Archive of Our Own

Buck leaned against the wall, a towel slung around his neck, his water bottle dangling from his hand. At this late - or early - hour it was quiet, there were no clatter of weights, no thudding footsteps on the treadmill nor the sound of chatting coworkers. The gym area of the fire station was empty except for Buck and Eddie who had both decided to postpone their training until the very end of their shift at six o’clock in the morning. That way they had the space all for themselves and could do their workout without being interrupted by the others.

Only that Buck wasn’t even pretending to keep up with his own routine anymore. His eyes had been fixed on Eddie for the past ten or so minutes, following every smooth bend of his knees, every precise push back to standing, moving with that calm focus he always carried. Eddie Diaz on leg day was a show all by itself and Buck was standing in the front row to experience it firsthand and he was mesmerized by it to say the least.

Buck would never say it out loud, especially not to Eddie, but Jesus Christ, Eddie’s thighs should be illegal. And he meant to be subtle. He really did. But unfortunately subtlety was never his strong suit.

“You know,” he called across the small space between them. “If you keep this up, you’re gonna have to register those things as deathly weapons.”

Eddie’s form didn’t falter at the corny remark. He dropped into yet another squat, back straight, bar steady across his shoulders, and only when he pressed back up did his mouth twitch, betraying the smallest flicker of amusement. “Deadly weapons, huh?”

“You train those thighs just to make the rest of us feel bad, don’t you?” Buck asked, not even bothering to hide the grin across his face.

“Don’t blame me because you skip leg day.”

“I don’t skip leg day,” Buck huffed out, pretending to be offended by this accusation. “But I am serious. Those thighs? You could probably crack a watermelon between them.”

Eddie racked the bar and turned, grabbing the towel that hung on the frame and wiped the sweat off of his face. His dark eyes found Buck’s with a calm steadiness, the faint sheen still lingering on his skin making him look more annoyingly composed. The dark tank top he so often wore during training hung low, exposing a good amount of his chest. “That’s what you think about during workouts?”

“Hey, I’m just pointing out facts. Science, you know? More so physics. Pressure and force and all that.” Buck grinned, too quick to back down. He pushed off the wall and sauntered closer to Eddie. It was like a magnetic force pulled him in and he couldn’t help but let it happen.

“You,” Eddie said dryly, “wouldn’t even know physics if it hit you in the face.”

“Sure I do,” Buck countered. He reached out, poked at Eddie’s thigh, his fingers meeting solid, unyielding muscle beneath sweat-damp shorts. “That right there? Pure force. You could, like…hold someone down without any trouble.”

It slipped out before he could think too hard about it, and immediately he felt the air shift. Buck regretted saying these words out loud to a degree. It was one thing to think like this about your best friend and enjoy looking at him during a workout, but saying these words out loud to said best friend’s face? A totally different thing. Where was the rewind button when you needed it?

Eddie didn’t move, didn’t even flinch. He just stared at Buck, his expression unreadable.

Buck laughed, trying his hardest to chase away the moment. “I mean, not that you’d…uh…hold me down or anything.” His cheeks started to burn. God, he sounded absolutely ridiculous.

Eddie’s mouth curved, slow and deliberately, into something that wasn’t quite a smile. “You sound awfully sure of yourself.”

That stopped Buck cold in his tracks, he felt like the air was kicked out of his lungs. He blinked, once, twice. Words were tangling on his tongue and he knew that he should say something, anything to change the topic, to say it was just a dumb joke and they should forget about it. But the words didn’t come out. Eddie let the silence stretch just long enough for it to sink in before grabbing his water bottle. He took a long sip, throat working, his eyes never leaving Buck’s.

Buck’s heart thudded and he hated how aware he suddenly was of the close, humid air, of the sound of Eddie swallowing, of the flex of his forearm where his water bottle rested. Buck dragged his gaze away, busying himself with his own towel. It’s nothing, This is just Eddie. Eddie being Eddie. God, not even his thoughts were making sense anymore. In this moment it felt like someone short-circuited his brain and stopped it from working properly.

