’t realize how badly you wish it could go back to the way it was too if it made things any easier. But like hell if you were going to ruin yourself again for the sake of his comfort. ‘Be the bigger person’ was such a load of bullshit. A ticket for the other to avoid consequence if he asked you.
A nervous hand is offered to your trembling form before you even realize there was anyone walking towards you, “What are you doing in here?”, he begins his question with your name, which was enough for you to snap your head up at him. ‘Eddie?’ You had forgotten how burnt up your eyes must have looked. Dropping your head in embarrassment you hide your bruised up features and take his hand. “Not having a good night.” Your own voice repulses you and you have to stop yourself at choking up as another wave of self-loathing thoughts creep up on you.
There was no lying to him considering you couldn’t think of a good cover story for crying in an alley in the dark. The least you could do was keep it vague to spare him from listening to you gripe about something so irrelevant to him.
“Need me to walk you home?” Panic surges through you for less than a second at his question.
“No! No-thank you. Uh…” You mentally shake yourself before you continue, ”Um, do you mind if we just walk to your place?”
A sigh leaves you when you relish in his nod. You fail to notice how he had helped you up and draped his jacket over your still trembling body as you walked. Eddie most likely thought you were shaking from the cold rather than your little meltdown. How cute.
After a moment of nothingness that leaked into you like acid, you decide to open your mouth despite how your sore throat protests, “Thank you, Eddie.”
“It’s no problem.” He says it so casually it almost makes you nauseated with guilt.
There was another silent pause, “So…” You began, “How did you… find me?” That insinuated that he was looking for you, but you didn’t know what else to say after half of that question had already left your mouth.
He purses his lips for a second. Then proceeded to do something that finally had you smile at him and even muffle the wrenching ache in your heart. Eddie stammers and stumbles over a word or two as visual warmth creeps up his ears. You ponder what he was hiding before he is able to speak again, “We-I-I forgot our-my tater tots and I ran back to your place and your brother answered and told us to come find you here…”
“Okay…” that made you stare wide eyed. He was kind of a shitty liar considering Raf doesn’t know where you are.
He stirs at your silence and leaves your gaze about forty times in the matter of two seconds. To his shock you begin giggling. Then you began to chuckle. Followed by some laughing that was hard enough that you had to hold your stomach. He holds you still as you take a moment to recover. ‘Damn, wouldn’t it be crazy if he was some psycho stalking me or whatever?’
Maybe your laughter was contagious or you just looked stupid, but he begins to cackle along with you. You both probably looked pretty stupid. With a careful step you continue the journey back to his place the moment your laughter slowly dies down.
“You’re weird” You wheezed through a last few fits of giggling that left you breathless.
Eddie was just as bad as he wipes away some water building up in his eye, “You don’t know the half of it.”
The bad thoughts push at your neck and build a little pressure in your chest as a harsh reminder that you shouldn’t be enjoying yourself. You smile through the pain, yet he asks you if you’re alright and if you’re hurting somewhere. His voice goes soft with an undertone of concern. You couldn’t swat at the butterflies that shift in your organs.
“I’m fine. Just shit hit the fan back at my place.” You wince in disgust when you reveal that little detail. Eddie notices and offers implied choices, “Want to talk about it?”
You could either walk in more awkward silence or you could awkwardly blow up on him. Much to your own displeasure you settle for the latter.
“Do you believe in shit like ‘being the bigger person’?” You curl your fingers to make air quotes around your words as you speak. You didn’t want to be talking to a brick wall of morals after all.
Unsure of what you were expecting, you turn to look at him, “Not really. I mean… Past experiences makes that kind of complicated to answer, but… not really.”
Sighing, you look forward to avoid eye contact; naturally as the coward you were, “Raf only blew up on you because he thinks you would ruin the chances of me focusing on a friendship with an ex of mine.” He scoffs, but you continue before he could say anything, “But Jess is kind of a shitty person and I really don’t care about bringing that fucker back into my life for his sake-uh since me Raf and Jess were all friends once…” You stopped there deciding last minute to keep a lid on it.
“Does Raf know you don’t want to be friends again?” You didn’t expect him to actually say anything after that. Nobody really ever did aside from Rafael.
“Yeah, it’s been almost a year already, but it still comes up.”
“Wait-why does he care? Can’t he still be friends with Jess and be your brother?”
Eddie seemed genuinely confused which was actually kind of adorable, but you ignored that thought, “Because he feels like he’s stuck in the middle of us. He wants it to go back to how it was when all three of us were together and tearing shit up.”
“So it’s really about him then?” More of a statement than a question. It made you look up at him in realization. The only feeling that lingered from your meltdown was the guilt of being a selfish asshole. You almost forgot to be a little pissed at him by the time you were mostly out of it.
He takes note of your reaction and speaks carefully, “I’m starting to think you two have really different feelings going around about different parts of this situation.” You nod in affirmation.
“So that’s probably why you two haven’t figured a way around any of this. Like you both rely on one of you just clicking and finally getting it so one of you can have it your way. But if you don’t then it’ll just come back up again later, right?”
You nod again, mostly in a daze. He was actually making sense to you somehow.
“That is so unfair...”
That actually makes you huff out a bit of laughter, “Tell me about it.”
You two finally make it to his apartment complex. By the time you two make it to the door of his apartment he’s already pushing you inside. Playfully of course. In his defense you were acting like a vampire that needed to verbally be invited in.
You stand politely next to his couch before you hear him scoff jokingly, “Do I look like the Queen of England?” When you don’t respond he steps into your view to hold your arms comfortingly, “Relax. Sit.”
Offering an apologetic smile you add onto you nervous behavior, “I’m sorry I’m just kind of… It’s been a while since I’ve…” You didn’t want to sound all that depressing, “Look I’ll try to…” Jesus fuck this was a disaster, “Ugh… I-I’m…” You wish you hadn’t said anything at all at this point. Huffing in defeat you finish your thought, “I’m just tired. I’m sorry.”
Eddie looks at you closely as if to inspect you.
The silence was always weird. What was he thinking and why did it always take this long? Was he thinking of a way to kick you out? Your internal stress was rudely interrupted when he places something in front of you. The smell of cupped noodles pushes your embarrassment down your throat; almost forgotten. You didn’t seem to understand right away. Did you look hungry? Was your stomach making weird noises? Enough!
You took a forkful and hummed thankfully.
He takes his place next to you with a cup of his own. Perhaps he could sense that you were still bothered by your situation, or maybe he was just curious, you weren’t sure which as he begins to inquire, “Does Jess know you don’t want to be friends?”
Nodding, you swallow whatever is left in your mouth, “Yeah. I mean sometimes I hear from Raf that Jess would rather talk it out and I don’t know. Explain what happened that night maybe. Raf tells me that things have changed and how Jess changed, but I don’t… I don’t actually want to find that out for myself.” You couldn’t help but shrink at how horrible you were beginning to sound now that it was all being said out loud.
More silence.
“Should you really have to?”
There was a second before you choke up dryly at your next thought, “If I don’t then I’m just a coward and Raf is going to give up on me and won’t talk to me and-” Scorching tears return at full force by the time you feel yourself shaking against someone’s chest, “-I’ll be alone and I don’t want to be-not like this-I don’t want to be-” Arms tightening around you never made you feel so small. Your voice was growing less and less coherent and yet you pretended otherwise as you kept babbling on about fearing yourself. Does Rafael really think you don’t care enough about him if you don’t go back to being friends with your own fucking ex? You ball yourself up and cling to his jacket as if you would slip into the void if you let go.
‘Back at square one’ your mind jested. How would he ever talk to you again after this? Eddie was probably thinking ‘What have I gotten myself into?’ right about now. You were a wreck basically the first day you’ve met him! At least Raf didn’t have to worry anymore considering you ruined this poor dude’s night. A devastated smile tugs at your lips. His seriousness wavers at the feeling.
“What?” He has to pull away to look at you.
Your eyes were puffy, skin slick with tears, bruises still evident. Not only were you disgusting, but tears had soaked through his jacket, much to your embarrassment. You naturally avoid his gaze for the millionth time that night, “I’m sorry for fucking up your night.”
For a minute he seems to be at a loss for words. You mentally slap yourself for even saying anything and putting him in such an awkward position. Just as you were about to fill in the gap with more gibberish and half baked thoughts, he retorts, “You didn’t fuck anything up.”
You blink up at him to see that he was smiling down at you.
“Okay, sure, you’re crying on my couch and I don’t really know what to do with my hands-” His face almost beams when you snort weakly at his comment, “-but I would rather have you here than crying alone in some ditch-or alley in the dark.”
Then suddenly, something hit you. You wouldn’t be crying in his arms tonight if you just kept your conversation light. If you didn’t blurt out each and every little detail. Mostly because it was weird to do to a stranger you met just that day. Even most friends would look for distractions as an answer. He asked about your situation and kept prying. He was looking for the smaller details. Because he’s a reporter.
Or maybe he was just that nice of a person.
You move one hand to hold your side as you begin another contagious wave of laughter that resulted in you hiding your face in his shoulder. It was more down-played than the last, but still unrelenting. You weren’t sure why, but it all just seemed weird enough to you to be laughable. Not too long after were there strings of laughter rumbling throughout his body. For some reason, the bouncing of your head against his quaking shoulder was automatically hysterical to you. Your laughter grew by the second. This had to stop.
“What’s so funny?” Eddie snickered.
Only after a humiliating snort or two did you answer, “You!” the mirth finally dives back into calmness as you provide some clarity, “You’re just,” your words were broken by a lingering breath of laughter, “so weird…”
A nervous chuckle draws your attention, “Weird good or weird bad?”
“I don’t know,” a bit of mischief teases your lips when you see his reaction, “You go looking for me in an alley after the shitty breakfast I gave you and let me into your apartment all ugly with tears.”
Slowly, joy kicked at his lungs. His laugh was cute. Man, if this dude turns out to be a murderer just lurring you in, you were going to be pissed.
“Yeah… I think you’re a good weird.” You didn’t realize how close Eddie was to you until you sneak a peak of his deep smile.
He seemed to realize it too as he takes the opportunity to lean a little closer and wipe away any lingering tears off of your face, “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” Your voice was coated in honey when you decide you want to meet him halfway. You begin slow. He was so close to you; his breath easily warming your skin and sending goosebumps up your arms. Suddenly you were cold.
You blink at the view of him continuing to eat his leftovers.
“Your soups gettin’ cold.” The shit-eating grin that he bares was enough to light a fire under your ass.
Shock was written all over your face, nevertheless, you grab your soup and continue to eat. There was some silence that weighted the atmosphere. Maybe he was expecting a different reaction out of you, you weren’t sure, but nobody was about to be playing hard to get with you right now. You cackle internally.
“So do you-”
A smile that could sell for innocence graces your features.
He swipes his tongue over the corner of his lips slowly to catch the drop of soup from the small corn you had flung at him. It catches your gaze through the corner of your eye. Feeling like you’ve won, you continue to eat.
Unfortunately you only had half a minute to mentally brag. A lukewarm piece of noodle smacks lamely into your jawline before falling into the remainder of your soup. You gasp and shoot an infamous glare which slowly falters beneath the playful grin that surfaces.
With a flick of your index finger you move another piece of food on the tip of your fork. In a flash, you bring a fist down on the handle and launch a small piece of partially soaked chicken right into what would have been his chest.
What happened instead was actually quite impressive. Your eyes widen to see Eddie lunge forward and catch the food in his mouth. For a second you swear you see his teeth sharpen, but dismiss it as a mere exaggeration of his action. You raise your hands to defend your face as he chuckles and flicks another one at you.
You cry out in laughter and launch it back at him; hitting his nose. Another one flies at you, but you slap it out of your way. It splashes into your soup and further dirties your hoodie. At the moment you didn’t really care. That being said, a few more minutes into your little warfare and your hoodie was as bad as your crying face was a few moments ago. Eddie wasn’t as bad after catching two more when they were just a little too overhead.
“You want me to wash your hoodie for you?” He gestures to the filth that caked the fabric. He looked smug albeit a little apologetic.
“Nah it’s fine. Don’t worry about it.” An eyebrow raises and you cave, “Uh… I would take it off, but I didn’t bring a shirt…”
Humiliation manifests on your face just as Eddie raises a brow. There’s no issue when it came to Raf seeing you shirtless, but with someone so new? It was weird. You can’t help but be a little insecure. He scratches the back of his neck in thought before offering another option, “I could give you a shirt, no problem.”
You were going to decline, but you could feel something slick and cold sticking to your stomach. Shivering you nod gratefully, “Please?”
Keeping close to him you follow towards a closet full of clothing. Eddie pulls his shirt over his head. Your eyes immediately trace the muscles that flex and contour his back. Fuck, it actually makes you want to cry. You play it off as a sigh and peel your eyes away from him as he slips into a clean shirt. Were you making things weird? No he probably didn’t notice anything. He hasn’t made a sound yet anyways. Yeah-no it’s nothing. He can’t possibly see that look on your face! Did you see those tattoos? Wipe that drool off your face, he’s turning around!
He places a soft fabric into your hands and points to the bathroom. You were still too ashamed to meet his eyes and notice his smug expression. Instead, here you were in his kind-of-gross bathroom. Stripping off your hoodie you pull the shirt over your top half. If you were being honest, you wish you were out there in front of him. Your mind went into the gutter while you imagine trying to show off your muscles and whatnot.
“Everything okay in there?” You jump and reflexively grab your hoodie off of the sink.
“Y-yeah. I’ll be right out.”
Anxiously, you pull at the collar of the shirt. You couldn’t stop yourself. Pulling it closely to your lips, you inhale lightly. His scent was almost like its own spice. A sweet musk with enough zest you sweep you off your feet.
You hear him shuffling around in his living room and quickly make your way out. The shirt was an easy fit on you, actually. Eddie was a pretty big guy anyways so you were grateful for the size. Your eyes glaze upon the shirt he wears now. Imagine tearing into such thin fabric… You catch yourself before getting lost in the figuration again.
“Thanks. I’ll give it back-”
“Don’t worry about it. Looks better on you.”
‘Smooth Criminal’ was written all over him, “Not as good as you look right now.”
“You think I look good?” He stalks up to you and you feel your heart flutter.
“Didn’t realize I stuttered.” You hum, amused.
Before things could escalate, Eddie clears his throat. He seemed to be keeping himself back. It was absolutely annoying…
“You stayin’ the night?”
“Only if you’ll let me.” There’s some hopefulness in your words.
He catches it and feeds you a promising grin, “Guess you’re stayin’.”
The rest of that night was a blur. But much to your displeasure you two didn’t do much of anything. You could tell because you were both leaning against each other on his couch with the TV on. The urge to kick something in frustration was strong enough to pick Eddie as a target. Not that you didn’t have a nice time, but you would rather be walking off a pair of sore legs right about now. He stirs next to you and leans his back against the couch; taking some weight off of you.
You desperately want to move, but not off of the couch. You wanted to lay your head in the crook of his neck and you weren’t even sure why. That was weird. He literally met you yesterday…
‘What the fuck.’
Your head was comfortably tucked against his toned thighs. Too busy being stuck in your thoughts you fail to notice you were slowly being pushed into his lap. You really needed to stop daydreaming because you are doing things you basically tell yourself not to do.
Eddie was already waking up before you could fix your mistake! Quickly shutting your eyes, you pretend to be asleep. A moment later and Eddie was shifting beneath you in contempt of trying to control your breathing. Were you being elevated? You refused to face the music by opening your eyes just yet. Not even when you felt his seemingly huge hand caress the back of your head.
He does lean down to you though. Your heart comes to a screeching halt in hopes of him leaning down to kiss you. However that does not happen. You could feel him. Eddie was taking in your scent, greedily. You miss the chance to stop yourself from shuddering. This almost made you feel vulnerable. But worst comes to worst, you could take a hit and dish one out too.
There was an animalistic rumble that has you peek through your lashes. It was horrifyingly good and ran up your spine better than any man’s “lower” voice. The subtle clicking was weird but did wonders to your core. In spite of peeking, it was just Eddie’s nervous face.
The jig is up.
You squint at him-as if you were just waking up-appearing tired and disoriented, “Dude,” You couldn’t help throwing in a drowsy chuckle before continuing, “are you sniffing me?”
Mentally jumping for joy at the fact that it took the attention off of you for sleeping on his lap, you watch in amazement as he stammers with an excuse and chokes up on nothing. He was as nervous and messy as you were.
