Work Text:
one
"Hi, we have a reservation for two under Diaz?"
The hostess tapped at the screen, and then smiled at him and Marisol. "All ready for you! Follow me this way."
Eddie walked after her, Marisol beside him, and then did a double take. Was that—
"Tommy?" he called out.
"Hey!" Tommy greeted him.
Then the person at the table with Tommy started to turn around and—
"Buck!" Eddie yelled, a smile stretching across his face.
"Hey, you two guys are hanging out. That's great!" And he really meant it. His best friend and the new friend he made recently, having dinner together. He talked to them for a minute, but then suddenly realized that the hostess was impatiently waiting next to the two-person table for him and Marisol. He quickly bid farewell to Buck and Tommy and headed over.
"Sorry," he apologized to her, as he slid into the booth. "Wasn't expecting to see my best friend here!" She smiled back at him awkwardly, and handed him a menu.
He frowned down. Just one menu?
Marisol scooted into the booth next to him, looking down at their shared menu, and Eddie stretched his arm out behind her. She was sitting too close for him to comfortably put his arm down.
Was the hostess trying to punish him for making her wait by only giving them one menu?
"These appetizers sound good," Marisol said, and Eddie nodded, distracted.
He grinned, looking up at Buck.
He wasn't expecting to see him at all, and he was so excited to see him here. They had just seen each other a few hours ago when they got off their shift, but—
"Eddie?"
He startled, looking over at Marisol. She looked at him expectantly.
"Sorry, did you say something?"
"I was just asking if you wanted to get the bruschetta?"
"Yeah, sure," he said absentmindedly, not really hearing her. Buck and Tommy got up to leave.
Marisol asked him another question about the menu, and he tried to refocus on his date.
A little later, when their appetizer arrived, he frowned down at the plate. Had he really agreed to get that? He had been here before, and he knew that this restaurant overloaded their tomato mixture with garlic. It's not really a good date night dish.
Marisol laughed a little when she took a bite. "Guess you're going to be dealing with my garlic breath later," she teased.
"I'll look forward to kissing you no matter what," he told her. After all, she was the person he was in love with.
two
"It was a date," Buck said.
Eddie didn't really process the words Buck said, only the tone of his voice. Why did he sound so…nervous?
"When you and Marisol ran into me and Tommy, we were on a date."
Eddie's brain blue-screened. "Really?"
Buck nodded.
Holy shit.
"Wait, Tommy's gay?"
"Uh, that never came up while you guys were hanging out?"
"No, no. I mean, not that it would have mattered." But now Eddie was reevaluating their interactions. Could Tommy have been flirting with him, and he didn't pick up on it? Taking someone on a helicopter ride was kind of—but no, wasn't thinking your gay friend was hitting on you problematic?
"Sure, I-I don't think he volunteers it, but uh, he doesn't hide it."
"So, you…two were…." Eddie tried to gather his thoughts.
"We were on a date, yes."
"Okay…." Eddie faltered.
Buck was on a gay date—was that okay to say? You didn't call a date between a man and a woman a straight date. Buck was on a regular, not-gay date with Tommy. Wait, he can't call it not-gay. It was a gay date. Buck was on a date which was totally normal but it was with Tommy. Who was gay. And went on a date with Buck.
Why was he freaking out right now?
"Is that…weird?"
Yes. Eddie thought immediately.
"No. Absolutely not," he lied.
"I like him too," he continued, trying not to splutter. "I mean—not the same way as you, evidently." Eddie took a breath. Buck had basically just come out to him. Eddie needed to be a supportive, straight best friend and make sure that Buck knew Eddie was always there for him. He had to be normal, joking, friendly, Eddie. And he had to make Buck feel cared for.
"This doesn't change a thing between us," he said, staring into Buck's eyes. "Okay?"
Somehow, Eddie didn't completely believe his own words. But Buck needed to hear this from him right now—whatever else happened, Eddie would have his back.
Buck nodded, and for a second, Eddie saw something in his eyes that made him think that maybe Buck wasn't fully happy with what he said.
Did Eddie say something wrong? Was this not how you were supposed to react to your friend when they came out to you? He was sure he had said the right thing, the thing you're supposed to say when someone—
"Good. That's a-a relief."
Eddie gave Buck a small smile, and then listened as Buck explained how Tommy had already dumped him.
Tommy was fun, Tommy was a great guy to hang out around, so of course he encouraged Buck to call him. Buck had been on a date with the guy and clearly was disappointed it hadn't worked out, so—
This was great. Buck and Tommy were both his friends, and now maybe they were going to date. When Buck said he can't stop thinking about Tommy, Eddie was happy for him. And so he had told Buck to call Tommy, knowing that's the right thing for Buck to do.
three
Eddie felt a surge of annoyance when Tommy showed up at the bachelor party, but put on a smile and gave him a high five.
"Didn't know you could bring a date to a bachelor party," he said. Did that come out too snarky? He wasn't really sure why he was so annoyed. Tommy was his friend.
"Hey, I knew Chimney before he was Chimney," Tommy said, pointing at Eddie.
He put his hands up placatingly.
Tommy asked for orange juice, saying he's on stand-by. Couldn't he have requested off, if being here as Buck's date and (supposedly) as Chimney's friend was important?
Eddie was kind of regretting that, despite thinking about making things work with Marisol after his conversation with Buck, he had decided to break up with her. If he had known Buck was going to invite Tommy to the party, he at least could have invited a date of his own.
