Chapter Text
Eddie has been doing shit. They didn’t take him as a firefighter, rude, his house looks like shit and he is now an uber driver, not really his favorite activity. But in all darkness there is a light, for Eddie it’s his son, Christopher, the only real reason Eddie came back to Texas is him. Although he managed to embarrass himself and lie to Chris once again here. It’s not the biggest deal, considering the reason Chris left LA in the first place. But not a great start. Eddie is tired, he doesn’t mind the job but it is no fun listening to people all day. His first day was also a VERY rough start. Now its getting better and better, well at least he is trying to tell himself that. He really doesn’t want to bother Buck by telling him HOW MUCH he misses LA, but he does bother him with questions how to get back with Chris. It is kind of weird that he is asking his friend how to parent even though Buck doesn’t have any children but sometimes Eddie thinks Buck is MUCH smarter than Eddie, he would NEVER tell him of course because Buck would never let it die and he would mock him endlessly.
Not that Eddie would mind he kind of likes when Buck is mocking him or when he is saying random fun facts on calls, singing in the shower room, is laughing at funny dog videos, cooking dinner for him and Chris- woah Eddie stops himself.
“what am I doing?” He says out loud
“what did you say Edmundo?” Helena asks him with a raised eyebrow
”erm nothing mom, just mumbling”
Shit, she can’t catch me saying things like these, or she will think i am a crazy person and she will never let me take Chris home again. Eddie is panicking of course you wouldn’t see it on his face, only a polite blush on his cheek. I have to call Buck when i get home. He thinks to himself.
“Hey dad, wanna play Mario cart with me?” Chris shouts from the living room
“Of course bud, i would LOVE to” he would love to do anything with Chris, also he would really like to forget about Buck for a minute
“And dad, could we maybe play with Buck i miss him and we haven’t played for a long time” i guess i am not getting rid of buck in my mind
Eddie is kind of panicking what if Buck doesn’t answer what if he says he can’t, oh i really hope he can i do NOT want to disappoint Chris
”Sure thing buddy i am going to call him straight away-”
Buck’s life is FAR from perfect, his best friend left him, he made a big mistake and he can’t even tell Eddie without getting a lecture about how much of a stupid choice it was, his sister was kidnapped and now he is living in his best friends house… wait NO its buck’s house, Eddie no longer lives there. It still feels like a dream every time he wakes up. Not the good kind of dream, of course he LOVES Edd- his home but it still feels like Eddie’s. And no he doesn’t dream about him waking up in Eddie’s house, his bed, next to- stop. No he would NEVER dream about anything like that. He just wishes one day he would wake up and would hear Eddie and Chris playing some stupid game on the TV. Ugh he misses them so much. I have to call Eddie-
*hung up by Madonna starts playing from Buck’s phone*
oh my god its freaking Eddie. What if something happened to Chris or TO HIM. Oh i have to answer right now… wait what if it’s not an emergency and i just embarrass myself. I have to take this as calmly as possible.
“Hello? What’s up man?”
“Hey Buck, me and Chris here were wondering if you would like to play some Mario cart with us” YESSSSSS Buck is celebrating
“Yeah sure, i wouldn’t mind, just give me a minute and i will hope on okey?”
Yea sure what does he mean by that, is he annoyed, does he not want to spend time with us?! I will talk about this with him tonight. Eddie is uncomfortable, he has never heard Buck say this to him. He is always so eager. Did Eddie do something? Nah its probably nothing, he is just overthinking.
after two hours of playing Mario cart and Chris demolishing both Eddie and Buck, Chris decides it’s best to just go to bed.
“Good night dad, gooood night Buck… you guys really need to get better at playing Mario card, it’s no fun when i am always winning.” He laughs as he wanders off to his bedroom
“You are warming up pretty nicely” Buck tries to initiate a conversation just between him and Eddie but he doesn’t respond.
“Eddie are you still there?”