In the end he comes up with nothing short of, “I just… thought you smelt nice… is all…”
As nice as it was to see him sweat over anything, you crack a smile and offer some honesty, “Thanks. I think you smell nice too.”
Shit was so awkward it was just easier to laugh at each other at this point. You sit up and make a bit of a show at stretching. With your arms raised, you make sure to flex. The shirt was a little on the thinner side which made it easier to tease your little audience as it left almost no secrets and gave just enough details. You finish with a scripted yawn that flows into a soft moan and rest your hands behind your neck. Lasty, you blink away your bedroom eyes to see him still staring. You almost laugh at him when he opens his mouth to close it again.
‘How pathetic is that?’ You chuckle to yourself.
He looked frazzled and scared to say anything. You feel a surge of energy and confidence the moment he practically turns around to run away. There was no way in hell you didn’t just hear him whimper.
Laughing only when he makes it into the safety of his bathroom, your phone nearly vibrates off of the table.
[R: Aye call me or get over here]
[R: Cause I just got you a fight]
[R: Its flashin’ big money]
[Y: How big?]
You two may be fighting, but when it came to you fighting other people, it was an implied compromise that you two still work together.
[R: Call me or smthng]
Eddie was just coming out of the bathroom. His bed head looking more like it was on purpose than an accident.
[Y: Can’t rn… I’ll be over in ten]
[Y: Ttyl]
Pocketing your phone you look at Eddie bashfully, “Hey… big guy?” oh god-no awkward…
“Big guy?” His grin was already talking dirty.
“Careful-I know where you sleep.” You point at him accusingly before laughing it off, “Anyways…” ‘You’re stalling…’
“This was fun… and you’re really nice. So thank you…” He at least seemed pleased by your words so far, “But, Raf texted me so…” Until now. His face was weirdly disappointed. All you could do was sigh mentally, ‘I don’t want to go either…’.
“Are we going to see you again sometime or?” You gave it some thought. You didn’t actually have a job with your winnings mainly covering the rent. Not to mention, Raf was the one working at the bakery on 24th street. Memories flash you with images of you lounging on the couch or working out. You had all the free time in the world.
For a second, you twist from side to side indecisively. You kind of wish for a way to attach him to you hip. You liked him and despite all the teasing and whatnot, he seemed as shy and weird as you were. Just as lost.
“Hm… What are you doing tonight?” The smile he answers with was rewarding.
“Don’t know yet… You tell me…” Jesus fuck, did your heart just float away?
Keeping your cool you place your palm against his bicep, “I know a cute little place we could meet up.”
You give him the location of a sweet little cafe that was open in the late hours. He was familiar with it and called it a date. A swift hand grabs your hoodie. You quickly toss it onto your shoulder and poke some fun at how you may just keep the shirt. It felt softer than any of your shirts. Everything felt like it was lingering, “You want me to walk you home?”
“I’ll be fine.” Punctuating your words with a shameless flex of your bicep. You really didn’t want to go, nonetheless, you bid him farewell after a bittersweet chuckle, “Anyways-Got to bounce. Ciao.”
He waves you off and closes the door behind you. Your heart needs a moment to deal with the loss of company. As you move down the hall to exit the building you hear Eddie’s muffled voice, “Wh-God shut up V.”
He seemed irritated, but he was chuckling. Strange. Who was he talking to?
You pay it no mind for now and focus on your journey back home.
#venom x reader#Eddie Brock x reader#venom#trashwriting#this was also in the drafts so#sorry for the wait#in case any of you are wondering I do look into my inbox at your supportive comments#still helps a lot#thanks
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Preview for Just Friends ch23
Hey @legendarilymessedup you said you were after something to cheer you up, so I hope this helps <3 and I hope your night gets better.
And for anyone who hasn’t read the first 22 chapters and wants to give it a go, you can find the fic here on AO3. It’s a fake-dating slowburn fic where Barry doesn’t realise he’s actually in a fake relationship. Lots of shenanigans.
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Len felt like he was dreaming.
He had Barry in his arms; finally, after hours of worrying, Barry was safe. That alone would have been enough to make him smile. Even if Barry had shot Len down, broke off their real-fake-relationship, and crushed Len’s heart, he still would have been happy to get Barry back home to his team, safe and sound.
But none of that happened.
Instead…
Instead, Barry loved him.
Those three words swam around and around in Len’s head, playing on repeat and blocking out everything else.
Barry was kissing him, and Barry loved him.
“–Err… Snart?–” Iris’ voice said through the comms in his ear, and Len groaned in annoyance as he broke the kiss. “–Hate to break up the party, but I can’t keep Eddie hanging around outside forever–” Barry looked confused – and extremely cute, even covered in mud as he was and sporting a serious split lip and bruised jaw – by Len suddenly pulling away. So, Leonard shook his head, pressing a reassuring kiss to Barry’s cheek and gesturing towards the earpiece. Cisco’s comms unit was about as covert as they came, so Len knew Barry couldn’t see it. But he understood anyway, nodding and taking a step back out of Len’s arms.
For a moment, Len began to panic that the kid was going to freak out again. Kissing Len in front of the Rogues was one thing, but doing it while Team Flash was listening in was an altogether different matter. It didn’t make a difference to Len, of course… but it surely would to the Scarlet Speedster.
Len tensed, preparing himself as he expected Barry to pull away and leave again…
But Barry just stooped down to the floor and picked Len’s cane up. When he stood back up again to pass it over, he was smiling; his green eyes shining happily beneath the mud, and blood, and bruises covering his delicate skin.
Len kissed him once more, grinning while Barry laughed against his lips.
“Get a room, would you?” Scudder muttered, having roused again after the fight. Rosa had been awake for a while, sullenly silent. However, Len was only paying them the bare minimum of attention, trusting Lisa and Mick to keep their enemies under control. Which was exactly what Lisa did, kicking Sam sharply in the shin until he grunted and shut up.
“–Seriously, Snart!–” Iris said, impatient. “–Eddie doesn’t know about the two of you, and I don’t think Barry would want him to find out by him just accidentally walking in on you guys mid-make out–”
Len groaned again and pulled away from Barry once more.
“Fine,” he drawled, his fingers brushing against Barry’s as he finally accepted the offered cane. “Send Eddie in.” Barry straightened up a little bit at the drop of the detective’s name, looking a little nervous. He cast a look over his shoulder and then seemed to altogether freeze.
Len attempted to follow Barry’s line of sight, trying to figure out what was wrong before it could bite them in the ass… but there appeared to be nothing there. The area of the room that Barry was running his eyes over was completely empty.
But then, that was apparently the problem.
“Where’s Shawna?” Barry asked, sounding worried enough that it made the hairs on the back of Len’s neck rise.
Mick shrugged before grunting out an answer. “She and Mardon poofed out of here while you ‘n’ Snart were playing tonsil hockey.” He paused for only a moment before grumpily adding: “Can’t say I blame ‘em.”
“Oh, crap,” Barry muttered quietly under his breath. Len wanted to ask what was wrong, wanted to raise his hand to cup Barry’s face and force him to make eye contact again, wanted to hold him and assure him that – whatever it was – they could get through it. Together.
But then Eddie Thawne entered the room, cautiously with his gun drawn but not aimed. Len waited and watched as the detective gave Barry a smile and a pat on the shoulder – his hand coming away covered in mud from Barry’s clothes, making Len look down at himself, realising that he too was coated in the stuff now. He supposed he could come up with something to explain that away though if he needed to.
Eddie moved to arrest Barry’s kidnappers, keeping a cautious birth from Mick who was still non-too-happy to be working with a pig… not that Len blamed him. And while the detective’s back was turned, Len quickly holstered his cold gun and used his now-spare hand to lead Barry out of the room.
Or maybe ‘to be led by Barry out of the room’ would be a more accurate description. Because, although Len gave the first subtle nudge towards the door, it was Barry who ended up offering Len a shoulder to – literally – lean on as they walked. Because now that the adrenaline of the fight was wearing down, his injured thigh was beginning to burn with a white-hot fury again from overuse. Len gritted his teeth as he limped away from the scene, putting far too much weight on his cane, and possibly squeezing just a little too harshly on Barry’s shoulder. And, Christ, Len wished that he could focus on that. He wished that he could lose himself in the moment and revel in the closeness of Barry’s body and the intimacy that they were finally sharing after all these months of being so completely oblivious to their feelings for one another.
But the look in Barry’s eye and the worried set to his bruised and bloodied lips reminded Len that nothing was ever that simple. Not for him.
Once they were outside in the fresh air, Barry took a deep breath and sighed up at the grey clouds above while Len took the comms piece out of his ear, wanting some privacy.
“What’s going on?” he asked, and Barry’s shoulders drooped as he turned to face Leonard.
“Shawna nearly got shot,” Barry explained, and Len nodded. He’d seen Sam fire the gun at her, but he’d also seen her get out of the way as the bullet drove straight into the wall behind them. He didn’t understand what was wrong here, but Barry’s anxiety only seemed to have grown. “I had to use my powers to save her.”
Ah.
‘Oh, crap’ was right.
“I’ll talk to her,” Barry quickly reassured him, and Len nodded. He was going to offer his company, but he could already see the answer to that question in Barry’s eyes. This was something that he felt like he needed to do alone, and Len could understand that. He knew that he wasn’t the most welcoming of people; he was often cold, and people could find it difficult to talk freely while he was around. Barry would have a much easier time talking to Shawna and Mark if Len wasn’t there.
Len could understand that, but he didn’t have to like it.
“Wear something Cisco can track,” he said. After all, Len had only just got Barry back, he didn’t want to lose him again. Not now. Not ever.
Barry smiled and nodded and looked like he was about to go in for another kiss. But then the door behind them opened again. Barry just about managed to stop himself before it was too late as Eddie Thawne walked out, leading the now-handcuffed Rosa Dillon and Sam Scudder towards his police cruiser. Len tensed his jaw in annoyance, wishing that they could just stop getting interrupted already.
“You’re pouting,” Barry laughed, and Len mustered up a glare. But they both knew there was no real ice behind it.
Barry’s grin softened around the edges as they stared into each other’s eyes. He still looked as though he wanted to lean in for a kiss. But, instead, he reached out and casually adjusted the hood on Len’s parka, his fingertips brushing softly against the skin on Len’s bare neck.
“I have so much I need to tell you,” he said, his voice so soft-spoken and yet so raw. Len yearned to reach out and touch him, to hold his hand, to kiss his cheek. But he couldn’t. They were already pushing their luck here with the gentle way that Barry was fixing his coat, and Len knew that anything more would surely give away their game to Detective Thawne.
This wasn’t exactly the first time that Len had needed to resist the urge to touch Barry. Yet, somehow, the weight of their physical separation felt heavier now that he knew Barry loved him back. Now that he knew the desire to hold and be held was mutual.
Len stared across into Barry’s beautiful green eyes, marvelling at how gorgeous he was. Even coated in mud – which Len would really need to get the story behind later – and bruises and his slowly-healing split lip… he was beautiful. Len wondered how he’d ever got so lucky as for Barry Allen to fall in love with him. And it was lucky. No matter how much heartbreak Len had felt this past few days, it was all worth it to just be able to look into Barry’s eyes and have him look back as though Len was his whole world.
Barry bit nervously against his bottom lip and then winced as the movement reminded him of the cut that he was still sporting there. Len raised his hand instantly to Barry’s face wanting to soothe his discomfort away. But he had to stop himself before he could cup Barry’s jaw and run his thumb along Barry’s lip. His hand uselessly hovered there for a moment, inches away from Barry’s face, before Len balled it back into a soft fist and dropped to his side once more.
“Oh, fuck it,” Barry breathed out, Len’s only warning before he stepped forward that last few inches and collided their mouths together again. Barry was holding on tighter to the fur of Len’s parka now, using it to pull Len forward even though there was no more ‘forward’ for Len to go.
Len wrapped his arm around Barry’s waist and buried his fingers into the back of his shirt, not even caring that the thick layer of mud there was still very much damp. Len couldn’t care less that he was getting covered in mud, not so long as Barry was the one behind it. Barry’s tongue skirted against Len’s, pushing and taking and driving him insane. Len chased the kiss, holding on for as long as he possibly could.
But eventually, they both had to come back up for air. And when that moment came, Len closed his eyes and pressed their foreheads together, and did everything he possibly could to pretend that they were alone.
Another moment passed before Barry pulled away from Len’s touch and turned to face the music. Len followed Barry’s gaze, and their movement was enough to catch Detective Thawne’s attention. He had been leaning against the hood of his police cruiser, appearing as though he was doing his best not to pry on Barry’s moment with Len while he attempted to get a meaningful conversation out of Mick. Len didn’t have to imagine how that endeavour was going.
But now that Barry and Len had pulled apart again, Thawne stood up straight and gave Barry a reassuring smile.
Barry was definitely relieved to see Eddie wasn’t looking overtly angry or uncomfortable about their latest act of PDA. And Barry’s happiness made Len happy in return. Barry looked back up to Len and smiled nervously.
“Could I borrow your bike?” he asked. “I really don’t think I should wait much longer before I track down Shawna, but I can’t exactly go running off right now.”
“You can, actually,” Len corrected. “Mick and Lisa already know you’re the Flash.” Expectedly, Barry frowned at that, so Len shrugged. “Ask Cisco about it.” Because Len couldn’t have answered any questions about it if he’d wanted to. He was still very muggy on those particular details.
“Oh, okay,” Barry nodded, taking the revelation in stride. “I… uh… I’ll see you tonight?” he asked, sounding hopeful in a way that made Len’s stomach do little happy flips.
“I hope so.”
Barry nodded again, looking as though he was going to step away. But at the last second, he leant back in and pressed a sweet kiss on Len’s cheek. Then Barry backed up, heading towards the where the bikes were parked. The second that he was out of sight of the police cruiser and the criminals handcuffed inside, he slipped into superspeed and ran away.
#i don't think many of my coldflash readers still follow me#so this probably only to get like 2 notes i guess#¯\_(ツ)_/¯#coldflash#leonard snart#barry allen#dc#len x barry
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Crush (Bill Denbrough)
Pairing: Bill Denbrough x Reader
Summary: Bill doubts that you like him because you’re flirty around everyone but Richie is determined to prove him differently.
Requested by anon: “hii! could you do a fic where bill has a huge crush on the reader and reader is very flirty w/ everyone and the losers are trying to get bill to ask y/n out? i was also thinking about using the prompts “Wow, a great idea, but I’d rather die.”, “OH you’re jealous!”, and “Are you flirting with me?” “You finally noticed?” ty”
Word Count: 3.4k
Warning(s): swearing, mention of parents arguing, the word daddy, not proofread
Bill could not be more obvious when it comes to his crush on you. Every time you talked to him, his face would light up like his tree on Christmas. His stutter would be significantly worse to the point where he has to take a breather. When you were ever in the vicinity, he would just stare at you longingly.
His crush on you might be a surprise to some. You weren’t necessarily a part of the losers club but you were nice enough to talk to them. Bill made it a point to apologize to you every time someone gave you trouble for hanging out around them, but you always brushed it off. You weren’t that worried about your image anyway, you just wanted to have fun with friends.
Any time you sat with the losers club at lunch it would always be hectic. You were known for being a bit flirty interacting with others. Instead of being reserved like a lot of people, you were pretty hands-on.
“Oh, Richie is this a new shirt?” Without thinking, your hand came up and grabbed the collar of Richie’s floral-patterned button-up, rubbing it between your fingers.
“Yeah, sweetheart. You like it?”
“It looks cute on you,” You smiled back, a giggle leaving your throat before you retracted your hand.
While you weren’t best friends with Richie, both of your personalities mixed well when you were with each other. You both would try to one-up each other somehow when it came to flirting but you would always change the subject if Richie started making crude jokes.
Along with your physical affection, a few months ago you decided to give all of the losers their own pet name. Eddie’s is cutie, Richie’s is handsome, Ben’s is angel, Stanley’s is prince, and Mike’s is hot stuff. When Beverly lived in Derry, you would always call her love.
To his dismay, Bill didn’t really get a pet name. You always used different ones: babe, sugar, pumpkin, precious, literally anything you came up with. Bill would be lying if he said he wasn’t at least a bit jealous when it came to the affection you showed the rest of the losers.
Bill wasn’t in the best of moods and the rest of the losers noticed. Stanley attempted to cheer him up a bit but he didn’t really know what was wrong with him. That was until you met them. They were in the losers clubhouse when you decided to climb in. They were a bit surprised because they only showed you the location once but you managed to memorize the way there. Plus, Richie secretly invited you to spend time with them that day.