“So what, you’re saying I couldn’t?” Eddie asked almost innocently, finally breaking the silence between them.

"Couldn’t what?” Buck asked startled.

“Crack a watermelon.” Eddie’s expression was maddeningly neutral, his voice steady.

“Oh, you totally could. I’d even put money on it. Hell, we should test it sometime. Get a melon from the store, set you up and see if it explodes,” Buck said quickly, stumbling over his words. He was just relieved they latched onto the safer track. This was totally innocent, just an experiment.

“Uh-uh, right. For science.”

“Yes exactly!” Buck grinned while regaining his footing. “Science demands answers, Eddie.”

Eddie shook his head, chuckling under his breath, but there was a spark there now - something Buck couldn’t quite name. It was warm, dangerous and a little thrilling. The adrenaline of the mere thought of what their little exchange implied pumping in his veins, he felt like hundreds of little lightning strikes were going through him. He opened his mouth to push even further, to test the waters when-

“You two done with your workout? Bobby wants us to go up to the roof again and have a meditation session before sunrise” Hen said while she approached them coming right from the bunk room. So hopefully she didn’t hear any of their conversation because Buck would actually vanish from embarrassment.

“Just wrapping up,” Eddie said smoothly, as if he wasn’t fazed a bit by the moment they just shared.

The three of them chatted for a few minutes and Eddie bent to grab his bag, movements calm, but Buck couldn’t shake the sense that something unspoken still hung in the air, something fragile and electric.

“You coming?” Eddie asked.

“Yeah,” Buck said, although he made no move towards the door. His pulse was still skipping from Hen’s interruption, or maybe from the way Eddie had looked at him. It was steady, yet unreadable, like he was weighing some options.

Eddie tilted his head, one brow raised. “What?”

“Nothing. Just…next time? We’re definitely bringing a watermelon.”

For a moment Buck had thought about addressing this weird vibe now, to actually ask Eddie whether it was okay if they crossed that one line they both danced on too often in the last couple of years. A sequence of almosts, will-they-won’t-they moments that would redefine their relationship. In the end Buck decided against it and just repeat the joke from earlier to turn this tension into something lighter. And it seemed like it worked by the way Eddie’s mouth twitched again, shaking his head amused while he was walking towards the showers.

Buck stood there a moment longer like he was rooted to the spot, his stomach twisted with restless energy. In that moment he realized two uncomfortable truths: one, that joke wasn’t a joke anymore - he actually wanted to find out what Eddie’s thighs were capable of - and two he actually wanted to be the watermelon in that scenario.

****

The drive from the firehouse to Eddie’s neighborhood was short, fifteen minutes if there was no traffic. The rush hour traffic this morning was already gone at that time of day and the streets quiet, but today the drive felt longer. Buck kept his eyes fixed on the road even as his thoughts wandered anywhere but.

Eddie sat in the passenger seat, his bag at his feet, arms braced against the door. He’d showered quickly after the gym, some few damp curls clinging to his forehead, the faint scent of soap replacing the sharp tang of sweat from earlier. Not that that was a smell that Buck minded, like at all. Buck had showered as well, but he still felt flushed, even wired like the steam of the hot water hadn’t managed to rinse off the weight of their exchange.

For a while, the only sound in the car was the low hum of the engine and the soft crackle of the radio. Some classic rock station Buck had put on when he couldn’t decide on a playlist on their drive back. Somehow all the songs were reminding him of Eddie and that was the last thing he needed right now, when he wanted to arrive safely at the Diaz’ house. Eddie tapped his fingers against his thigh in the rhythm of the soft guitar riffs, not quite in time, but steady enough to fill the silence.

“You tired?” Buck asked mostly to break the silence.

“Not really,” Eddie said, stretching one of his legs out. “You?”

“Me? Nah. I could actually go for another workout.”

“It’s because you hardly trained today and spent your time rather watching me sweat.”

Instead of answering Buck just smirked, but he could feel his cheeks heat up. A short glance to Eddie, before he returned his eyes on the road. “Maybe arm day this time, so I don’t embarrass myself next to you.”