“Yeah, yeah sorry Buckley i am just tired, being an uber driver is not as much fun as you would probably imagine” Eddie tries to crack a joke to get the stiffness between them gone but Buck doesn’t laugh.
“I know i am tired too, it’s weird without you, everything seems so-” Buck tries to be heartfelt but Eddie cuts him off
“Boring? Yeah i know i am ALL the fun”
“How did you know what i was about to say?!” Buck says as if the thing he wanted to say wasn’t sad and uninteresting.
“well I can still read your mind 800 miles away” Eddie is actually proud of himself but he feels that Buck wanted to say something different.
“Soo how has been life treating you, i heard Maddie is doing way better now, are you making some new friends?”
“Oh erm about that-” how is buck gonna tell Eddie that he slept with Tommy, oh this is going to be bad.
“WAIT DONT TELL ME YOU WENT ON A DATE” what? Buck thinks really? That’s the thing Eddie goes with A DATE, who am i. I am still heart broken from Tommy, right?
“No, no I didn’t I actually went to drink with Ravi” okey off to a good start now let’s not say anything stupid…
“Ravi? I thought you didn’t like the guy, but i guess anyone who can endure you CAN be your friend?” Eddie is quite surprised by what company Buck chose but he isn’t surprised it isn’t like he is jealous or anything…
“Why does everyone think i hate him, he is a very nice and cool guy, but… he kind of left me in the middle because we met someone” Buck is pretty confused on why everybody thinks he hates Ravi for some reason.
”Oh.. really who?” Eddie is scared for the answer and maybe Buck catches a glimpse in the video chat, a glimpse of a doubt
”It was… it was.. T- T- TK. He emm he was with his husband on a… TRIP to LA.” Shit, why am i lying.
Eddie knows for a fact that is not true because TK. And Carlos are now taking care of their child and they do not have time to go to LA. Or worse to some club… why is Buck lying who the hell did he meet?!
”oh really.. that’s erm cool i guess… well i have to go Chris is calling me”
”what? I don’t hear anything” Buck is nervous he shouldn’t have lied
“oh well i do, gotta go bye buck”
”goodnight Edd-”
Before he even can say goodnight Eddie hangs up. Ouch. But he deserved that. Eddie definitely knows that Buck lied to him. But he could just tell him that he met Tommy and slept with him. It’s not like Buck still likes Tommy No-no-no, but it is about the conversation in the morning. Tommy telling Buck he saw Eddie as a competition is a whole different story to tell. Like how could he even think that, Eddie is STRAIGHT, obviously, there has never been anything between them and even if Buck wanted to it wouldn’t happened because of reason 1. Ughhh he is so lost. So he just lies on his couch. Hmmm Buck thinks about one thing he said a long time ago… that all of his couches came with his girlfriends but now that he lives in Eddie’s home he feels like his couch is missing although it was Eddie’s but he truly slept on it the best. Buck misses all the things they did on the couch, he misses the drinking, the talking, the soft touch from Eddie… as Buck feels Eddie right next to him he falls asleep
Eddie Is sitting in his home in El Paso, staring at his phone at 1 am. Wondering what is Buck doing right now. Is he sleeping, is he out or hanging out with the mysterious person? Eddie really hopes it wasn’t Tommy who Buck met but he is pretty sure that it was him. Oh how big of an urge he is fighting to ask Buck about Tommy. He practically stopped talking to Tommy because he did not agree on what terms he and Buck broke up. Because if HE had to break up with Buck, which IF he was dating him he would never, but that is nit the point. He would say a way better reason than just “i am not your last.” WHO ARE YOU TO TELL HIM THAT?! It is true Tommy definitely isn’t the last person Buck will fall in love with… wait Buck was maybe in love with Tommy. Ugh. That disgusts Eddie. Not because he’s homophobic, no he is everything but that, but the fact that Buck, the most sweetest person ever, would fall in love with someone like Tommy. I mean yeah he is pretty cool, but not cool enough to date someone like Buck.