“Hey sweet cheeks, glad you could make it,” Richie grinned, head peeking over his comic book.
You smiled back at him. “Thanks for inviting me, Handsome.”
Although he was happy (albeit a bit nervous) that you were there, Richie’s pet name made his eyes roll. His mood was dropping by the second. Richie made sure to keep his eye on Bill as you made your way towards him.
“What’cha doing?” You asked Bill, leaning over his shoulder to see what he was writing.
His face started to heat up as he angled his arm to cover some of the paper. Bill didn’t want you to read what he was writing, even if you liked it. There was always the possibility of you not enjoying it or lying that you did.
In the other corner of the room, Richie was smiling widely but hid his face behind the comic book he was pretending to read. Step one was complete.
“Hey, sweet cheeks, want to read with me?”
Just like that, Bill’s face was drained of color, all of the red beginning to form disappeared. Your head swiveled towards Richie, to see what he was talking about. You were almost hesitant with your actions, your hand lingering on the back of Bill’s chair as you left.
Richie didn’t even try to hide his grin when you sat next to him in the hammock, the small space making you sit practically on top of him. You sat with Richie for quite a while, not having to worry about being kicked off because Eddie wasn’t there. While you were genuinely reading the comic, Richie’s eyes were glued on Bill, soaking in any reaction he could get.
“Richie, are you still reading this page?”
Your voice shocked him out of his trance. “Sorry, baby, I’m a slow reader. When you’re done with a page, you can just tap me and I’ll turn it.” Richie made sure that whenever you tapped him from them on, he would turn the page as he said. When it came to his next move, Richie was thankful that Bill was facing them, a large frown present of his face.
Being the cheesy bastard he was, Richie stretched his arm out as he yawned and gently maneuvered his arm to rest behind your head. You looked up at Richie and rose an eyebrow at him in question. Usually, Richie would just flirt with his words but this time, he wanted to get a reaction.
And he was successful. Bill was very expressive when it came to his emotions, even if he didn’t want to be. As soon as Richie’s arm was over your shoulder, Bill’s jaw clenched and the pen in his hand was starting to bend from the amount of force he was exerting on it.
Luckily enough for him, you actually had to leave not long after the incident. You apologized to the group for not being able to stay long (which they didn’t mind anyway) before leaving the clubhouse with a proud trashmouth and an angry best friend.
When Richie figured you were far enough that you couldn’t hear them, he set his comic book down and peeked over at Bill who still looked as annoyed as before.
“What’s up Bill?” Richie teased, although he tried his best to come off as genuine, “You look like someone killed your cat.”
Bill’s face scrunched up as he faced his friend. Bill knew well why he looked upset but he wasn’t sure if he wanted the other losers to know. “It’s nothing. Just can’t think.”
The trashmouth rose his head as if to say he understood, making Bill turn his attention back to the paper in front of him. Richie didn’t want the situation to die from there, his main goal was to get a reaction from Bill and he wasn’t going to stop until Bill admitted that he had feelings for you.
“Wasn’t Y/n cute today?” Richie sighed, his body sinking into the hammock. He smiled as Bill’s head shot up at your name. Bingo.
“What do you mean?” Stanley questioned from the corner of the room, his eyes steady on Richie as if he was studying him.
“Ah, I don’t know,” Richie sighed again, “It’s just they looked really cute today, don’t you think, Bill?” Bill couldn’t help his breath from getting stuck in his throat as everyone’s eyes landed on him.
“I-I think Y-Y-Y/n looks c-cute e-e-every d-day.”
Shit! I wasn’t supposed to say that! I was supposed to say they looks the same as every other day, dumbass!
In an instant, Richie’s face lit up in amusement. This was going better than he planned. Sitting up so he could see Bill fully, he decided to continue egging on his best friend.
“Oh, really? Which outfit do you like the best? Personally, I think the outfit they wore to school yesterday was my favorite. Like everyone was staring at them—”
“Shut up, Richie,” Bill shot at him, his upper lip curling as he sneered at his friend. He wasn’t going to lie, you did look good yesterday and, yes, everyone was staring at you but that didn’t mean they should. Thinking about everyone looking at you makes Bill’s stomach turn, especially if it was Richie.
“OH you’re jealous?” Richie laughed, his eyes wide as he sent a crazed look to his blushing friend. The other losers were deathly quiet and they watched the scene unfold in front of them.
“What are you talking about?” Bill tried to act dumb, squinting his eyes at Richie’s antics.
Bending over in the hammock, Richie let out a heavy laugh. “Can you believe that, Stanley? Big Bill has a crush!”
Stanley bit his tongue as his eyes shot between his two friends. Whatever was happening, he did not want to be in the middle of it. Bill couldn’t even hide his embarrassment, his face was bright red and his mouth was open to speak but nothing was coming out.
“H-H-How,” Bill stumbled. There was no way he could lie to his friends, not all of them were idiots.
“It’s so obvious,” Richie pointed out after wiping the tears from his cheeks. “You’re head over heels for them. You’re practically drooling at every move they make.” Bill was speechless, shocked by the bluntness of his friend. “You should just ask them out already.”
Now that is what smacked Bill out of his shock. There was absolutely no way that he could do that. You didn’t even like him like that. “W-Wow, a g-g-great i-idea, but I’d r-rather d-die,” Bill scoffed, his eyes landing on the ground.
Richie tried not to deflate from his friend’s depressed attitude. “Why not?”
“I m-mean, th-th-they’re a-amazing but they don’t l-li-like me like th-that. I don’t th-think they e-even like m-me a-as much as y-y-you guys.”
“What makes you think that?” Stanley speaks up, raising his eyebrows at Bill as he thought about his relationship with you. It was like all of his insecurities were coming back to bite him in the butt.
“Well,” Bill mumbled, his voice becoming softer. He felt almost too embarrassed to admit it. “I-I don’t e-e-even have a-a ni-nickname.”
Richie’s retracted, putting a hand on his chest to be dramatic. Stanley was still calm, beckoning for Bill to explain.
“I-It’s hard to t-t-tell if th-they’re e-even into me b-b-because it’s like th-they’re into e-e-everyone. P-Plus, you a-all have n-n-nicknames. Richie, th-they call you H-Handsome, and St-Stanley, they call y-y-you Prince. W-What do they c-c-call me? B-Bill. I think it’s o-o-obvious e-enough.”
Richie couldn’t help but feel a bit disheartened by his statements but he knew what he was talking about. Bill was right to feel that way, you were a bit flirtatious by nature and you did have a nickname for everyone in the group but him.
However, Richie could see how much you cared for him. Even if you were talking to Richie, your focus would be on Bill. He saw the way you could always position yourself so you could see Bill and the way your eyes would be glued to Bill as Richie tried to talk to you. It may be hard for Bill to realize your feelings but it was always obvious to Richie.
Despite wanting to shoot Bill’s negative thoughts down, Richie held his tongue. If he said anything, he knew that Bill would deny him. You liked him; Bill needed to hear it for himself and Richie was determined to help his friend realize it.
The next day, Richie called you and asked if he could come over. Out of curiosity and confusion, you said yes. Richie and you might shoot jokes at each other every now and then but you two never really spoke out of the group. If he needed to talk to you privately, it must be something important.
When he finally arrives, you make sure he’s okay first by scanning over him. For all you know, he could have gotten into a fight and you were the only person he could call. You quickly realized that absolutely nothing was wrong with him when he shot you a grin.
“Wow, checking me out so early in the morning?”
“Shut up Richie,” You dismissed him but you couldn’t help but smile at his playfulness. That was part of the reason why you two got along so well. “Why are you here?”
Before he said anything, Richie looked around to make sure no one was around him, specifically any of the losers. “Can I come in?”
Furrowing your eyebrows, you opened the door slowly, suspicious of what he was going to talk about. The loud mouth not saying anything until he was inside where no one could hear him but you was a bit nervewracking. It took a little bit for Richie to get settled, choosing to sink into your couch the moment he stepped into the living room.
“Now can you tell me why you’re here?”
“Tell me, what do you like about Bill?” Richie asked, his tone light like he was a proper mother (part of him felt like he was).
It took more than you thought to keep yourself from shaking at his question. How in the world did he know? No, you didn’t try to hide it but you just assumed that everyone would be oblivious to your feelings because you acted close to everyone. Richie saw right through you.
“H-How did you–”
“You’re just like Bill, I swear,” Richie sighed, cutting you off. You were standing in front of him as still as ice. You were frozen and sweating by the sudden anxiousness that coursed through you. “It’s really pretty obvious as long as you pay attention. I’m not dumb, y’know?”
Part of you tried not to laugh at his last statement, your mind flashing back to the time in class when he questioned why letters were involved in math. When Richie cleared his throat, you realized your situation. You could fully admit that you like Bill and face the consequences and the teasing or you don’t admit that you like Bill, have to keep lying, and still face and consequences and the teasing.
“Fine, I like Bill,” You admitted, “But it’s not just because he’s really cute okay? He’s a genuinely nice person and he’s really funny. Actually, he’s the only person I feel like I can really laugh with. Not only that but he’s also a really talented wri–”
“Okay, okay!” Richie interrupted, waving his hands up, “I didn’t ask for a whole essay!”
You went quiet and hung your head, trying to hide your embarrassment. By no means did you want to rant about Bill to his best friend, especially Richie. There’s no way you’re not going to be teased now.
“Look, I know Bill likes you too–”
“Really?” Your head shot up, eyes lighting up in excitement. Was he serious? Bill really liked you back? This is like a dream come true.
“Oh my god,” Richie grumbled, smacking his forehead, “Are you blind? Anyway, that’s not why I’m here. Bill feels like you don’t like him because you don’t have a pet name for him.”
Your face scrunched up as you stared at Richie, shaking your head to him to explain.
“Everyone in the group has pet names, even Beverly and she’s not even here anymore. He just feels left out because of it. And he’s as stupid as you and can’t take a hint.”
You ignored the last part of his confession and thought to yourself. You give just about everyone a pet name, it is a way that you show your affection but it felt kind of weird to do that with Bill. Bill was someone you seriously cared about and you didn’t want to show him the same affection as everyone else. He was someone you liked differently.
However, you can see how that could look bad on your part. Not giving him a nickname like everyone else could make him feel different, and not the good kind of different. You tried out a few on him here or there but none of them felt right. He was special to you and you felt like the pet names you gave everyone didn’t fit him.
“You’re right, I am an idiot. I didn’t even realize…” You trailed off as you thought about how Bill has acted strangely the past few weeks. Every time you went to hang out with his group he was always paying attention to you, watching your every move. You’ve been using your nicknames for them a lot recently, especially since you’re finding yourself wanting to sit with them more, and every time you would say hi to Bill without a nickname of his own, his mood would sour.
As you sank to the ground in disappointment, Richie’s smile grew. Richie swore he was a mastermind as he would see all of the puzzle pieces falling into place. Maybe in the future, he should become a matchmaker– no. He can’t even handle his own problems, let alone ten more. Plus, he’s not that good with customer service.
“Don’t worry too hard.” Richie’s smile was as big as it could get as he watched you look up at him defeated. “I’ve got a plan.”
Monday was going terribly for Bill. The start of his day was like no other, brushing his teeth and getting dressed. When he went downstairs, though, his parents started to argue again. It had been a while since their last argument and he finally thought that they were over it now, but they seemed to go into the same routine.
He tried to leave as soon as he could but in that rush, he forgot to grab his rain jacket. Lucky for him, it started to rain on his way to school! By the time he arrived, Bill was thoroughly soaked and had to ask for another change of clothes.
When he got the clothes, however, he wished that he never asked for them. He was given an annoyingly bright yellow stained T-shirt and some ripped jeans muddled with dirt. Despite his protests, the office ladies were quick to convince him into changing.
He didn’t even look at you that morning, too embarrassed by how he looked to interact with you. You didn’t really care, Bill looked cute regardless of the stained clothes he was forced to wear.
Out of everything, Bill was not looking forward to lunch. Normally, he would be elated that you were going to spend time with the club but he felt something off. Even this morning, he could feel your eyes lingering on him. Maybe he was just overreacting, but Bill was starting to get anxious.
While he was staring off in space, you snuck up behind him, glancing at Richie as you leaned next to Bill’s ear.
“Hey, daddy.”
Almost instantaneously, the water in Bill’s mouth spewed across the table, causing for Richie to jump out of his seat. While Richie was holding up his hands in disgust, Bill was busy coughing from the water he accidentally inhaled. You were shocked at his reaction but you eventually started to laugh, amused by his reaction.
When he was done coughing, Bill sent Eddie and Richie an apologetic look.
“S-Sorry Bill,” You tried to settle down but giggles kept escaping your throat. “I didn’t expect you to react like that.”
Bill looked at you, his eyes wide. “W-Wha-Why?”
You looked over at Richie, making sure it was okay to tell Bill but he was too distracted trying to dry his clothes.
“I just thought you looked really cute,” You shrugged, hoping Bill would go along with it. You weren’t exactly lying, Bill did look really cute. Bill didn’t shrug it off this time, instead his eyes squinted at you as you continued to ramble. “See!” You pointed at Bill’s face as he pouted a bit, “You’re just so cute it’s hard to resist– I mean, you can’t really blame me, can you?”
“W-W-Wait,” Bill stopped you, blinking as he tried to process what you were saying. “A-Are you fl-flirting w-w-with m-me?”
“You finally noticed?” Richie shouted, throwing his arms up as he looked at Bill incredulously. He felt good that Bill was finally realizing your feelings, but he definitely did not expect being spit on as payment.
You smiled as BIll’s mouth hung open, his eyes not moving from yours. He was shocked, that was for sure.
“A-Are you serious?” Bill spoke up although his voice was quiet.
“Bill, I’ve liked you for a while.”
“B-But I th-thought y-y-you–”
“Richie told me that you didn’t feel like I liked you because I didn’t give you a nickname, so I gave you one!” As Bill stumbled over his words, you were grinning, amused by how he was frozen by such a simple action. “So, I’ll see you later for our date?” You asked, your eyebrow raising.
Bill didn’t think that his face could get any warmer but it did. He felt like dying, sweat starting to roll down the palms of his hands. “D-D-Date? L-Later?”
“Yeah,” You confirmed, nodding your head. Before you left, you patted his shoulder and sure to send him a wink. “See you after class.”
#requested#bill denbrough#bill denbrough x reader#bill denbrough imagine#bill denbrough oneshot#imagine#oneshot#x reader#reader insert#gn!reader#it 2017#it 2017 imagine#it 2017 oneshot#it chapter one#it chapter one imagine#it chapter one oneshot#jaeden lieberher#jaeden lieberher imagine#jaeden martell#jaeden martell imagine
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Embers XVII
Chapter XVII: if you were me...
Summary of series: Katie moves from Peachtree, Georgia, to L.A. with her son, Alex to start fresh after the death of her husband. When she meets Evan Buckley, a young firefighter, she falls fast but will her son be so quick to accept Evan into his life?
Summary of chapter: Bobby connects with Katie in a way he didn’t expect at a weekend Barbeque; Evan continues to try to reassure Katie that he’ll be careful
Warning: angst, some fluff
Author’s Note: It’s time to add Bobby’s P.O.V into the mix! Why, you might ask, because I felt like it, that’s why. Also because Evan and Bobby have such a great relationship that it seems like only a matter of time before Katie would grow to be closer to him. This is the second last chapter I think but let me know if I should go more than 18 chapters; if I get enough people interested, I might continue the series! Cheers, Stay Golden! <3
masterlist
the other masterlist
xx
Bobby’s P.O.V
When Evan invited everyone over for a barbeque, you half expected him to ask you to grill everything but was pleasantly surprised when he never did
“You sure Katie’s okay with this?” You asked
“It was her idea!” He exclaimed, “she wants it to be like our place, instead of just hers.”
“Well that’s good,” you smiled, “I just don’t want us to intrude on anything...”
“Of course not!” He replied, “are you kidding? She loves you guys and she wants to be able to know you all better. Family is important to her and you’re my family...” you placed a hand on his shoulder as his thought trailed off before bringing him in for a hug
“We’ll be there” you finally said after pulling away from the hug, patting his shoulder with a smile. As the day went on, the team got call after call that were all pretty routine — the proverbial cat stuck in a tree and all that — before dispatch called in a gas leak but when you pulled up, it didn’t look like anything happened, “alright, masks on!”