Eddie’s brow lifted, but his expression stayed otherwise neutral. “Embarrass yourself?”

“Come on, Diaz. You and those squats? You make the rest of us look like we’re playing around with toy weights,” Buck said, shrugging.

That earned him the smallest twitch of Eddie’s smile, not quite a smile but close enough to keep Buck’s pulse racing.

“You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for,” Eddie said simply.

Buck blinked at Eddie like a deer caught in the headlights, completely thrown off guard. He’d expected teasing from Eddie, maybe a dry comeback. Instead he got quiet sincerity, and it landed heavier than he knew what to do with. “Uh. Thanks.”

The compliment sat between them, warm and a little bit awkward and Buck gripped the wheel tighter. He wanted to say something, just anything to push them back into safer territory because they were dancing way too close to the cliff right now and if they play their cards wrongly they would just fall. But words failed Buck as they got tangled in his throat.

Eddie reached out and adjusted the air vent, casual as if nothing had shifted in this car. “Carla took Chris to school this morning, so it would just be me at home. You don’t have to stay if you’re wiped. I know it was a long shift and you probably want to lie down in your own bed.”

“Who says I’m staying?” Buck shot back automatically, though his grin was softer than his words.

Eddie gave him a look, one Buck had seen a thousand times, equal parts patience and amusement. “You always stay.”

And you see, Buck couldn’t argue with that. He did always stay, whether it was just a beer on the couch late at night, cooking dinner or just crashing on Eddie’s couch when it got too late because it felt easier than going home. The Diaz home had become a second gravity for him, one he couldn’t resist and also didn’t want to.

He cleared his throat. “Well, yeah. Somebody’s gotta make sure you don’t fall asleep during your breakfast and drown in your cereal bowl. Just imagine how humiliating that 9-1-1 call would be.”

“I don’t fall asleep.”

“You absolutely do,” Buck insisted. “I have proof of that in the form of videos. Just last week you were snoring so loudly I thought the pipes were rattling.”

That earned him a soft chuckle, the sound low and unguarded. Buck let it wash over him and for a moment it almost felt normal again. Almost.

But then the silence slipped back in, heavier than before, because Buck couldn’t stop thinking about what he’d said in the gym, about the look Eddie had given him. He kept seeing it in his head - calm, steady, unreadable - and it made his palms sweat against the steering wheel.

Buck risked a glance. Eddie was staring out the window, the early morning sun flashing over his face, bathing it in a soft glow. His jaw was tight, but his shoulders had eased, posture loose in the passenger seat. Eddie looked comfortable. Or maybe he pretended to be.

“You know,” Buck said suddenly. before he could stop himself, “I wasn’t totally kidding about the watermelon thing.”

Eddie turned his head, an exasperated look in his eyes. “Oh, God. You’re still thinking about this?”

“No, no, hear me out!” Buck grinned, relieved to have the words out in the open. “I mean, you’ve got these ridiculous legs. People on the internet do those challenges, right? It’s not that weird.”

“Buck,” Eddie warned him.

“I’m just saying. You could go viral, A thousand- no a million views would be easily yours.”

“Yeah,” Eddie said, shaking his head. “That’s exactly what I want. To be known online as the guy who crushes fruit with his thighs.”

“Hey, it’d be a hell of a party trick and an ice breaker whenever you meet new people.”

Buck laughed, the tension easing a little, though not completely. Eddie on the other hand didn’t react, didn’t answer him right away. Instead he was watching him and Buck felt the weight of it like a hand pressing steady against his chest.

Finally, Eddie said quietly, “You really think about this stuff, don’t you?”

Buck froze. His mouth opened, then closed and then opened again, like a fish without water. “I- uh-”

But Eddie had already looked away, sitting back in his seat and his focus whatever was outside his window. The car is filled with the radio again, the song switching to something slower, a ballad about love and Buck cursed the universe for it. Was that a joke? To play a love song at that exact moment? He didn’t want to think too hard about it or it would make him feel dizzy. His grip on the wheel tightened once again, knuckles pale, and he forced himself to breathe evenly. Which was harder than he thought.