Then he could have stood here talking to her, instead of watching Buck talk to Tommy. Tommy in his stupid henley. Who even wears a henley to a bachelor party, let alone a themed bachelor party that their boyfriend had planned? He didn't care if they "had henleys in the 80's," it still wasn't really on theme…
Eddie had planned a matching outfit with Buck and they weren't even dating. The least Tommy could do was stay on theme.
Tommy left early, because he had to work. Which he hadn't even told Buck about before showing up? And he wasn't even sure if he'd be able to show up to the wedding? Shouldn't he have, like, figured out that schedule when Buck first invited him to the wedding?
Tommy had told Buck he'd try to make it to the wedding. He should damn well do more than try.
I would never treat my b— a partner like this, Eddie thought, looking at how Buck's face fell as Tommy walked out the door.
He was so annoyed on behalf of Buck. He hoped Tommy would try to make more of an effort, so Buck could be happy with him.
four
Eddie thrust his arm in the air, singing loudly into the mic.
"Keep on whispering in my ear!" he shouted. "Tell me all the things that I wanna hear! Cause it's TRUE!"
"That's what I like about you!" Buck yelled, joining in.
Eddie shook his head back and forth to the beat.
"What I like about you!" Buck laughed into the mic. "You really know how to dance!"
Eddie moved his feet back and forth.
"When you go up, down, jump around, think about true romance!" Buck sang as Eddie jumped up and down for him.
"Yeah!" Eddie shouted into the mic, laughing.
He and Buck continued to sing, swapping lyrics back and forth with the ease that they swapped tasks in the field.
Eddie looked over, and saw Buck shaking his head up and down and making a fool of himself. He laughed loudly, throwing his head back.
He had such a warm feeling in his chest, and he smiled goofily. It must be from all the alcohol they had been putting back.
plus one
Eddie walked through the hospital halls, looking for Buck. Maddie was getting ready for the wedding but there was something he wanted to say to Buck, before…
He spied Buck, sitting on a bench and looking at his phone.
"Hey Buck," he said, smiling down at him.
Buck grinned back at him, sliding his phone into his pocket. "Hey Eddie. Can't believe we're having this wedding in a hospital."
"If anyone was going to have a wedding in a hospital, it would be a member of this team."
Buck laughed. "Very true. We spend way too much time here."
"Yeah." Eddie said. "Listen, Buck…"
He drew in a breath, unsure if this was the right thing to do.
"Is Tommy…is Tommy still your date for the wedding?"
Buck frowned. "Well, yeah I-I think so. As long as he's able to make it."
Eddie took another slow breath.
"How would you feel if I asked you to cancel on him?"
Buck's frown deepened. "What…what do you mean, cancel on him?"
"I don't want—I mean, I don't think you should date him."
And he really didn't despite what he had said before. Tommy didn't know Buck. Tommy didn't know how to make Buck laugh, the way Buck's entire being lit up when he was rambling about new facts he learned, how Buck stuttered a little sometimes when he got nervous—
"Eddie, wha-what do you mean you don't want Tommy to be my date?" Buck looked frustrated. "Is this—are you upset because Tommy's a guy?"
"No!" Eddie said quickly. "That's not it!" I'm upset because I don't want you to date anyone if it's not me, he thought.
Holy shit.
That is not a straight thought to have about your best friend.
It all hit Eddie. How he had been feeling over the past couple of weeks, ever since Buck and Tommy started hanging out. How he had tried to convince himself that he was happy for Buck, that he was excited to date Marisol, that everything he felt about Buck was normal, platonic, friendship feelings.
"Eddie? Are you okay?" Buck interrupted Eddie's spiraling thoughts.
"Oh my god," Eddie said. "I've been jealous."
"Jealous?" Buck asked. "That Tommy's hanging out with me…because he's your new friend."
Eddie shook his head urgently. "Jealous of the fact that Tommy gets to hang out with you."
"Eddie," Buck said seriously, putting a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay. I was kind of freaking out too, you know, when you and Tommy started hanging out. Just because I'm going to date him now, doesn't mean I'm replacing you as my best friend."
"But I don't want to just be your best friend!"
Buck stared at him.
"What do you mean?"
"I think—no, I know, what I realized just now is that I don't want you to date Tommy, not because he's not good for you—except that's true too, if he was good for you, he would've dressed up for you at the bachelor party. He would've indulged you. He would've set time aside to come to this wedding because he would've known how much it meant to you that you asked him on a date here, when you're not even out to most of the people here! But he was scheduled to work. He would've done something else."
Buck was wide-eyed.
Eddie took another breath. He was getting away from himself.
"Sorry. But what I'm trying to say is—I don't want you to date Tommy, because I want you to date me."
Buck gaped at him.
"You…you want to date me?"
Eddie looked at the floor.
"Eddie, look at me."
Eddie hesitantly met Buck's eyes, which were shining. He nodded slowly.
A slow smile spread across Buck's face, and Eddie nervously smiled back.
"Really?" Buck asked.
Eddie nodded again.
Buck grinned, and then—
Then, they were kissing.
It was—-well, it was perfect. They were under harsh florescent lights, sitting on an uncomfortable bench, and Buck's elbow was kind of digging into his side from the way they were sitting, but none of that mattered.
I cannot believe I thought I was straight, Eddie thought.
"Wait," he said, pulling away. "What about Tommy?"
Buck pulled out his phone. He took a few seconds to type out a text and then put his phone back in his pocket.
"Hey Eddie," he said.
"Yeah?"
"Since I just told my date he doesn't have to show up…looks like I'm in need of a new one."
Eddie grinned at him. What about Tommy indeed.
"Hey Buck?"
"Yeah?"
"I love you."
And it was the truest thing Eddie had ever said.