“What are we looking at here?” Eddie asked
“Dispatch said it was a gas leak,” you replied, “don’t know who could’ve made the call but we have to be prepared for anything”
“Shouldn’t DWP be handling this?” Hen questioned, “I mean if it’s just a gas leak...”
“We gotta make sure that no one is injured or unconscious. We’re here to help whoever needs help.” Evan was first to head inside but not before you could shout to him, “HEY! BUCK!” You snapped and his head turned back to you, “do not rush inside there like that!”
“Cap..” he started
“We don’t know what’s in there, we need to be careful. Just relax...” He stepped back as you lowered your hands and sighed, just as a fire broke out and burst through the roof of the building. You watched as Evan ran to the truck and darted back toward the building before you could stop him, “BUCK!”
“On it Cap!” He called back as if he thought he would be okay and, as angry as you were, you couldn’t stop him from doing his job. The rest of the team followed close behind, carefully checking the space and calling out for anyone who might respond. Once the building was cleared, you took Evan aside
“What were you thinking?!” you said sternly
“What do you mean?” he furrowed his brow
“I told you not to rush into the building like that!”
“Cap, I took all the nece--”
“No!” you interrupted, “you were reckless, again! You should’ve listened to me. I’m your Captain!”
“Nobody got hurt! I’m fine!” he shouted
“THAT’S NOT THE POINT!” you yelled back before composing yourself, “you can’t just go risking your life like that anytime you feel like it!”
“I’m sorry, Cap...” he said softly before you directed him back to the truck
“I know that you know what you’re doing, Buck, but anything can happen and I don’t want you to get hurt. Not if I can help it...” you admitted
“I’m sorry” he apologized again, the two of you jumping into the firetruck to head back to the house. Things were still tense but you hoped that the barbeque would soften things up.
xx
Katie’s P.O.V
“I’m just going to pick up the kid,” Evan laughed as he spoke about Alex, “need anything?”
“Don’t think so,” you replied, “but don’t be too long. Everyone should be here soon and I don’t know them well enough yet to ‘entertain’ on my own...”
“I’m sure you’ll do fine,” he said, kissing the crown of your head, “but I’ll be back soon.” You rushed around the house trying to clean everything before the members of the 118 got there for the barbeque that you and Evan had organized; you were starting to get more and more nervous as you felt the seconds tick away. Suddenly, you heard a screeching outside and you ran outside to see what was happening only to find Evan’s car speeding through the street. To say you were angry would be an understatement and you could only stand on the sidewalk with your arms crossed until the car came to a halt
“Hey, mommy! Did you see us? Did you see us?” Alex exclaimed as he hopped out of Evan’s truck
“How could I not?” you said between bared teeth, “Alex, sweetie, go get cleaned up and ready for the barbeque. Everyone will be here soon.”
“Okay!” he said cheerfully while you waited for Evan to meet you on the sidewalk where you stood angrily
“Hey” he smiled, leaning in for a kiss but you pulled away
“What the hell was that?!” you yelled
“He wanted to go fast...”
“He’s a child!” you continued, “what were you thinking?! You could’ve killed yourselves!”
“I knew what I was doing!” he shouted
“You put his life in danger because he asked you to go fast?”
“I only went sped up when we got onto this street, nowhere else!” he admitted
“And you think that makes it better?” you argued, “what if a child had crossed the street and you didn’t have enough time to stop? Or a dog? or if another car came toward you?”
“I--” he faltered
“You have to be smarter than that!” you shouted, noticing a car pull up down the street, “I don’t want to feel like I can’t trust you with Alex...”
“Hey!” Bobby and Athena greeted as you attempted to wipe a tear from your eye without them seeing
“Hey!” you smiled back, “come on in. I’m just gonna grab Alex, Evan can you take them into the backyard?” He nodded in response, following close behind you while still giving you space. You could hear everyone arriving so you sent Alex down to say hello while you composed yourself enough to talk to each of the guests.
“So how long have you lived here, Katie?” Karen asked
“Since I moved to L.A., so about 3ish years” you replied, feeling Evan creep up behind you and slide his hand onto your lower back
“It’s a great place!” she exclaimed
“Isn’t it?” Evan smiled
“Yeah, it’s a lot to take care of but we like it” you giggled before looking to see where the kids had gotten to
“They’re fine” Evan whispered and you just looked at him, feigning a smile as to not show any irritation to your boyfriend
“I’ll just be right back,” you smiled, “just have to go check on something.” You felt Evan follow you inside, placing a hand on your shoulder to turn you around
“What’s going on?” he asked quietly
“I just need a second, Evan!” you yelled softly, “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do here. Who I’m supposed to be for them,” you gestured to the guests in the backyard, “for you, right now.” A sigh escaped your lips before you brought your hand up to your forehead
“You’re not supposed to be anyone, you’re supposed to be you...” he replied
“I’m sorry, Evan,” you whispered, bringing your hand down from your forehead to hold his hand, “I just need a minute okay? I’ll be back out in a second.” You leaned up to press a soft kiss on his cheek before heading upstairs to the guest room. You made your way across the room, peering out at the guests mingling below, and opened the window so you could step out; taking a seat on the roof like you’d done so many times at your childhood home in Georgia. It didn’t take long for Evan to notice you and draw Bobby’s attention up to where you sat, your eyes drifting onto the horizon to avoid their stares.
“Katie?” You heard Bobby’s voice call from behind you, he must have snuck up to the guest room without you noticing
“Hey, Bobby,” you sighed, “come on out. Sit with me...”
xx
Bobby’s P.O.V
“Katie?” Evan whispered to himself as he looked toward the roof, “what is she doing?” When you followed his gaze, you saw Katie sitting on the roof staring out at the sky as she brought her knees close to her chest
“Did something happen?” you asked
“Sort of... I should go u--”
“I’ll go.” You interrupted, a smirk growing on your face, “she just looks like she’s thinking.” You made your way through the house, trying to be as quiet as possible as the stairs creaked with each step. You looked at the guest room, took in the bare walls and the neatly made bed and realized no one had ever been in there, “Katie?” you called softly when you finally got to the window
“Hey, Bobby,” she replied with a small sigh, “come on out. Sit with me...” You stepped onto the roof and sat next to Katie. The two of you sat in silence for a while, staring at the sun that was beginning to set and listening to the laughter below, “they’re so happy, you’re all so close...”
“Yeah,” you smiled, “we’re lucky. We’re happy to have you in our little family, too.” She looked at you quickly before dropping her eyes
“I don’t know what I’m doing, Bobby... I don’t know if I’m part of this family yet...”
“Of course you are” you tried
“I love him so much, Bobby,” she whimpered, keeping her head down as she spoke, “and Alex loves him and he’s been so great with both of us. I just.. sometimes I listen to his stories about work or I hear about things that have happened through the news or Maddie or whatever and I get so... scared.” When she finally looked up, you saw the small stream of tears falling from her eye
“Why are you scared?” you asked, allowing her eyes to fall on yours.
“I don’t want to lose him.” She whispered and, as you sat there with your eyes dancing across her face, you felt a tinge of sadness wash over you; a rush of memories of your daughter, Brook, flooding back as you connected Katie’s face with hers. She was so innocent now, Katie, so fragile in this moment, almost a completely different person than you’d seen on the bridge as she fought for her son. Like Buck, you wanted to protect her but you didn’t know how, “I don’t want Alex to lose him...” she added after you hadn’t said anything
“You won’t lose him” you said quietly
“How do you know?” she asked, turning her body toward you just enough so she could face you, “he’s so brash and reckless. He puts himself in danger all the time and, as much as I know he would never voluntarily put us in danger, my fears are still real. The pain in my heart is still there when I turn on the news and see something about a firefighter trapped in a burning building -- thinking that it might be him and he might not come home to us”
“He’s made some irrational decisions, yes,” you admitted, “but he’s a good kid. And we’ve always got his back”
“I believe that,” she said, “but what would you do if you were me?”
“What do you mean?” you furrowed your brow
“If the person you loved kept making reckless decisions that occasionally got them injured and you knew one day it would all be too much and he wouldn’t come home, the same way the person you married didn’t come home, and you had to sit your son down and tell them that they’d never see them again,” she rambled, “what would you do?”
“If I had to, I’d do my best”
“Or would you...” she sighed, “would you cut and run? Knowing that you could save your son the pain of losing another father figure. Or would you stay? Hoping that the love you had for this person would be enough to..” She stopped for a second, as if she just remembered your loss, sighing deeply as she continued, “shit, Bobby. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have s--”
“No,” you interrupted with a smile, “it’s okay. I think about that, too, sometimes. If Marcy had left me early on, before we had the kids, or when things got... complicated, would things have been different? Would I have been different?”
“I didn’t mean to...” she hesitated but you just smiled, wrapping your arm around her to comfort her
“It’s okay,” you chuckled, “look, if you want my opinion on Buck, I can’t give it to you.” You watched Katie’s brow furrow in confusion before she scoffed at you, “I would be too biased. But know this, he loves you. He loves Alex. He’s had a lot of things come up recently that he doesn’t quite know how to deal with but he’s trying. The only way he knows how. Evan’s doing his best but he needs to know that someone will be there for him. Love him as much as he loves them.”
“I can’t keep letting Alex down, Bobby..” she whispered, “I love Evan. More than I ever thought I could, but I loved Jesse the same way. So intensely, like I couldn’t breathe without him and that ended up horribly.”
“Your husband was different,” you countered, letting her head drop on your shoulder as you explained your argument, “he couldn’t separate himself from his job. He was a SEAL first and everything else was just background. I don’t doubt that the love he had for you was real or the love that he had for Alex was real, but I can only imagine that being part of that world, the Navy SEAL world, forces you to leave everything behind. Evan isn’t like that.”
“I know...” she started
“So don’t compare him to Jesse.” You said finally, tilting your head down just enough for her to look up at you with her eyes, seeing that she understood; you squeezed her shoulder and kissed the top of her head.
“Can I cut in?” Buck’s voice chimed in from behind and both you and Katie shifted to look at him. You waited for her to allow him to take your place before you got up, patting Evan on the shoulder as you switched spots. You watched them embrace each other gently before Evan tucked Katie into his side
“I was worried about you” you heard him whisper
“Now you know how I feel” she joked back as Evan nodded and kissed her forehead
“Alright, alright,” he smiled, “truce?” She leaned up to kiss him in response and you found yourself smiling at their interaction before a tear escaped your eye. You imagined what Brook might have been like in this situation, how she might have cried to you about some boy she loved. You remembered Marcy and you making up after little fights like this early in your relationship. Your heart stung at the thought of your past life but then May and Harry and Athena popped across your mind and the idea that one day May might come to you for the same reason as Katie filled your heart with love and you began walking out of the room.
“You okay?” Athena asked, surprising you as you closed the door behind you
“I’m perfect” you replied, planting a kiss on your wife’s lips
“Good. Now, you need to learn to stay off roofs” she half-joked and you nodded
“They’re good kids...” you said, making Athena chuckle
“Yeah,” she smiled, “they are.” You made your way back outside where the rest of the group was, watching as Evan and Katie watched as the sky turned a dark purple
“They’re gonna be okay” you thought to yourself, a smile creeping across your face as Katie found you below, mouthing ‘thank you’ and nuzzling closer to Evan.
#9-1-1#911#9-1-1 on fox#911 on fox#Embers#Embers tag list#taglist#Embers taglist#tag list#Evan Buckley#Evan Buck Buckley#masterlist#the other master list
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Summertime
Stanley Uris x Reader
Request: Requestttt fluff Stanley Uris x Readerrrrr
Submitted by @mk-tozier
Summary: You and Stan go on a date and share some cuddles.
Warnings: None. Maybe just fluff as a warning?
Words: 2.6k
(Not my gif)
The day had been an absolute scorcher. The sun bore down with a blistering heat for the entire time it had been out, morning till evening. There had been no clouds as far as the eye could see.
You had spent the early morning with Stanley, apart from the Loser’s Club for the first time in a very long time. Don’t take it the wrong way, you loved them all dearly, they were the people closest to you besides your own flesh and blood, but sometimes they could wear your patience down rather quickly. Richie with his constant inappropriate jokes, Eddie with his constant worrying, Ben with his pining after Beverly, Beverly being oblivious to Ben’s huge crush and pining over Bill.
The only members that ever seemed to be your saving grace were Mike and Stanley. You were pretty good friends with Mike, you were always there to lend a hand to one another or a kind ear if needed. And Stanley? Well... He was the light of your life, your rock in a hard place, your salvation when you were lost.
Always one of the maturer members of the losers club, it was no wonder that you and the curly haired boy had gravitated towards each other. You spent more and more time with one another, in your own little bubble. Most days Stan would sit with you, apart from the others, teaching you to identify different birds that commonly flew over the skies of Maine, and he had to admit you were quite good at it. So far you could identify the Black-capped chickadee, the Common eider, the Gray catbird, the Blue Jay, as well as the Yellow-rumped warbler. Your progress could be slow at times- there were days when the birds moved too fast for you to see what the patterns on their feathers were, but it was better than no progress at all, at least you showed interest in the activity.
You had really started to spend a lot of time together once school had ended. Stan would take you out bike riding to little secluded spots in the woods, or you’d both go out to the shops together and get a few packets of sweets with your pocket money- despite your parent’s protests. So when Stanley had turned up on your doorstep on that scorching Saturday afternoon, it hadn’t surprised you at all. The curly haired boy gave you a shy smile. “Hey, Y/N...” He greeted, fairly cheerfully for his shy demeanour. “Hey, Stan,” You replied, leaning up against the door-frame of your front door as you spoke. “What brings you here today?” You questioned, quirking a brow playfully at him, which immediately caused his smile to widen quite a bit. He adored all the little facial expressions you did when talking to him, he found them quite adorable. “Well, I know it’s hot out, but I was wondering if you’d want to go to the diner with me, and get a milkshake to share?” He offered, gesturing over his shoulder as he spoke, presumably towards his bike which was leant neatly against it’s stand just off the pavement, barely scraping against the border of your front garden.”As like... A date?”
“Yeah, sure,” You responded with a warm smile and a light shrug. You barely had to even consider his offer before accepting, you could never pass up an opportunity to hang out with Stan, and this newly added romantic element just made you want his company more. “Let me just go grab my bike, I’ll meet you round the side of the house,” You told him gleefully, and with his enthusiastic nod of confirmation, you reluctantly shut the door and dashed through your home. As you retrieved your bike from it’s home in your shed, you began to suppose that perhaps the romantic element of your relationship with Stan wasn’t really a new thing, you’d begun to have feelings for the boy for a fair while, but you initially just dismissed it as being really good friends. Now it was beginning to dawn on you that it was more, a lot more than that. You took your bike out of the side gate, round to meet Stan who was patiently waiting for you to join him on the pavement, so you could cycle two abreast on the road into the town centre. It was a familiar route for the two of you, but that didn’t mean it was any less fun. You mounted your bike, swinging one leg over the frame so that you could sit comfortably. Stan was already ready to go, so you both began to push off from the pavement, braving the bump of the curb to settle into cycling at a comfortable pace down the road.
You built up speed rather quickly, Stan falling behind for a moment. “I’m going to beat you!” You called playfully over your shoulder with a laugh. You heard Stanley scoff from behind you. It wasn’t often you got to see the more childish and playful side of Stan- usually he was busy trying to keep the rest of the Losers sane, safe and alive. One could argue that he did as much as the worrying Eddie, if not more. On the rare occasions you did see that side of Stan though, it was the most adorable thing ever, and you could’ve sworn that those moments alone could’ve made you fall for him almost immediately. “Not if I do this!” Stan called out to you, breaking you from your train of thoughts, and making you look over your shoulder briefly. You caught view of Stan standing up on his pedals and pressing down hard and fast. He was gaining quickly on you, a goofy grin on his face showing off each and every one of his front teeth. The sight made you giggle, and you mirrored him, keeping your pole position for just a little while longer.
However, as you pulled onto the main street of Derry- which was surprisingly devoid of traffic despite it being mid afternoon- Stanley’s height finally gave him the advantage. Or, to be more accurate, his long legs gave him an advantage. He slowly drew ahead of you, poking his tongue out at you and keeping up his childish demeanour, for now at least. You knew it probably wouldn’t be too long till the old Stan would resurface- though it wasn’t exactly like you minded.