They didn’t say much else for the rest of the drive. Buck’s head buzzed with everything unsaid, the way his own words had slipped too close to something real, and the way Eddie hadn’t exactly shut him down.

When they finally pulled into Eddie’s driveway, Eddie unbuckled his seatbelt, gathering his bag. “You coming in then?” he asked, like he always did, as if there had never been a time Buck hadn’t.

“Yeah.”

And just like that, the weight of what happened in the gym followed them up the walkway, across the threshold, into the quiet hum of Eddie’s home.

****

Eddie dropped his bag by the door and toed off his boots, the easy rhythm of home sliding back onto his shoulders. The house was quiet and the first thing Buck noticed was a half-finished Lego build sat on the coffee table in the living room, frozen mid-battle.

“Chris has been on a Star Wars kick again,” Eddie said when he noticed where Buck was looking.

“Can’t blame him, he’s got amazing taste.” Buck picked up one of the little plastic stormtroopers, turning it between his fingers before setting it back exactly where it had been. “Are you gonna watch it with him this weekend?”

“Probably,” Eddie answered. He disappeared into the kitchen, a rustling of porcelain was heard. Without even needing to ask, Eddie knew that Buck would crave a cup of steaming hot coffee to shake the tiredness away. After a few minutes he returned with two cups, handing one to Buck. “Though he insists on watching them in order. And by order, he means the prequel first.”

Buck let out a theatrical huff, sipping from his warm cup. “That’s a crime. Someone should call CPS.”

The corners of Eddie’s mouth twitched, that familiar almost-smile threatening to break loose. He settled onto the couch, one arm stretched along the backrest. His legs sprawled out in front of him, wide and easy, filling the space.

Buck dropped onto the cushion beside him, careful not to knock into the Lego or to spill his coffee onto the carpet. His hands clasped the the cup as Buck realized how close they were now, his pulse betraying him once again when it picked up a few notches.

They talked for a while, the way the always did - about work, about Chris’s new school project Buck promised to help with, about the neighbor’s new dog that wouldn’t stop barking at night. It was normal, easy, but underneath it felt like something was waiting.

Buck glanced sideways at Eddie, who had tilted his head back against the couch, eyes half-lidded and his cup balanced in his hand. The picture of relaxation after a long shift. But his thighs were spread wide, and Buck’s gaze caught there, almost lingering. He remembered the weight of them in the gym, the steady tone of Eddie’s voice when he’d asked, “You sound awfully sure of yourself.”

Before he could stop himself, Buck blurted out, “So, uh…about that thigh thing.”

Eddie’s eyes flicked open. “You’re still on that? How many more times will you bring that topic up, Buckley?”

“Come on, man. You know you could do it. Just…pop. No contest.”

“You really want to test my thighs that badly?” Eddie asked with a glint in his eyes. As if he was to challenge Buck.

And the words landed heavy, threaded with something that didn’t feel like a joke anymore. Before their back-and-forth was all fun and games…but this? A completely different thing.

Buck’s grin faltered. “I-well, I mean…” He gestured helplessly, heat creeping up his neck.

Eddie chuckled, shaking his head. “Maybe you test them out then.”

It came out casually, almost like a throwaway jab. Just two best friends teasing each other. Buck froze nonetheless. His grin wavered, then tilted into something smaller. “Oh,” he said, eyes flicking up to meet Eddie’s. “Is that an offer?”

Eddie didn’t look away. The little pause between both of them stretched just a heartbeat too long.“You wouldn’t last five seconds,” he said lightly, like he didn’t care about what these words would imply.

“Wouldn’t last. Oh please. Eddie, I’m Buck. I am famous for my endurance.”

“Uh-huh sure you are,” Eddie replied in a sarcastic tone while he was rolling his eyes. He clearly was not buying it.

Buck’s grin widened. The adrenaline of the mere thought of what their little exchange implied pumping in his veins, he felt like hundreds of little lightning strikes were going through him.