Stan skidded to a halt on the side of the road, quickly dismounting his bike and hoiking it up onto the pavement, and patiently waiting for you to join him so you could go strap up your bikes besides one another. You joined him soon enough, and thankfully there was a bike rack nearby, with two spare spaces which your bikes fit in perfectly, as per expectation. Stan held the door of the diner for you, gesturing for you to enter the establishment first- he was so polite.You gave him a warm and toothy smile, accompanied with a gentle nod. “Thank you, Stanley,” You said quietly to him, and he soon joined you inside. “So, what would you like? Chocolate? Vanilla? Strawberry?”He said softly to you as you joined the line. You thought for a moment, considering your options. “How about vanilla?” You suggested, and Stan slowly nodded, “Yeah, sure, of course. I’ll pay.” He told you, and when you opened your mouth to protest, he pressed a finger gently to your lips. “I’m paying.” He insisted. You fell silent and began to slowly nod in reply, there was no use arguing. Sure, you’d probably be able to wear him down eventually to let you pay, but that would spoil the mood of the rest of the afternoon, and you were quite sure neither of you wanted that to happen. So, you lapsed into obedient silence, sticking by Stan’s side as you slowly made your way to the front of the line. When you got there, Stan stepped up without a moment’s hesitation, whilst you stepped off to the side to stay out of the way and help prevent congestion. His voice as he ordered your milkshake to share wasn’t the most confident sounding in Derry, but he himself was not entirely confident, around you he could be at times, but there were other times when your actions made him a squishy and nervous mess. How sweet you could be to him, how kind. He adored it, he adored you, more than he’d ever be able to put into words.
He’d confided in Ben a few times about his feelings, the feelings that you gave him, but he always seemed to struggle finding the right lexis.Who would’ve thought, you could make the well-spoken Stanley Uris trip, fumble and stutter over his words. It was a gift that you didn’t take too lightly of course, though sometimes it was a little fun to tease him and see how flustered he could get. His face would go a rosy shade of pink, and he’d have to stop talking for a minute or two. You’d give him a simple yet sweet kiss on the cheek, and wait patiently for him to come back to planet earth, watching him with the sparkle of adoration in your eyes. Stanley cleared his throat, breaking you from your trance-like daydream. He gestured with his head towards a small and empty booth near the window of the shop, his sandy curls bouncing slightly at the movement. “Over there seems like a pretty good spot to me.” He commented, moving out of the way of other customers as he spoke. You nodded gently, taking his free hand in your own. “Alright, come on then,” You laughed gently, pulling him across the glimmering tile floor towards the booth he had pointed out.
You slid smoothly against the red leather material of the seating as Stan placed the made-for-two milkshake in the centre of the surface that now divided the two of you, where you could both just about reach it. You took the straw closest to you, taking a small sip from the large beverage. Stan took a slightly larger sip, and winced as his hand went to his temple, massaging the skin gently in circles. “Brain freeze?” You asked teasingly, a knowing smile on your lips. The pure tone of your voice made Stan crack a chuckle. “Maybe.” He replied, just as teasingly. “If you think it’s so funny... I dare you to try and drink as much as I just did and not get a brain freeze.” He challenged you, folding his arms one over the other, and leaning on the table, a wide and almost mischievous smile lining his lips. You hummed quietly, considering the offer. “Alright... But if manage to do it... I get a kiss from you,” You bartered with him, and he looked a little taken aback by the proposal. “I, uh, what? Wait, how about if you managed to do it, you...” He trailed off for a moment, “Or, rather we, can go back to your place and cuddle.” He smiled his heavenly sweet smile over in your direction. You barely gave yourself time to consider this offer- a running theme in his oh so sweet suggestions- before you began to nod. “Alright, deal.” You brokered, beginning to grin. This would be easy. Or at least you assumed this would be easy. You were quickly proven wrong however, when you started to try and complete his challenge.
It was after the very first mouthful that you knew you had made a mistake, and understood why Stan had gotten a brain freeze so quickly. Though your small sip a few moments prior had been no trouble at all, a large gulp like this was too much, it was beyond freezing. You tried not to let it show, though, powering through until you were sure you had drunk more than Stanley had done, even if it was only a little bit. Stan was still wearing a very smug look on his face, though. You quirked a brow at him, trying desperately not to wince at the still freezing feeling in the back of your throat. “What?” You asked, rather confused about his expression. “You’re faking it.”
“Am not.” You retorted, not even missing a beat.
“Are too,” He laughed at your expression, which had now become rather grumpy. “Come on, Y/N, I know you. You’re faking not having a brain freeze, I can tell just by looking at your face.” He gestured you as he smiled widely, holding back another laugh. You leant back in your seat with a sigh, “But if I admit to it... Then I won’t be getting cuddles..” You reasoned, pouting ever so slightly as you spoke. Stan seemed to consider this, before giving you a sweet smile and chuckling softly. He adored that you would try to do such a trivial and silly thing just to spend time with him, and be close to him. “Well, I think that just putting that much effort in deserves at least a five minute cuddle...” At this you gave a mild squeak of glee. “Thank you, Stan!” You laughed happily, and you both then made pretty quick work of the milkshake, before sliding back out of the booth and giddily going to collect your bikes.
The ride to the clubhouse seemed quicker than the one going to the diner, which struck you as a little odd. It should have been at least ten minutes longer, and yet it didn’t seem to even chalk up to your original journey. Not that you were complaining- the faster you got to the underground clubhouse the sooner you could hug Stanley- it was just something you realised as you both laid your bikes to rest against a tree or the bike stand already attached to the pedal-powered vehicle. Stan was the one to open the trapdoor and usher you down there, and although the ladder rungs creaked quietly beneath your weight, you were confident they wouldn’t give out from under you. You had faith in Ben’s handiwork. Stan was swift to follow you, coming up behind you and snaking his arms around your waist, making you squeal quietly. You had more expected for him to wait till you both had settled down in the hammock or another seat, but you didn’t mind this, not at all. You giggled softly as you felt him rest his chin on your shoulder, “You know...” You said quietly to him, a smile creeping over your lips as you spoke, “I think we would be a lot more comfortable in the hammock.” For a moment Stan considered this, before nodding and carefully picking you up by your waist. You let him, shifting slightly so you could wrap your arms around his neck for better support. He placed you carefully in the suspended material of the hammock, before maneuvering his way in after you. After a minute or so of scrambling, it ended up that you were cradling Stan’s head in your lap, wrapping some of his curls around your fingers carefully, his eyes shut in a state of bliss. You smiled warmly at the sight of him so relaxed, it wasn’t often you got to see it. After about half an hour sat like that, no words spoken between you for they were not needed, you decided to speak up. The sun’s rays had begun to wane, and you knew you’d have to go your separate ways for another day soon enough.
"Stan... We’ll need to make a move soon..” You told him, trying your best not to break the tranquil air around the two of you. Stan grumbled, shifting slightly so that his warm and loving hazel eyes could stare back up at your own. “I know... Just... Ten more minutes... Please.”
#stanley uris#it chapter 1 imagine#it characters#stanley uris x reader#wholesome date imagine#x reader requests#requests open#stan uris#wyatt oleff#losers x reader#losers club#wyatt oleff x reader#stan uris x reader#it 2017 x reader#it chapter one#it chapter one imagine#fluffy#fluffy imagine#fluffy it#fluffy stan uris
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Hello! Firstly I want to say I loooooove your fics, secondly, would you write the Family relationship of Buck and the Grant-Nash fam, like Eddie coming to pick him up for a date and Athena drilling him with questions while Bobby is aiding Buck with his outfit choice 😉😂😂😂 again I love your fics and can't wait to read more!
Thank you so much! <3
Buck stands facing the mirror in his bedroom, his hands nervously smoothing against his pants.
As Bobby reaches around him to tie his tie, Buck feels a strange sense of deja vu. He remembers how nervous he was for his first date with Abby and how he was so scared of messing it up. Now the flutters in his stomach aren’t from anxiety, but excitement. Eddie is taking him on their first official date and he couldn’t be happier. With Eddie, Buck doesn’t have to worry about things being awkward or uncomfortable. It might be a little strange at first, but he already knows Eddie so they can skip the boring small talk stage.
Before he called Bobby, Buck had been staring into his closet. This is one of the most important dates of his life and he doesn’t want to mess it up. He knows there’s something really strong between him and Eddie. So two hours before the scheduled date is to begin, Buck called Bobby in a panic and told him that he had no idea what to wear. Not even ten minutes later, both Bobby and Athena were at his door.
Now, Bobby manhandles Buck to turn away from the mirror and face him so he can finish adjusting his tie. Once he’s done, Bobby smiles at him fondly.
“Good?” Buck asks, turning around to look at himself in the mirror. Bobby and Athena had picked out a dark grey shirt and navy jacket with matching pants for the apparently very fancy restaurant Eddie’s taking him too.
“You look really nice, Buck.” There’s something strange in Bobby’s voice, an unusual waver.
“Bobby?” Buck asks when he sees the man’s eyes welling with emotion in his reflection in the mirror. Buck turns around to face him.
“I’m sorry, kid.” Bobby drags his thumb under his eyes to get rid of the tears. “It really means a lot to me that you called me to help you. I just...I never got anything like this with Robert and Brook. And now I get to have these moments with you and May and Harry.”
“Me?” Buck frowns in confusion at himself being lumped in with May and Harry.
“Yeah, Buck. I think of you as my kid.” Bobby knows how complicated Buck’s relationship with his father is and Buck can’t stop himself from throwing his arms around Bobby and hugging him tightly. Bobby smiles and holds him a little loose to keep from wrinkling his shirt.
The moment is interrupted by the doorbell ringing. Both Buck and Bobby take a moment to dry their tears before Buck takes a calming breath and says, “Time to face the music.”
Bobby squeezes his shoulder, “You might want to get downstairs before Athena spends too long along with him.” He laughs as Buck’s face pales and he quickly walks out of his bedroom and downstairs.
He finds Athena leaning against the kitchen counter, looking at a very nervous Eddie with judgment. Eddie looks great, Buck realizes. His hair is styled back out of his eyes and he is wearing a dark grey suit coat and pants.
“Athena!” Buck chastises as he rushes down the stairs. Both of them look up at him, Eddie in relief. “What did she say to you?” He asks Eddie.
“I’m just wondering his exact intentions towards my oldest son,” Athena answers for him. Buck can’t pretend that his heart doesn’t row a size bigger at Athena calling him her son. “Which he hasn’t answered yet.”
Eddie gulps, “Uh-”
“You don’t have to answer that,” Buck tells him. “Let’s just go.” He tugs on Eddie’s sleeve.
“Wait,” Bobby says as he descends the last step. “I want to know the answer too.”
Buck groans, “Really?”
“It’s fine, Buck” Eddie takes a deep breath and looks at Athena and Bobby. “My intentions tonight are to take Buck out for a nice dinner, maybe walk around the city and then bring him home. Nothing more than that. If he wants to go on a second date we’ll arrange that, but if not, I’d still be happy.” Buck smiles.
“What about your long term plans?” Athena asks with a smirk.
“Nope!” Buck grabs Eddie by the shoulders and steers him towards the door. “We’re leaving.”
“Have fun, be safe!” Athena calls after them.
“Be home by midnight!” Bobby follows. Buck rolls his eyes at them and shuts the door.
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At Last
I asked who should be drunk, Drakken or Shego, and @cocoa-at-night said both. I present this fic. For @drakgoprompts #8 AND #9. Karaoke and a specific dialogue exchange.
FFn AO3
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At Last
The karaoke night had started out fun, to Shego's surprise. Although in retrospect, the first shot of tequila probably had a lot to do with that.
Making fun of Motor Ed attempting to sing anything was great, but making fun of him attempting to sing Kansas was even better. She had cackled into Drakken's shoulder, some of his sweet rum dripping onto her cheek from where it had spilled from his mouth as he laughed along with her.
It was equally fun to make fun of Eddie's duets with Drakken, and then to egg on Eddie and Adrena when they sang together, chanting 'kiss!' at the recently dating couple. Even though it was both of their opinions that the pair would never make it past a third date.
A drunken suggestion to that end was met with a laugh from the equally drunk pair, and a boast from Ed that that night was their third date, and Adrena declaring that the mulletted man liked to have freaky fun as she slid into his lap. Shego and Drakken understood exactly what the basis of that relationship was, the pair only having met a month prior at the cafe outside the UN after Drakken's awards ceremony.
Shego had wondered frequently about hers and Drakken's relationship too, ever since the invasion. He seemed to be doing the same, as he was brooding more, giving her nervous looks, and seemed to be trying to spend more time talking to her. He asked questions about her brothers who he had seen again at the ceremony. He asked what she wanted to do, now that she was pardoned, and there seemed to be a hint of fear behind the question... Fear she would leave?
Shego knocked back her third shot as she pushed the thoughts away. They'd gone out that night to have fun. And it had been fun singing onstage with Drakken, even if the way he smiled at her each time they did made her face flush.
Shego scowled as she poured a fourth shot. She could feel Drakken's eyes on her from where he sat next to her, tilting his chair back on its legs a bit as he nursed his drink. She wanted to warn him he would fall, but he should know better. She kept her mouth shut.
"What?" she finally asked, turning to him with narrowed eyes.
"What?" he echoed, nearly losing his balance as he abruptly sat forward, his fingers fidgeting in his lap as the chair legs impacted the floor with a 'clack'.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" Her hand tightly gripped her glass as she felt another flush come to her cheeks just from looking at him. The feeling only worsened as she saw his own cheeks color.
"W-was I staring? S-sorry."
He continued to stare, and his lack of excuse made her even more anxious. She swallowed back the drink as she stood up to leave, deciding she had had enough fun for the evening.
Drakken stood as well, looking frantic. "Wait! Where are you going?"
"As entertaining as those two are," she looked to where Eddie and Adrena were still hanging onto each other as they took a bow on the stage, the other patrons of the karaoke bar cheering, "I'm at my limit for stupid, tonight."
"But it's my turn!" he protested.
Shego set her glass down and started for the door. "There'll be other times..." she said distractedly.
“But...Shego I have something to tell you!” he insisted, following after her and grabbing her arm.
“Oooh, are you about to profess your undying love for me?” she taunted, shaking his hand off with a scoff.
The DJ announced Drakken's name, and they turned and glanced at the crowd that had begun to cheer and stare at them, excited by the familiar name. Drakken took a deep breath.
“Yes, I am.”
“...What?”
A hardness joined the anxiety in his eyes as he hurried past her and took the stage. Shego felt her stomach begin doing flips as she stood seemingly frozen in place, watching him take his place beneath the spotlight and lift the microphone from its stand.
"This song," he began, "is dedicated to...the love of my life."
Shego didn't dare look around her, but she could feel every eye on her. Blood thundered in her ears and prevented her from hearing the rest of Drakken's speech. But when the opening instrumental vamp from a Chicago love ballad sounded from the speakers, she recovered.
"You know our love was meant to be—"
The green glowing blast prevented Drakken from getting any further in his song. Shego waited only long enough to see he was okay before turning on her heel and stalking briskly toward the back door. She ignored Motor Ed's jeering and Adrena's cries for her to hit Drakken again as she slipped from the alcohol-scented atmosphere and into the cool night air.
She leaned against the wall opposite the door in the alley as she tried to rein in her emotions. How dare he do something like that, when the closest thing they had had to a conversation about their relationship was the simple agreement to lay low together while they decided how best to utilize the gift of a pardon for saving the world. Besides, he had never shown any interest of that nature in her before. Was it new? Had it been there all along? Was it just the alcohol?
More importantly...did she want him to feel that way?
Her heart was racing and her stomach turning as she considered the brief conversation they had had before he took the stage, the way he had been staring at her all night, and the heat that came to her cheeks and truly her entire being each time he smiled at her.
She didn't get any more time to think about it, however, as the door opened again and suddenly Drakken was in front of her.
"What's the big idea?" she burst out, before he could say something that forced her to give more presence to the thoughts that had begun to coalesce in her mind.
"Shego..." He took a step toward her, his chest heaving as he caught his breath. Had his eyes always been such a dark but clear blue? "I love you. I want you. I don't want to keep thinking about...what to do now that we're free. None of it will matter without you."
Whether it was because of the alcohol or his entrancing gaze, Shego didn't know. But she found herself unable to move as he approached her, the fingers of one of his hands gently unfolding her nervously clasped ones in front of her chest while his other hand came to rest on her hip. Her eyes were transfixed by his lips approaching hers. She barely felt their fingers intertwine, or when he held her hand up on the wall above them.
The taste of rum mingled with tequila as their lips slowly met. She was surprised to find herself the one to tracing her tongue against the soft pillows of his lips as he kissed her with passion. The miasma of alcohol that seemed to surround them only intensified as their tongues met in a dance that only grew the fire burning within her. Her free hand found his chest and pressed firmly against the muscles beneath his shirt. She was rewarded with a hum from deep within his chest, and a moment later her hand became trapped as his frame pressed against her, surrounding her and pinning her to the wall.
Lost in his kiss and the warmth of his body, she was content to remain there and drink in everything that was Drakken, until a familiar jeer caught her ear and pulled her lips out of the passionate embrace.
"Yeah, 'Cous! Just like mine and Freak-Babe's first date!"
Shego narrowed her eyes over Drakken's shoulder at Motor Ed and Adrena Lynn peering through the alley door. She made eye contact with Drakken for just a moment, sharing his knowing smirk before she reached over his shoulder and fired a green blast at the offending pair. The slam of the door signaled their retreat, and Shego turned back to Drakken. His intense gaze had started to fall to worry.
"Shego... Shego, I—"
"Shh..." she said, bringing a finger to his lips. His expression relaxed, and she found the pounding of her heart to suddenly be a comfort as she stared up into his eyes. She didn't have anymore questions about the future. "Let's get out of here."
"Where?" he asked, still pressed against her.
"Let's take the hover car up to the roof. Unless you think you can last longer," she said with a smirk.
He looked decidedly confused, but a deliberate press of her hips brought color to his cheeks and understanding to his eyes.
"O-oh..."
Shego bit her lip as her smirk grew, her heart pounding as he looked at her. But the startled look in his eyes gradually vanished beneath his hunger as his fingers tightened in the flesh at her hip.
"That's what I thought," she said. She pulled his hand down from the wall as he stepped back to release her, and she heard the faint tones from inside the bar of someone crooning 'At Last.' An alcohol-induced giggle escaped her lips as she fell into Drakken's side, his arm wrapping around her waist as the started out of the alley side-by-side.
#drakgo#dragko#drakken#shego#drakken x shego#drakkenxshego#kim possible#drakken and shego#drakkenandshego#shegoxdrakken#shego and drakken#shegoanddrakken#shego x drakken#drakken shego#motor ed#adrena lynn#fanfiction#fanfic#fic
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Evan Buckley vs The Pool (2/2)
Summary: After the tsunami, Buck isn’t exactly friends with the water.
WC: 1671
It’s been almost two months since the last pool party, and all the trouble that came with it. To be honest, Athena was a bit hesitant to do this again. It seems like a good idea, sure, and it’s another hot day that could use refreshing water and great company, but that’s what she thought last time, before most of their guests left in shame, the others accompanying Buck to the hospital. She’s a little afraid to do this over, despite knowing that Hen and Chimney learned their lesson. As if the guilt of seeing what happened to Buck wasn’t enough, Bobby had them both doing every gross chore at the firehouse for nearly two weeks. Lord knows Hen was unhappy about it, but she was also resigned. She knows she messed up, and if that’s what it takes to make up for it, she’ll scrub the toilets for a year. She’s sweet like that.
“I feel weird doing this again,” she admits, taking the cold beer Athena hands her. “I know Buck forgave us, and we’d never do that to him again, but I just- I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“You weren’t, but what matters is he’s okay, and it won’t happen again.”
Hen sighs and nods. Everyone else has started to settle into the party already, having fun and smiling, enjoying themselves. Karen and Denny are playing some sort of game in the pool, eagerly inviting Harry, May and Christopher to participate. Maddie squeals in laughter when Chimney splashes her with water. Off to the side, Buck and Eddie are helping Bobby grill up burgers, and Michael has made it his personal mission to blow up a float shaped like a shark. It’s a happy sight, but the other one was too.
“I’m kinda nervous too. Seeing Buck like that was awful, and having it happen here, especially after his blood clot incident- I hate not being able to help.”
“It’s not your fault, Thena.”
They enjoy their drinks in the shade, just observing for now. Both of them can feel the weight of the things that have happened to such a genuine and loving man out back on this property, and despite it all, he comes back with this big goofy smile on his face and a bottle of wine for Athena in his hands. He’s a good kid. He’s just been through a lot, and needs some support. Bobby alleges Buck started therapy after what happened last time, and is beginning to work through the trauma. It still worries her, though, especially when Christopher begs Eddie and Buck to come into the pool.
She waits for the excuse, or for Eddie to kiss Buck’s cheek and get in the water, but instead, there’s a moment of hesitation for them both. They share a look, and Bobby ruffles Buck’s hair with some quiet and presumably encouraging comment. Beside her, Athena can practically feel Hen’s shock. Buck takes Eddie’s hand, and lowers his feet into the pool. The steps on the very edge are perfect for getting used to it, even if he pales and stares at the water like it’ll bite him.
Athena wants to encourage him, but she knows the moment she draws attention to this moment, he’ll get shy or spooked and return to his post at the grillside. She smiles at the sight of him doing something scary, but feeling safe enough around them to do it. Despite it all, he’s here, sitting on the highest step with the water gently playing at his waist while Eddie reassures him.
Back when the two of them first got together, Athena was just waiting for it to blow up. Buck is sensitive and reluctant in terms of relationships, quick to jump into something and get hurt when the other person isn’t as invested as him. It’s what happened with that redhead he dated. But Eddie makes him happy, and there’s a soft understanding on his face as he cups Buck’s cheek and reassures him again. After a few minutes, when Buck moves down a step and lets the cool water press against his chest, and he tenses in fear, Eddie is right there to remind him he’s safe, and point out where Christopher is happy and playing with the others, not lost or in danger.
Every so often, he casts a glance behind him toward Bobby, as though reminding himself that he’s not lost in wreckage, but in a backyard party with people who love him so wholly and completely that he never has to suffer alone. If he lets them, they’ll look after him. As it is now, Athena is battling back the urge to get in the water with him and just hug him tightly. She wants to tell him it’s going to be okay.
After a few minutes and visible encouragement from Buck, Eddie goes further into the pool to mess around with everyone else. Buck gets out slightly, moving back up to the top step and turning his body to chat with Bobby. It’ll keep his mind off things. He smiles gratefully when Bobby hands him a beer, and even from this distance, his shoulders visibly relax with each passing minute.
Once dinner’s ready, he gets out of the water all too eagerly, and sets up three plates he just barely manages to balance in his arms. One for himself, one for Christopher, and one for Eddie. Athena notices the way he walks around the pool, giving it tons of space before settling down with the boys. She turns to say something to Hen about it, but before she can, she recognizes the mischief on Harry’s face. He’s up to something. She doesn’t want to know, but if she doesn’t, it’s just going to happen and they’ll have to deal with the cleanup of whatever scheme he’s on about now.
“Harry,” she yells, standing up.
He just gives her a thumbs up and yells, “Buck, watch this!”
Then, once Buck has stopped and turned his full attention to Harry, the same adoring and happy expression on his face as every time a child seems to want his approval, Harry jumps into the pool and doesn’t come up. Just like what happened to Buck before. Then, like instinct, Buck drops his plate and dives in after him, bringing Harry to the edge of the pool and passing him to Athena, then seeming to realize exactly where he is and what just happened.
“Athena,” he says, and his voice sounds so tight. “Athena, I can’t-”
Michael takes Harry from her, leading him inside to give him a stern talking to, and she’s able to focus on how Buck is starting to hyperventilate, even with his head above water and clinging to the edge of the pool. “Yes you can, honey, it’s okay. You’re okay. Can you get out of the water on your own, or do you want help?”
Before he can answer, Hen and Chimney are in the water with him, each taking one of his arms and slowly guiding him to the shallows. Not too fast, nothing to remind him of the ripping current of the tsunami. Once they get him to the steps, Eddie and Bobby are there with a towel to help him get out and dry him off as fast as possible. It’s not as bad as last time, in some ways. Buck wasn’t in physical danger. He seems more lucid. But he’s still scared and panicked and trying to figure out how to process going back into the water of his own free will, instinct or not, for the first time since the tsunami.
Athena joins them and wraps her arms around Buck. He clings to her just as much as he does Eddie. Her arm around his chest is held in a vice grip, while Buck’s free hand is around the back of Eddie’s neck, his face pressed to the tanned skin of Eddie’s shoulder. His eyes stay squeezed shut for a long time, even as his breathing slowly returns to normal.
“What do you need, Buck?” she asks gently.
He shakes his head. No real answer, then. But he’s mostly dry now, just cold, so it’s welcome when Hen comes over with the throw from inside to wrap around him. Christopher slowly makes his way over to join them, just as before, and throws his arms around Buck in hopes of comforting him. Last time, he had helped. He’s such a good kid, him and Eddie both, and Athena is so grateful to them for being there for Buck when he can barely hold himself together. Finally, Buck lets go of her in favor of holding Chris, and Athena stands back up.
She can faintly hear Michael yelling at Harry inside over what he did. He was never in danger, he just wanted to get Buck in the water. He meant well, was just trying to make Buck get in the water without fear, but that’s not his place. Earlier, he went into the water, and that was progress. He needs to be allowed to move at his own pace.
“I’m really proud of you,” she tells him. His eyes are still wide and tearful when he looks up at her, but at least he’s calm enough to hear. “It must have taken a lot of courage to get in the water earlier with Eddie, and to jump in after Harry. I’m so, so proud of you, and I want you to know that.”
He nods, still too upset to say something in return, and Athena leans down to kiss his forehead before she leaves him be with the boys. Everyone else focuses on doing something that takes up their attention, giving Buck some privacy as he calms down in a show of compassion she should have expected. The party isn’t over this time, and within a half hour, Buck is serving ice cream into a paper bowl for Christopher. He’s going to be okay.
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“Back to Your Place”
(So this story has my oc in it, this is mainly for my own indulgence. There is some implied nsfw content but it’s nothing gratuitous)
Eddie had been seeing Owl for a while. They had admitted their mutual crush on each other when she had to literally carry him into Arkham because he had broken his leg trying to escape. Their first kiss had happened that night too. She had lifted her mask just enough to kiss him. He was beginning to get a bit frustrated at her. It had been months and he still doesn���t know what she looks like.
Well, he had had enough. When she dropped by his hideout that night he would tell her how he’s been feeling and ask to see her face.
It was early in the morning when she arrived at the hideout. It had been a long night; two robberies, a car chase, and an attempted Arkham breakout. She walked in and collapsed into the closest chair. Edward got up from his desk and walked over to her. She hadn’t even bothered to fold up her wings. He sat down on her lap and hugged her.
“Rough night?” he asked.
“Yeah, always a great night when you have to round up Arkham inmates at 2 in the morning.”
They sat in silence for a few moments before Owl spoke again.
“How would you like to go back to my place?”
Eddie was stunned. In the few months they were together they had only ever been to his hideouts. The fact that this was a big step in their relationship wasn’t lost on him.
“Are you sure?” He was nervous, this meant she trusted him. Maybe he wouldn’t need to ask about the mask at all.
“Eddie, I would be asking if I didn’t mean it.” She cocked her head in his direction. “So, you want to go?”
He leapt off her lap. “Of course my angel! I just need to pack a few things.”
He raced off into the depths of his hideout. Owl chuckled and rose from her seat. She felt it was time to move their relationship forward. She had been cautious of revealing to much about herself, but she trusted Eddie.
She then heard Edward run back toward her. He had a green backpack slung over his shoulder. “How cute, he packed and overnight bag.” she thought to herself.
“Well my dear, your incredibly handsome boyfriend is ready for you to whisk him away to your secret lair.”
He could see, but he was pretty sure she just rolled her eyes.
“Come on Romeo.” She grabbed his hand and lead him to the door.
Once outside, they climbed to the top of Eddies hideout and prepared for takeoff. Edward had been secured and everything was ready. They backed off and jumped off the building. She needed a little thrust to get some air, but once they gained some height, it was smooth sailing. One of the first gifts she gave him was a pair of goggles for when she took him flying. They had been tinted green just for him. They had been flying for a while when she spoke up.
“I’m going to start our decent, it’s just down there.” She pointed at a nice house settled in a nicer part of Gotham. It was a two story modern house. It looked expensive. Eddie wondered how she could have bought it. They started descending, it looked like she was aiming for the backyard of the home.
“Legs up!” she said. Edward pulled up his legs so she could take over the landing. They glided gently down to the ground. Eddie unbuckled himself from the harness and turned to face her. “Another smooth landing my dear.” “Thank you love.”
He turned to face the house. “So this is where you live?”
“Yep, just bought it actually. I was given a sizable inheritance recently so I decided I wanted a change.” she said as she was putting away her wings. “Let’s go.” She took his hand and led him to the house.
She took a key-ring from one of her pockets and opened the backdoor. He didn’t know what he was expecting, but it wasn’t this. It was very clean and modern, but still looked lived in. There was a fireplace in the living room and many paintings lined the walls. Blankets and pillows were strewn about the sofa and armchairs. The kitchen had a large, wooden island in the center of it. It was lovely.
“It’s a beautiful house.” Owl placed the keys in a bowl by the door. “Thank you, I like it too.” She turned to face him. “Could you take off your shoes, I just cleaned the floors.”
He obliged and walked farther into the house. There was a staircase to his right which lead to the second floor. “My room is up there. If you want you can head up and I’ll be there in a minute.”
“Aren’t you joining me?” he asked. ‘I’ll be there is a second, I have to do something first.”
“Alright, but I’ll be lonely. Having to warm your bed by myself.” he smirked. She laughed and threw a pillow at him. He walked up the stairs and came to a hallway. He looked down and and saw a room with double doors. Well, that must be her room. He opened the doors with a flourish and peered inside. There was a queen sized canopy bed against the left wall, along with a nightstand and dresser. There was another fireplace on the right wall. And in the middle of the room were another pair of double doors leading to a balcony. He set his bag by the bed and walked to the balcony. He opened the doors and the cool morning air hit his face. It was lovely view of of the hills on the outskirts of Gotham.
He suddenly heard her climbing the stairs. Eddie got a sly look on his face. He pranced over to the bed and laid down as seductively as he could (which for him wasn’t very) and waited for her to enter. The door was pushed open and he was about to say something, but stopped when he saw that she wasn’t wearing her costume anymore. She was fair skinned, her blonde hair was in a braid and she was wearing a tank top and shorts. Upon her face were a pair of glasses. She turned to look at him. She had green eyes, the most beautiful green eyes he had ever seen. He was stunned.
“O...Owl? Is that you?”
She smiled at him. “Yes dear, it’s me.” She walked over to him and sat down on the bed. “Well, what do you think?” For once in his life, Edward Nygma was speechless. All he could do was stare. Owl began to look worried. “It something wro-” Eddie had leaned in and kissed her. He grabbed the sides of her face and held her. They fell sideways onto the bed. After making out for a while they broke apart to breath. “You are more beautiful than I could have imagined.”
“Elizabeth”
“What?”
“My name is Elizabeth”
He said it softly to him self, almost like a prayer. “I love it.”
Elizabeth rolled over. “I’m glad you packed a bag dear.”
Eddie quirked an eyebrow, “And why is that?”
Elizabeth walked over to the balcony doors and closed the curtains. “Because I’m afraid you aren’t going anywhere for a while. We have a lot of catching up to do.”
She smiled and did a running jump onto the bed. It was going to be quite the morning.
#riddler#the riddler x reader#riddler x oc#holy god this took forever#i know this is really self indulgent#cut me some slack
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For the affection asks could you do andy haldane? I love him so much and miss him :’)
valentines day alphabet ( accepting! )
A : AFFECTION. how does your muse show affection?
Very conscientious about it. Not everyone welcomes the same sort of affection, so Andy’s learned to adapt; if someone doesn’t do well with eye contact or physical touch, he’ll find another way. Andy’s sense of discipline means he isn’t that outwardly-demonstrative anyways, not too liberal with his touches. He always tries to give the other person what they need in the moment... but Andy at his most natural enjoys just spending time with his loved ones. They don’t have to talk, they don’t have to be near each other... he just loves their company. Leaning against someone slightly as they’re busy reading a book, or bobbing his head to their humming... Andy lives for quiet moments of intimacy.
B : BOUQUET. does your muse like flowers? which ones are their favourite?
Kind of a dunce when it comes to flowers of any kind, but he tries his best. If someone wants a bouquet, he’ll get a fantastic gosh darn bouquet, but don’t expect him to have picked it out himself.