The line Buck had been thinking about, the one they always danced on? Yeah, this would definitely cross it. Buck looked at Eddie with big eyes, like a lost puppy as he couldn’t believe what they were talking about right now. And was that a challenge that Eddie dared him to? It was almost too good to be true.

He needed Eddie to tell him, word for word that he wasn’t imagining things, that Eddie meant what he said. Because if he did and they were to do it…there would be no turning back from it. They would cross a line in their friendship that Buck never even considered crossing in all the seven years they have known each other by now.

Buck’s mind was already spinning with the weight of Eddie’s words. Maybe you should test them out then. You wouldn’t last five minutes. And the look he gave him, an invitation, a promise, a challenge.

Eddie leaned back again, casual, but his gaze stayed locked on Buck. Then, deliberately, he shifted, spreading his legs wider, one brow raised. Definitely an invitation.

“Go ahead. If you’re brave enough.”

Buck blinked. “You’re serious?”

“Dead serious.” Eddie’s voice was calm and steady. The same voice he used on calls, the one that brooked no argument.

At this point, Buck’s heart was hammering. He told himself to just laugh it off, to trow back a smart remark and just excuse himself to drive home. There he would take another really cold shower and then go to sleep it off. Afterwards the world would look normal again, without that weird energy that was now surrounding them.

“Fine,” Buck eventually said, trying for bravado that didn’t quite reach his voice. “But don’t blame me after if I break something.”

Eddie didn’t move, not even flinch. He just watched as Buck swung a leg over and lowered himself onto his leg, straddling it.

It was supposed to be funny. Just another dumb dare to prove his point to Eddie. But the second Buck settled, the joke dissolved.

Eddie was solid beneath him, firm and unyielding thighs, heat radiating through thin layers of fabric. Buck’s breath caught and his hands found Eddie’s shoulders without a second thought. He hoped that this would ground him, give him some kind of touch of much needed reality. Because there was no way that this was really happening right now.

At first Eddie’s hands didn’t move. He just let Buck sit there, let the silence stretch. Then, slowly, he set his palms on Buck’s hips. Neither pushing nor pulling. Just holding him in place.

Buck swallowed hard. “Okay, wow. That’s…unfair.”

Eddie’s mouth curved into that small, knowing smile. “Not so funny now, is it?”

“I didn’t…uh…think this through.”

“No,” Eddie agreed with a low voice. His thumb brushed a circle against Buck’s hip, subtle but devastating. “You didn’t.”

The air between them thickened, heavier than the heat of the gym, heavier than the silence in the car. Buck could feel every inch of Eddie beneath him, every steady breath on his face, every ounce of restraint.

For a moment neither of them moved. And then Buck, unable to help himself, shifted just slightly - a tiny adjustment of balance, an accident, really. Except it wasn’t. Not entirely.

The friction made his breath stutter. His fingers tightened on Eddie’s shoulders. Eddie noticed. Of course, he did. His eyes darkened, intent and unyielding. “Careful,” he murmured. “You might start something you can’t stop.”

Buck’s throat was dry, his voice barely a whisper. “Maybe that’s exactly the point.”

The confession should've thrown Eddie off, he should’ve told Buck to get up and to just forget about it. Instead, the grip on Buck’s hip tightened, guiding, just enough pressure to make Buck aware of exactly how much control Eddie had in that moment. “Feels good, doesn’t it?”

Buck wanted to deny it, to joke, but it would be a lie and they both knew it. All he managed was a broken little sound, half whine, half gasp.

Eddie leaned in slightly as he whispered in Buck’s ear, “Then do it properly.”

The command settled in Buck’s chest like a weight, heavy and thrilling all at once.

“Eds-” he murmured, unsure if it was a plea or a warning.

“Buck,” Eddie said again, firmer this time while his hands bore into his hip even more. “Do it.”

Something in Buck cracked. Maybe it was the way Eddie said his name in that low, grounding voice. Maybe it was the fact that he wasn’t mocking him, wasn’t pushing him away, wasn’t anything but calm. Whatever it was, Buck obeyed.