C : CHOCOLATE. does your muse like chocolate? which one is their favourite?
Has a severe weakness. Honestly, it’s probably better if his partner doesn’t like it too much, because Andy will hoard it. Give the poor boy some chocolate and make his day.
D : DATE. what is your muse’s ideal date? where / who with / etc?
Definitely doesn’t require anything elaborate. Dinner and a movie would be great with him... or maybe going to a concert? As someone who loves music, it would be a fun atmosphere for him, and --- depending on what sort of music they’re listening to --- he’s be able to learn more about his partner that way. Afterwards, he’d go out of his way to do something sweet, like taking his partner out for ice cream, giving them a chance to talk.
E : EMBRACE. does your muse like hugs? what are their hugs like?
Don’t tell anyone, but he’s a cuddler. He loves to hug almost as much as he likes to be held. Just being close to his partner is good enough for him, but having their arms around each other? Actual heaven. Even outside of a romantic relationship, Andy gives... very steady hugs. Warm, reassuring, dad hugs that wrap around you completely, taking you out of the present moment and to someplace calmer.
F : FLIRT. is your muse good at flirting? how do they flirt?
He... doesn’t, really. It’s not his forte. He actually gets awkward if he tries, nervous and tongue-tied, not at all like his usual self. Andy’s learned to keep his cool, not trying to flirt at all. Being natural seems to win more affection than his clumsy attempts at flirting ever could. (Plus, he’s just that darn charismatic, he doesn’t have to try.)
G : GIFT. is your muse good at gift - giving or do they struggle to get it right?
His gifts are always so... thoughtful? So meaningful? Like, he takes gift-giving very seriously, and would go to multiple stores just to get the right thing for a specific person, who gave him the right ----
H : HEART. is your muse quick or slow to give their heart away?
He... restrains himself. Common sense is important, as is not rushing into things too quickly... but when it comes to relationships, Andy doesn’t always look before he leaps. When he cares about someone, it’s just so easy....
I : I LOVE YOU. does your muse find ‘i love you’ easy or hard to say?
He’d think it first, absolutely --- but wouldn’t say it until his partner did, just in case they weren’t on the same page. Andy does not want to make his partner uncomfortable (and honestly doesn’t want to get his heart broken) so he’d keep all the ‘love you’s inside until it’s finally safe to say them. After that, he’ll get a certain delight out of saying it, just to make his partner smile. He loves those three little words.
J : JEALOUSY. does your muse get jealous in a relationship?
You wouldn’t think so, would you? Not even-keeled Andy Haldane, who never loses his temper, never raises his voice... but when it comes to his partner, Andy can be possessive. He doesn’t like seeing other people flirting with them, pressing up against them, and he’ll make that displeasure known. While he won’t get angry, he will insert himself right next to his partner, wrapping an arm around their shoulders or waist to pull them into him. Sometimes he’ll casually peck their cheek, then glance over at the offender --- what were you doing here? Should he really, really be driven to the edge, he might even pull them into a kiss out of the blue, deep and determined.
K : KISS. is your muse a good kisser? why / why not?
Andy is a gentleman until convinced otherwise. The last thing he’d ever want to do is put his partner in an uncomfortable situation, so he’s very conscientious --- a hand respectfully on their waist, a gentle press of lips-to-lips. The best way to describe Andy’s kisses would be tender. He’s very heartfelt about them, and never kisses like he doesn’t mean it. If his partner is more insistent, though, Andy gets into it very quickly. He particularly loves when their hands begin to wander, tearing open his neatly-buttoned shirt and messing up his hair, undoing him completely. When they bite his lip, he tends to moan; his grip becomes possessive, determined, and he consents to parting only to gasp a much-needed breath against their lips, before going back in again.
L : LOVE. who does your muse love?
Anyone who comes under his responsibility automatically has a place in Andy’s heart; if he can do something for them, he will. He’s the “brotherhood of man” type who finds a place in his heart for even casual friends --- and, given he has a lot of friends, Andy’s got to have a massive heart. His family comes before anyone else, though, especially his mom and sister. Then there’s Eddie, who he’d take a bullet for without hesitation (ha ha). Then his boys? His squad? His kiddos? He loves them, even if he can’t protect them.
M : MOONLIGHT. is morning or night a more romantic setting?
He’s partial to nighttime, just because --- outdoors at night, with the moon bright and stars overhead, feels like the most romantic setting in the world to him. He always feels a bit more romantic at night.
N : NAUGHTY. what is your muse like in bed?
The bedroom is the one place Andrew Haldane loses his perfect self-composure. He’s startlingly sensitive, which surprises most partners; his chest, his scalp, his thighs, all go wild when being touched by someone else. It’s really easy to get a reaction from him; he’s an expressive lover, quite vocal. He’s more adventurous than one might think, getting a thrill out of unconventional locations. He loves his partner’s hair, just touching it and being able to run his fingers through it. Eager to guide his partner into doing what feels good, he “helps” during sex --- but if it gets too annoying, his partner can find a thousand ways to silence him. And, in true Ack-Ack fashion, he’s very sensitive to the needs of his partner; he always needs to know where they stand, how they’re feeling, what they like and what they don’t. Sometimes he’ll “status report” in the middle of the act, murmuring “how are you doing, darling?”... just to make sure they’re alright.
O : ODE. does your muse have a way with words?
Andy is very careful with his words; he thinks things over before speaking, and doesn’t want to say anything he doesn’t mean. He’s very conscious that once spoken, things can’t be taken back. Definitely not the sort to lash out in anger ever, and goes out of his way to be diplomatic. That said, he’s great at expressing himself verbally, and connecting with people on an emotional level. While not much of a writer, he’s a very heartfelt speaker, and passion bleeds through his words.
P : PARTNER. what does your muse look for in a partner? looks / personality?
Andy wants someone who can stand on their own two feet. Someone resilient, strong, but gentle at the same time; someone who feels things, and is thoughtful in how they process them. If they love music and sports, that’s amazing, but they don’t have to share interests --- Andy just wants someone who’s easy to be around, probably someone focused on their own career or future goals. He needs a grounded person with a big heart, who doesn’t rush into things, and is laid back enough to relax him. When it comes to looks... he’s always loved curly hair, for no particular reason.
Q : QUESTION. would your muse ask the big question or expect their partner to?
He’d absolutely ask, as soon as he felt the time was right. This is something important to him ---- being able to take that step forward into the future, extending his hand so he and his partner can walk forward together. He’d wait until an anniversary of their relationship (because he’s sentimental like that), and at the end of a great date, get down on one knee with a box in his hand. Andy’s subtle, so chances are his partner didn’t see it coming, but in the moment he is intensely, absolutely sincere.
R : ROMANCE. is your muse a romantic or a cynic?
Oh, he’s got an incredible romantic side, and is bad at hiding it. During romantic moments, like when the stars are particularly bright overhead or he hears a favorite love song, Andy’s always hit with that good old yearning. To have someone to hold, someone to caress... god forbid the day he actually has someone to dote on! Andy will go all out ---- breakfast in bed, bringing them flowers because they “reminded him of them”, setting baths for them, taking them to all their favorite places... surprising them with a puppy. He just wants to be in love, and to enjoy every second of it.
S : SWEETHEART. did your muse have a childhood sweetheart?
Oh, absolutely. He had an on-again, off-again girlfriend through three years of middle school. Sadie Brown was sweet, with bright eyes and a book in her hand always. They danced around each other at school every day; when hanging out in groups, they naturally gravitated towards each other, and occasionally snuck away to sit in quite places while holding hands, just talking. Andy walked her home so often he memorized the route. However, neither of them were willing to put a name to their relationship, and it... fizzled out after a while, as young love tends to do. He still holds fond memories.
T : TRUE LOVE. does your muse believe in true love?
He... does, though part of him feels like he shouldn’t. He believes love can be true, but fate and destiny pass a bit over his head; he doesn’t know about that, but he is sure that sometimes people are meant to be together. Some love runs so deeply that nothing can sway it, and that’s the purest kind of love --- the kind he wants.
U : UNREQUITED. has your muse had their heart broken?
He doesn’t like talking about it... but yes, and took it hard. Once he confessed his love for someone --- really laid it all on the line --- and they turned him down. Gently, and Andy bore it with grace, but it really was a blow to his heart. Since then, he’s become... a little frightened of being rejected by someone he loves.
V : VALENTINE. how does your muse feel about valentine’s day?
It was always an excuse to get his mom something nice every year, so he’s been celebrating it long before he ever gets a partner. A day to make the person he loves feel special? Hey, he’ll take it.
W : WEDDING. would your muse get married? why / why not?
Absolutely! Again, this is something important to him --- not just because his parents are very eager to see him finally settled down. Andy has a strong desire for something traditional, especially after the turmoil of the war. He wants stability; he wants to spend the rest of his life with someone, secure in the knowledge that he won’t lose them in the blink of an eye. The idea of waking up every morning next to the person he loves? Priceless.
X : XOXO. does your muse use / like pet names?
He can definitely roll with them, but... when it comes to his partner, he would want to have something used exclusively between the two of them. Like a secret they share, something meaningful --- and if he heard anyone else use it, he certainly wouldn’t be thrilled.
Y : YOURS. does your muse get protective easily?
Definitely. Andy’s protectiveness is on a completely different page from his jealousy. He’s serious, and means it. No one lays a hand on any of the people he cares about, especially his partner. He’ll intervene physically, not wasting a second; if his sheer presence and glare isn’t enough to ward someone off, he’s prepared to fight. When the people he loves need him, Andrew Haldane does not mess around.
Z : ZZZ. how many people has your muse slept with?
He’s not... actively looking, usually, but things sometimes happen. People happen. People who are attracted to him. Again, he doesn’t really flirt, so it’s not like he’s throwing himself out there... but if there’s a mutual attraction, and it’s not morally wrong to do so, he’s game for a roll in the sheets. Say... 5-6 partners?
#andrew haldane#ack ack haldane#the pacific#headcanons#help me goddammit i think i've fallen in love#this was not what i set out to do while writing this#but i had to rewatch his scenes and research him and he's LITERALLY the perfect man??? like oh my god#anon what have you done to me#if anyone comes out of this not in love with andrew haldane ive done something wrong
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Grand Gestures
Prompt: we know buck was for grand gestures while he was in a relationship with Abby i.e. the hot air balloon what if he tried something similar with Eddie and Christopher either before or after they were dating and maybe he doesn't even realize it until someone asks him didn't he try doing that before and looking back maybe he has been doing some sorta date like outings with the Diaz boys huh like swan boat rides and mini golf then on a different day watching the sunset or like a picnic too lol
first things first: i’m sorry this took so long. secondly: this prompt got absolutely and wildly out of hand
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The thing is, when he's not working, Buck's got about ten brain cells and they're evenly divided up between researching random facts, working out, and loving his friends.
So he doesn't think things through. It's endearing, right? Mostly? At least after he cooled his jets a little and got out of his Buck 1.0 phase, he thinks it might've become endearing. His fire family joke about him being a golden retriever more times than he cares to count and he'd never admit it but they're probably right.
So he doesn't think about it when he starts taking the Diaz boys places.
He and Eddie have had a rough shift. It's sort of a rough shift in a line of weirdly rough shifts and they're both beaten down, and when Buck picks Chris up from school one day and Chris says, "Bucky, why is Daddy sad?" Buck immediately has to fix it.
He plans a day feeding giraffes at a zoo. Normally his go-to is the pier, but, well, that seems like tempting fate.
"I'm coming over," he announces to Eddie, early on a Saturday morning.
"Okay," Eddie's voice comes, sleepily. "Will you make pancakes?"
Buck's heart swells. He couldn't ever say no. Just thinking about Christopher's face lighting up at the surprise makes him want to drive faster.
When he gets to the Diaz residence, he lets himself in and immediately busies himself in the kitchen, making pancakes. For all Eddie is an amazing firefighter and dad, he's really bad at cooking, and the only reason there are even ingredients around is because Buck leaves them here.
When Christopher stumbles into the room ten minutes later, his face lights up. "Buck, Buck!" he cries, and Buck grins as he leans down and suddenly has an armful of eight year old.
"Hey, buddy!"
"Dad didn't say you were coming! DADDY, BUCK'S HERE!"
Kid has a set of pipes, and Buck almost winces at the volume. "Chris, can you set the table?" he asks.
"Yes!" Chris heads for the drawers and begins laying out plates and cutlery, just as Eddie wanders into the room, shirtless and wearing a pair of sweatpants that have been cannibalised into shorts. He looks surprised to find himself in the kitchen.
"You're actually making pancakes," he says, amazed. "Dios te amo, Buck."
Buck flushes, unsure if he's feeling suddenly flustered because of Eddie speaking Spanish to him or because Eddie isn't wearing a shirt. "Yeah," he mumbles shyly. "You asked."
Eddie smiles, and it's a little soft and sleepy around the edges, and for a moment Buck feels the weight of the last few shifts lift from his shoulders, and like they've gone back to real normal after the lawsuit. "Gracias a dios por ti," he says.
Does Eddie know what Spanish does to him? It isn't fair either way.
They sit down for pancakes, and Buck immediately sets to cutting Chris's into pieces so Eddie can focus on eating. He's losing the hunted expression he's worn for the last few days, and Buck's proud of himself for that at least.
"So," Eddie yawns, after they've sent Christopher to get dressed. "Not that I mind, but why're you here?"
Despite Eddie's words, and how warm and kind he's been this morning, Buck feels a little anxious suddenly about overstepping his boundaries. "Um," he says. "Well I - I can go if it's not a good time-"
"Buck," Eddie says, gently, and reaches across the table to grab his forearm. "I like having you here. So what's going on?"
Bolstered a little by Eddie's words, Buck smiles. "It's a surprise," he says. "But you should get dressed."
Eddie doesn't like giving up control, Buck knows, but the man only shrugs as he gets up from the table and heads towards his bedroom. While he's gone, Buck takes the dishes to the sink and gets a headstart on them. His mama might not have taught him much, but one thing he did learn is that it's rude to leave dishes in someone else's sink.
"Buck," Eddie's voice says. "You cooked."
"I don't mind," Buck says, mouth drying as he turns to find Eddie in the doorway, wearing a pair of light blue jeans that hug his legs and the white henley he once had on when dragging Buck out of bed. "Um, you look nice."
Eddie's smile only widens. "So do you."
Whatever weird moment they're having, it's shattered when Chris yells, "I'm ready, I'm ready!" and leaves his bedroom on crutches, moving with speed only a motivated eight-year-old has.
~*~
If Buck is a little distracted on the way to the zoo, it's only because he's thinking about how excited Christopher will be, and not because he's analysing hit outfit choice after Eddie's comment.
When they pull up, Eddie's looking out the windshield at the gates with an unreadable expression. "Too much?" Buck asks nervously, as Christopher whoops with glee in the backseat.
"He's wanted to come for ages," Eddie says quietly. "How'd you know?"
"I didn't," Buck admits, "I guessed, but it's been a rough week so I figured something fun would be nice."
That expression doesn't leave Eddie's face, leaving Buck feeling a little nervous as they unpack Chris from the backseat. Eddie ends up with his backpack, as Christopher proclaims his desire to ride on Buck's shoulders his time.
The kid isn't heavy, and it's not like Buck hasn't ever carried him. Still, it's a cool day and his crushed leg aches a little, which Eddie seems to realise as they walk through the park, with Christopher pointing out all the animals to them.
"Your leg okay?" Eddie asks.
Buck thought he was better at covering the limp by now. Apparently not. Eddie was there during his recovery, and Buck's worked really hard at not limping even when he is in pain, but the added weight on his shoulders makes it hard.
"It's okay," Buck says.
"If he's too heavy-"
"He's not," Buck rushes to say, squeezing Chris's shins where they sit around his chest. The kid is holding onto his collar with one hand, the other pointing and waving. "He's not too heavy."
"Okay," Eddie says, slowly, "but I'm buying lunch."
They sit down in the restaurant to eat overpriced fish and chips, and Christopher and Buck trade facts about the animals and ponder which ones would make the coolest hybrids. "Did you know you can make Pokemon hybrids?" Christopher asks.
"No way, can you?"
"Yeah! I'll show you!"
Buck willingly passes over his phone, and he and Chris spend most of lunch giggling over the strange combinations they can make. Eddie watches on, eating quietly, only ever interrupting to ask them a question.