He rocked his hips forward, slow and deliberate this time. The friction was better than he braced for, the pressure perfect, and his head dropped forward with a choked sound. His forehead brushed Eddie’s shoulder as his body trembled with a spur of adrenaline.

Eddie didn’t move, didn’t push. He just let Buck find his rhythm, steady hands anchoring him, thumbs brushing slow, devastating circles against his waist.

Once again, Buck shifted, testing different angles, and every drag across Eddie’s thigh made him shudder harder. His breath came out ragged, small noises spilling from his throat before he could catch them.

“Look at you,” Eddie murmured, voice raspy and rough. “Already wrecked, and I’m not even touching you.”

Buck let out a strangled whine, muffled against Eddie’s shirt. His fingers curled tighter in the cotton, clutching like it was the only thing keeping him grounded.

“You can stop anytime,” Eddie said quietly. “Just say the word.”

The offer hung between them and Buck knew Eddie meant it. Like he always did. The thought calmed Buck’s racing mind, steadied him enough to lift his head to meet Eddie’s gaze.

What he saw there made him stomach twist. There was heat, yes, but also patience, restraint, care. Eddie wasn’t mocking him. He was here in the moment with him. God, Buck couldn’t believe that they were really doing this right now.

His throat worked. “Don’t wanna stop.”

“Then don’t.”

That was all it took. Buck’s hips stuttered, picking up a rhythm, riding Eddie’s thigh with slow, desperate rolls. The friction was perfect, the heat unbearable and every sound that slipped out of his mouth felt louder in the stillness of the house.

He pressed his forehead against Eddie’s, their breaths mingling. Buck squeezed his eyes shut as the pleasure built sharp and insistent.

“Good,” Eddie murmured, “just like that.”

Every nerve ending lit, every muscle in his body taunted with need. When Buck said these words out loud earlier, he meant for this to be a joke, an experiment, but it was quickly unraveling into something raw and overwhelming.

“Eddie,” he gasped. voice breaking on the name.

“I’ve got you,” Eddie said softly. “Keep going.”

Buck obeyed, grinding harder, faster, chasing the burn building low in his belly. His chest heaved, his grip on Eddie’s shoulders desperate.

“Eddie-please”

Eddie leaned close once again. Lips brushing Buck’s ear, his voice a rough whisper. “Patience. Don’t rush it. Just feel it.”

The words undid him. Buck shuddered, his movements faltering into something sloppy, erratic. Purely driven by need. His breath came in ragged gasps, his whole body trembling with the effort of holding back.

Eddie’s lips wandered to his neck where he left a trail of open-mouthed kisses. When he reached his collarbone, Eddie began sucking. This for sure would leave a mark, the evidence that this really happened and wasn’t a mere product of Buck’s imagination. Teeth met the skin of his collarbone, softly biting in the sensitive skin.

Buck sucked in a shaky breath, welcoming the stinging feeling, something that made him even more aroused. In that moment he felt wanted, and fuck, did he love that feeling.

“That’s it. Breathe. You’re okay.”

Finally, Buck let out a broken moan, his hips rolling helplessly against Eddie’s thigh. The friction was almost too much now. Heat was sparking through every nerve, and still Eddie held him, coaxing him, guiding him.

Their foreheads were pressed together and in that moment Buck wasn’t sure where he ended and Eddie began.

His hips stuttered, the rhythm he built up was breaking apart under the pressure building inside him. Every grind against Eddie’s thigh pulled him closer to something Buck wasn’t sure he was ready for, and yet couldn’t pull away from.

His hand moved before his brain caught up - sliding down his chest and fumbling toward the waistband of his shorts. Desperate for just a little more.

But Eddie was faster. His fingers curled around Buck’s wrist, stopping him cold.

“No.”

Buck’s head snapped up, eyes wide. “Eddie, I-”

“Not like that. Not this time.” Eddie’s grip was firm, not painful. His gaze pinned Buck in place. “I know what you need. You don’t have to do anything. Just feel, just be in the moment.”

Buck wanted to argue, wanted to say this isn’t enough, but the steady thrum beneath his palm grounded him, slowed the frantic, edge clawing at his nerves. Eddie’s heart, strong and even, as if this wasn’t unraveling him too.

“Eddie,” his voice cracked at the name.

“Let me,” Eddie murmured, their foreheads almost touching. “Trust me.”

And Buck did. God help him, he trusted Eddie with his life if it came to it.

Eddie’s hand slid back to his hips, guiding Buck through it. He shifted his thigh deliberately, flexing the muscle, and Buck’s whole body jolted with a strangled moan.

“Yeah, just like that,” Eddie breathed, “Move with me, baby.”

Buck obeyed because he couldn’t do anything else. They were so caught in the moment that Buck didn’t register the pet name at first. Once he realized what Eddie just called him…it only spurred him on even more. He rolled his hips, matching the rhythm Eddie set, the friction was perfect. Each drag across Eddie’s thigh sent sparks racing through his body, pulling moans and whimpers from Buck’s throat he couldn’t control.

His fingers curled tighter into Eddie’s shirt, nails digging in. His head dropped forward, forehead pressed to Eddie’s shoulder as if hiding could soften the shame clawing at him. In that moment Buck wanted to reciprocate Eddie’s action from earlier, mark him, so that Eddie wouldn’t forget this as well. Their love bites a secret language of the moment they shared, when they finally threw caution to the wind and gave in to their desires.

As a reaction Eddie let out a surprised yelp which soon turned into a moan. This might become Buck’s new favorite sound. He wanted to hear it over and over again, so he continued sucking at Eddie’s neck like a starved vampire. The worries about how they would conceal the bruises was a problem for another day. Right now all that counted were them. Deep down Buck knew he shouldn’t enjoy this moment as much as he did and yet…

One hand left his hip, firm but gentle fingers tilting Buck’s chin up until their eyes met.

“Look at me,” Eddie said, a command threaded with care.

Buck’s breath hitched. And the worst - or maybe the best - part was that Eddie wasn’t mocking. There was no smirk, no judgment. Just heat, restraint and something deeper…there was pure lust in his eyes, like he needed this as much as Buck did in that moment. It was nearly too much for Buck. It was one thing to want this to happen, fantasizing about this in his dreams. But then seeing the feeling reciprocated by that person. Buck felt like he died a second time and went straight to heaven.

“That’s it,” Eddie coaxed, voice low. “Ride it. Don’t hold back, just lose control.”

Buck moaned, high and desperate, chasing that high. His whole body shook, torn between restraint and need.

“Please,” Buck gasped, not even sure what he was begging for anymore. Release, maybe. Relief. or just Eddie.

“Shhh,” Eddie soothed, thumb stroking slow circles into Buck’s hip. “I’ve got you. Let it happen.”

The words made Buck’s hips move even faster, frantic, so desperately chasing the burn coiling low in his belly. Every roll of his body dragged him closer to his release, pulled another broken whimper from his throat.

Eddie met him in it, his voice a constant thread through the haze. “Good. That’s good. You’re doing so well.”

And fuck. Buck wanted to do so well, to make Eddie say these words over and over again.

He squeezed his eyes shut, overwhelmed. “Gonna- fuck, Eddie, I’m gonna-”

“Look at me.”

The command sliced through the haze. His eyes snapped open, ocean blue met chocolate brown.

“That’s it,” Eddie said. “I want you here. With me.”

Buck’s chest heaved. His body trembled on the edge, every nerve sparking, and still Eddie’s hands anchored him, his voice steady as a lifeline.

“You can let it go. I’ve got you.”

The permission was all it took. Buck cried out, hips stuttering through one final desperate grind before he came undone, shuddering hard against Eddie’s thigh. The world splintered, white-hot and overwhelming, every muscle clenching tight before giving way.

He collapsed forward, gasping, his forehead pressed to Eddie’s, body trembling with aftershocks. His hands crumpled in Eddie’s shirt, clinging like he’d fall apart without his anchor.

Eddie held him through his orgasm, one hand firm on his back, the other stroking slow grounding lines along his spine. He didn’t speak at first, just let Buck shudder, let him breathe, let him feel.