Just past twelve, Buck herds them out to the giraffe enclosure. "Wanna see the giraffes?" he asks Chris.
"Yeah! They're tall like you!"
He laughs, and says, "how 'Bout really up close?"
His heart swells too big for his chest at the shout of joy Christopher gives, and he spends the next half hour feeling like he'll choke on it while they feed the giraffes, with Christopher taking to the baby one in particular. By the time they leave, it's past two, and Chris - who's been awake since seven - has fallen asleep in Buck's arms.
Buck straps him into his seat as Eddie loads the car up with everything from the zoo's gift shop and the photos they took feeding the giraffes. When both car doors close, it's quiet for a moment.
"Thank you," Eddie says quietly.
"I hope I didn't overstep," Buck says quickly. "Maybe it was something you two wanted to do together-"
"I've wanted to bring him for ages," Eddie sighs, "only between physical therapy, rent, bills, Carla, and everything else, I haven't had the time or the money. You didn't overstep."
Buck relaxes a little, feels warm. "Glad I could help."
~*~
Chris is still sleeping when they get to Eddie's, and Buck's the one tasked with bringing everything in while Eddie tucks him into bed. It's early, but there's no harm in letting the kid get some extra sleep, especially when he still occasionally has nightmares about the tsunami.
It's an exhaustion Buck can relate to.
He brings everything in, putting things on the table quietly before going back to shut up his truck. He's limping again - slow walking, especially with an eight year old on his shoulders most of the day, seems to cause his injury to flare up more than almost anything else.
"You okay, Buck?"
He smiles at Eddie. "I'm okay."
"Be honest," Eddie says, in his patented Dad Voice. "I can see you limping."
Eddie's concern feels foreign, especially after the lawsuit and the admittedly still strained relationship they share at times. Buck doesn't push, doesn't ask for anything, and is content just being able to be back in Eddie's life. It's still weird, but he's happy.
"Uh," Buck says. "It hurts a little sometimes. When it's cold. Today was just lots of walking, that's all. I'll down some Tylenol and I'll be okay."
"How about you stay?" Eddie asks. "Rest up before heading home. I'll find you some Tylenol."
Buck - who hasn't felt this wanted for a long time - can't even argue.
~*~
The next time they have a rough call, Buck plans a day out on a river boat. The time after that is a beach picnic, and after that, mini golf.
Every time something really bad happens on a call, Buck rushes to fix it. It's after one of these calls, when he's only halfway out of his fire kit and already looking up fun places to be in winter in L.A, that Hen says,
"Back at it with grand gestures, Buckaroo?"
He looks up, blinks. "What?"
She looks almost sympathetic. "The grand gestures?" she asks. "Didn't you already try this with Abby, baby?"
"Abby?" Buck feels about ten steps behind. "Grand gestures?"
Hen is like a mom slash sister to him, and she patiently explains, "The hot air balloon you organised for Abby when her mom was sick? Isn't that why you're taking Eddie and Christopher out on all these dates?"
Dates? Abby? Eddie? Hen's drawn a parallel between Eddie and Abby? Dates?
"Oh fuck," Buck says.
"He didn't know," Chim says, who's just entered the room. "Way to break it to him, Hen."
"I've been wooing Eddie," he realises aloud, a sense of panic creeping up on him.
"Wooing?" Chimney asks.
"Yes you have, Buck," Hen replies patiently.
"When did I start doing that?!"
"I think it was the Ferris wheel," Chimney supplies helpfully.
"No, it was the zoo, when they fed the giraffes," Hen counters. "That was the first one."
"Wait, how come I'm the last person to realise this?!" Buck demands. "You guys knew I was - and you didn't - what?"
"You've done it before," Hen says, very reasonably. "We just figured you were doing it again, only with Eddie."
"Eddie's a man!"
"So we've noticed," Chimney says.
"A beautiful man, though," Hen points out. "He's definitely in my "if I was straight" column."
"You have a column?" Chimney asks.
Hen suddenly looks at Buck. "Oh," she says. "This isn't about Eddie, is it? You didn't actually know that you were trying to date a man. Oh, that's what this is about."
"Buck," Chimney sighs.
"I can't help it, okay! I've been straight for twenty seven years!" Buck is undeniably panicking, because if he was going to have a sexual crisis this late in life why did it have to be about Eddie, of all people?
"First time for everything," Chimney says cheerfully. "Try not to panic, Buck. I don't think you've got anything to worry about."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Buck demands.
Before he can get an answer, Bobby walks in, takes in the sight of them - Hen and Chimney, grinning from ear to ear, and Buck, red-faced, flustered, and half undressed, and says slowly, "What's going on here? Buck? Are you alright?"
"Eddie's a man," Buck says, and flees the room, ignoring the peals of laughter behind him and Cap's stunned face.
He's so flustered he forgets to continue researching activities for all of them to do.
~*~
Buck lays off the grand gestures for a bit, thoroughly and completely freaking out.
He doesn't care much about being into dudes all of a sudden, because it doesn't seem like much to worry about in the grand scheme of things - he still loves and wants to bang women - it's the Eddie factor that's got him all confused.
So he sort of hides and doesn't say or do anything that could make Eddie think that Buck's got any untoward intentions, and if he trips over himself more than once trying to escape being literally no feet away from Eddie, well, that's his business.
~*~
Because he's Buck, and because some cosmic entity hates him and personally fucks with him at least once a month, things do not travel smoothly for him after his Hen-enforced I've Been Wooing Eddie Diaz (and possibly his son) realisation.
They have a call-out to an apartment fire that has decimated at least two floors, and Buck's whole body is pounding with adrenaline before they even get there, wiring him for action. This is what he lives for - the rush, the victory at the end. Lately, they haven't had many wins.
He's sent in to level three, which is maybe the second most on fire part of the complex, and he manages to find three people before he goes back for a fourth.
This is when the shit hits the fan, of course.
"Got another one, Cap!" he says into his radio, and he's just beginning to herd the woman out when the floor crackles ominously beneath him.
"Oh my God," she whimpers.
"Go!" Buck yells, and pushes her to the window. "Towards the window, Eddie will-"
The floor cracks, and she takes off, right before the entire foundation beneath him crumbles and sends him crashing through to the second floor.
Miraculously, he maintains consciousness, but he feels a rib give as he hits a hard wooden coffee table on the floor below and then goes through it. His breathing apparatus has stopped working from the impact, and there's smoke filling his lungs.
Buck's not dumb. He's got a few minutes at most to try and make it out of this fire, has to hope that the stairwell isn't blocked off. He wraps a tea towel from the kitchen around his face to stave off as much of the smoke as he can, drops to the floor, and begins to feel his way out blindly.
He finds the front door, he thinks, lies on his back to kick it open. His lungs are filling with smoke. His head pounds, and it's so hot, and he can hardly see or hear anything.
Hands on his back, rolling him over, pulling him up. He knows enough to cling, feels a strong set of shoulders under his arm and knows instinctively that it's Eddie.
"Sacrificado cabrón," Eddie swears.
"Whatever that means," Buck gasps, "I'm guessing it's not nice."
They're outside, and the air is blessedly cool. Eddie deposits Buck fairly non-ceremoniously onto a backboard, where Hen and Chim are immediately fussing over him, calling out his stats and getting a mask over his face.
His helmet is pulled off, along with his fire resistant jacket. They're checking for burns - temperatures that hot, your own sweat can turn to steam and burn you inside your clothes - and the oxygen flows through the mask, sweet and relieving and cool against his throat and lungs.
"Easy, Buckaroo," Hen says gently. "We got you."
He nods. Eddie's face appears over his. He's soot-darkened and his mouth is pressed into a thin line, and Buck could swear he looks almost pale underneath all the grime.
"Idiota," Eddie mutters.
"Rude," Buck replies, and still considers it worthwhile when he starts to cough.
"How's he looking?" Bobby asks.
Hen turns. "He'll be okay, Cap," she says, smiling with relief. "He inhaled some smoke and he might have a few bruises, but he's alright enough to be talking smack with Eddie. We'll take him to hospital just to be sure, though."
Buck groans. "No," he says. "I'm sick of-"
The looks of the entire crew silence him, and he shrinks back into the backboard meekly. "Okay," he mumbles.
~*~
Buck has one broken rib and several bruised ones, plus all the external bruising he suffered from the fall, but there's no concussion, no lacerations, all his organs are where they're supposed to be, and with pain medication, he feels better, so the hospital deems him disgustingly healthy and decides to send him home.
He's in bed, waiting for a change of clothes, when the door opens, revealing Eddie. Buck is pleased to see him for all of a second, until he notices the thunderous expression on Eddie's face.
"Hi," he says, thinking maybe this will be movie-levels of epic and Eddie will be so relieved to see that he's alright he'll forget to be angry and sweep Buck into his arms and kiss him and maybe take him-
"What the fuck were you thinking?"
When has life ever been movie-levels of stellar for Buck, after all?
"There was still someone in there," Buck argues. "Eddie, I was just doing my job. Nobody told me not to go in there."
Eddie laughs hysterically, which sounds dangerous, and says, "What am I supposed to tell Christopher if you die?"
Buck opens his mouth, then closes it. Shannon's death still haunts Eddie, and Buck has to tread carefully with what he says, he knows that. Telling Eddie he isn't going to die won't make the guy feel any better.
"He needs you," Eddie says, pacing up and down now. "I need you. Stop being so reckless."
"I can't." Buck feels like he's getting scolded for stealing cookies from the jar. "It's my job, Eddie. We knew the risks going in."
"Would you have gone in if you'd known the floor would collapse?" Eddie asks.
Buck looks at him evenly. He loves Eddie, which he's sort of come to accept, and he wants Eddie in his life and wants, more than anything, for the ever-present cloud of his lawsuit to fuck off so that things can go back to normal. This might fracture their relationship again, but Buck can't lie.
"Yes," he says.
The fight seems to go out of Eddie, then - his shoulders slump. He's hardly even showered enough to get the grime off. "Okay," he replies.
He puts a bag at Buck's feet. "I got you your clothes," he says tiredly. "A change. They said you're getting released."
"Yeah," Buck mumbles.
They're silent while Buck changes, his chest throbbing a little and his heart heavy. Things are never going to go back to the way they were - he knows that now. He's going to spend the rest of their relationship on the back foot, trying to make up for everything, trying to make the Diaz boys happy. He finally screwed up too badly to just pay up - he's racked up debt now.
Eddie waits for Buck to get changed before offering a curt, "I'll see you," and taking his leave.
Buck sighs. Good thing he texted Maddie to pick him up.
~*~
The great thing about hospitals is the hospital-grade painkillers he gets given.
The not-so-great thing about hospitals is getting released with about four hundred tiny holes from IV medication in his arms, a sense of exhaustion from not quite sleeping right, and the painkillers wearing off, leaving him in pain and miserable.
His broken rib hurts, and he's still coughing from the irritation to his lungs. His leg throbs, because any fall he takes now jars the rod and pins in it, and on top of all that, he's miserable with the thought that he's fucked things up with Eddie.
It meant a lot, to have the Diaz boys in his life. They were like family to Buck.
He's woken from a nap to a knock on the door and has to ease himself off the couch, wincing as he limps to the front door. It's probably some kind of marketing something but Buck always feels bad for not answering if he's here.
He opens the door without looking, mumbling a short, "Hello, I'm not-"
Eddie looks up at him, smiling a little. "Hey, Buck."
Buck blinks. "Hi," he says.
Eddie's eyes rake over him, taking in the bruises on Buck's face and arms, of the way he's a little hunched to try and ease some pressure off his ribcage. "You look like shit."
Buck snorts. "That's real nice of you, Eddie. Come here to say that?"
"No," Eddie says, and takes a deep breath. "I brought pizza. And snacks."
Sure enough, there's a grocery bag hanging from his left arm and a pizza box balanced in the other. Buck blinks.
"It's not a grand gesture or anything," Eddie admits quietly. "I don't really have the resources for that. But I haven't seen you in a while, outside work anyway. Whenever we had a bad shift you'd take us out to make us feel better. I thought it was my turn."
Just like that, Buck feels a whole lot better, like his ten off-duty braincells have exploded into little heart emojis. Eddie Diaz, who he's pretty much in love with, brought him pizza because Buck's hurt.
Without thinking, he steps forward and wraps his arms around Eddie happily. He's taller, but not so much that he can't tuck his face into the crook of Eddie's shoulder and say, "I've really missed you, Eddie."
He swears Eddie is blushing against him, even as hugs Buck back. "Lo siento," he says quietly.
"That's not fair," Buck complains. "I don't understand that."
"I said I'm sorry," Eddie says.
"It's alright," Buck says earnestly, stepping back to let Eddie in and shutting the door.
"It's not," Eddie says. "I haven't been good to you at all. I shouldn't have yelled at you for doing your job. But I was scared and I let it get the better of me. You should hold me accountable for being shitty, Buck."
"But you apologised, so it's fine," Buck replies.
Eddie stares up at him, then smiles. "It really is that easy with you, huh?"
"Yes?" Buck asks sheepishly, and Eddie laughs.
"C'mon. The pizza is getting cold."
~*~
Chris is with abuela, Eddie explains, once they've demolished the pizza and they're moving onto the snacks. He didn't want to overtax Buck if he's in pain.
Buck is in pain, but it's not as bad with Eddie sitting with him on the couch, pressed up against him. "You disappeared," Eddie says.
"I did?" He knows he did, but sometimes a combination of playing dumb and puppy dog eyes gets him out of trouble.
"Yeah. We stopped hanging out. Why's that?"
Eddie sounds like he knows and Buck is nervous as hell. "I, um-"
Eddie's hand lands on his thigh - his upper thigh - and Buck's brain short circuits. "You're a man," he blurts.
Eddie's eyebrows crease. "As far as I'm aware, yeah."
"You're a man and I used to do this stuff with Abby, I'd take her out to amazing places and then Hen and Chim pointed out that I'm taking you places and how that worked out for me last time-"
"Buck," Eddie says, squeezing his thigh, "slow down."
Buck takes a deep breath. "I was trying to woo you only I didn't realise," he mumbles nervously, "and I'm really sorry because I didn't realise that's what I was doing but I totally was and Hen and Chim pointed it out to me and I got nervous and I didn't want to mess things up so I stopped asking you to go places so that I wouldn't have to try and-"
"Remember what I said about slow?" Eddie teases. "You didn't mess anything up, Buck."
That doesn't sound right. He feels confused.
Eddie laughs a little. "Dios, Buck. I've liked you since the moment we worked on getting that live grenade out of the guy when I started at the 118."
Buck blinks. That also doesn't sound right.
Eddie turns to face him on the couch. "I know Abby left you," he explains, quietly, and Buck finds himself suddenly blinking back tears. "I know that even after everything she left you and it broke your heart. But I'm not Abby, Buck. I'm a sure thing."
Buck's heart does this funny thing where it thumps twice, and then Eddie is taking his face in his hands and kissing him softly, and Buck kisses back, because he's wanted this for so long he doesn't remember starting. It feels like a dream.
"I might not be," he explains, brokenly, when they separate. His voice sounds small.
Eddie frowns. "What do you mean?"
"I want this, Eds," Buck admits. "But what if I let you down? What if - what if I let Chris down?" His voice wobbles. "I already have. Doesn't matter where I go, someone seems to get hurt. I couldn't protect Maddie from Doug, and I couldn't protect Chris in the tsunami - then the lawsuit, and..."
"You saved Chris," Eddie says quietly. "You found Maddie. The lawsuit sucked, yeah. But you did it to get back to us, and I was a real asshole about that too, Buck. I'm willing to try if you are."
He remembers, then, speaking to an elderly man about his husband and their life together - "I hope someday I find something like that," he'd said, and the old man had replied, "You don't find it, son. You build it" and here it is. This is his chance to build something.
"Okay," he says, and Eddie's face lights up like Chris's does when Buck makes pancakes or tucks him in or surprises him. The Diaz boys will almost definitely be the end of him, and he's okay with that.
"We can't tell Chim and Hen," Buck mumbles as Eddie pulls him into another kiss. "They'll gloat for months."
Eddie smiles against his mouth, pushes Buck lightly to crawl between his legs and lie on top of him, a thrilling, heavy, muscular weight that Buck isn't familiar with just yet. "Worth it," he mumbles, his hands on Buck's face tipping his head up. "So worth it."
#buddie#evan buckley x eddie diaz#otp: there's no one i trust more with my son than you#nibbles writes things
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