When Buck’s gasps finally softened into shaky breaths, Eddie’s voice came quiet and steady. “That’s it. You’re okay.”

Buck let out a weak laugh, muffled against Eddie’s chest. “So that was…not science.”

Eddie’s chest rumbled with a low chuckle, his hand never stopping its steady strokes. Buck felt the laughter against his cheek and it send the butterflies in his belly spiraling. “No. No this was definitely not science.”

Buck tilted his head, just enough to meet Eddie’s eyes. They were warm, steady, filled with something that made Buck’s chest ache more than the orgasm had.

“You- uh… you didn’t have to…” Buck trailed off, unsure how finish that sentence. Didn’t have to… what? Didn’t have to let me do this? Didn’t have to hold me? Didn’t have to ruin me for everyone else like that?

"I wanted to,” Eddie simply said, like it was the easiest truth in the world.

Buck swallowed hard. He wanted to ask what this meant, what would come next, but the words got stuck. For now, all he could do was lean into the steady warmth of Eddie’s body, the strength of his arms, the quiet reassurance that hadn’t wavered once.

“You okay?” Eddie asked quietly after a few minutes, where silence stretched between them. It wasn’t uncomfortable, just a mutual understanding that they both were caught up in their own thoughts.

“I…” Buck’s voice came out hoarse. “Yeah. I think so. Just…” He blew out a shaky laugh. “That was…god, Eddie. That was you.”

Eddie’s mouth curved, small but genuine. “Yeah. It was.”

“I didn’t- I mean, I didn’t come here planning to-”

“I know, neither did I.”

“So what the hell was that, then?” Buck finally found the courage to ask.

“It was you,” Eddie said simply, “and me. Eventually stopping the bullshit.”

Buck blinked. “That’s it?”

“What else do you need it to be?” Eddie’s gaze softened.

The question landed deep. Buck had spent years dancing around this, the possibility of being more than just friends, too afraid of what it might mean, of what it might break. And now here Eddie was, saying it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“I just-” Buck hesitated. “I don’t want this to be a one-time thing. Or a mistake.”

Eddie’s brows furrowed, as if he very idea offended him. “A mistake? Buck, nothing about this is a mistake. You hear me? I wanted this. I wanted you for a long time. This isn’t some accident.”

The words cracked something open inside Buck. He let out a shaky laugh. Did this mean what he thought it meant? “You’re really gonna say that after I just…” He gestured weakly downward, heat rushing to his face. “-lost it all over your thigh?”

“Yeah, especially after that.” The smile on Eddie’s face only deepened.

Buck groaned, hiding his face against Eddie’s neck, embarrassed and exhilarated all at once. “You’re insane.”

“Probably,” Eddie said amused. “But I know what I want.”

Buck tilted his head back, searching Eddie’s face, needing the reassurance spelled out in plain words. “And that’s…me?”

“Always has been,” Eddie answered without hesitation.

The air rushed out of Buck’s lungs like he’d been punched. He stared wide-eyed at the man before him. Every late-night beer on Eddie’s couch, every shared look on a call, every time they’d circled around this without naming it. It was all right here, condensed into three words: always had been.

Buck slowly leaned in, giving Eddie the chance to stop him, Eddie didn’t though. Instead, he met him halfway, their mouths finally brushing in a kiss that was soft, tentative, nothing like the frantic grind and the desperate sucking of earlier.

This was better.

Buck sighed into it, his whole body melting with the relief of finally - finally - having this. Eddie kissed him back with the kind of certainty that had anchored him.

When they pulled back, Buck was smiling and only slowly opening his eyes again, wanting to savor this moment. “So…not a mistake, then.”

Eddie shook his head while his thumb was brushing along Buck’s jaw. “Not even close.”

“Good. ‘Cause I don’t think I could walk away from this even if I wanted to.”

“Then don’t.”

They were smiling at each other, no more words needed. For the first time in a long time, Buck didn’t feel restless as he curled back into Eddie’s chest. There was no more need to keep moving. He felt…home.