Eddie zooms out for a minute. Why is he sitting alone, here, thinking like this about his best friend. He is not gay… so why is he so attracted to Buck. Two years ago he would say he only sees Buck like a brother but now he knows that it’s not true. He sees him as he is. And Buck sees Eddie, he doesn’t know what Buck sees in Eddie without the army thing Eddie is a pretty boring guy, so what does Buck see in him? Does Buck think Eddie is cool? Oh why am i even speculating?! He told me many times that he thinks i am cool but am i cool enough for him? He decides, for some stupid reason to call Ravi…
”erm Eddie hey are you okey? Why are you calling in the middle of the night?” Ravi sounds confused, rightfully so, Eddie thinks to himself
“yeah man all good I just got off the phone with Buck, i heard you were out buuuut he had to go and he said you met someone. Who did you meet he forgot to say and i am too invested to go to sleep” Eddie is jealous WHO did Buck meet and why is he so shy to tell him…
”man you really woke me up just for that… erm i guess to help you sleep… we met tommmy-” oh. Oh.
”oh really wow I haven’t heard from him for sooo long that’s- he is truly fighting the urge to punch a wall- amazing, well if you meet him again tell him i said hi”
”okey sure man, can i go back to sleep please i have a shift tomorrow… no answer from Eddie… Eddie okey man if you fell asleep I don’t care anymore good night.”
He, Evan Buckley, met fucking Tommy and didn’t tell him. What the hell happened that he didn’t tell him. Eddie is his best friend WHY, why why why… oh Buck you idiot.
Buck woke up the next morning with a stiff neck and 8 new messages from Eddie “oh uoh” Buck says as he sees what is on his phone
Eddie 1:25 am
Oh so you just COULDNT tell me you met Tommy?!
Eddie 1:27
WHO TF AM I TO YOU?! RAVI FRICKING KNOWS AND I DON’T!
Eddie 1:29
I know i know i am just a best friend but come on man, tell me did you sleep with him? Bc Buckley ohh you will get a lecture
just as Buck thought, Eddie is pissed, but for very different reason-
Eddie 1:35
okey fine i do not expect you to answer this early in the morning but Buckley WHY? Why didn’t you tell me? Don’t you trust me anymore
Eddie 1:58
sorry… that was rude of me I should’ve been so rude, I just miss u bud. And and this really hurt me
Eddie 2:15
hope you liked it with him huh… yk what i like a goood beer
Eddie 2:34
I am so streonng bud i can go trough anything. Just not the thousg of oekjihi juío yijou
Eddie 3:00
fuck u! Gn too sleppy t wrore
What does this mean? Why is Eddie so angry that he was with Tommy? Did Eddie get drunk alone… omg what if something happened to him… he has to call him. But he can’t because Eddie is probably still mad at him so Buck does the second best thing that comes to his mind
3>Buck
hey buddie how are you doing? I am seeing that you had a pretty rough night
Buck<3
also sorry for not telling you about Tommy I didn’t how to tell you… well I don’t have to tell you everything
yeah that’s a good message right, although he is not sure if the last few words are safe, but he HAS to set some boundaries until he finds out what is this weird feeling he feels towards Eddie. He likes this jealous side, he likes the fact that Eddie is mad because Buck saw Tommy. Buuut he is not so fond of the way Eddie said all this stuff… why so aggressive, it’s not as if they were dating. Buck closed his eyes for a split second to imagine how jealous would Eddie be if they were dating. Which could never happened because Eddie is straight… right? He takes his jacket, keys and jumps in the car. He has to talk to Maddie about this. All his “Eddie thoughts” began when Maddie asked him if he was in love with Eddie, which is absurd. He is NOT. Everybody thinks so but he is sure about the fact that he is not PINING over his straight best friend. But these texts are not so straight and his only reason why he CANT love Eddie is disappearing in front of his own eyes. Ohhh Maddie is gonna eat Buck alive for not telling Eddie about the Tommy situation. On his was he receives another text from Eddie.
Eddie 10:23
hi man, sorry for yesterday, had a hard day. U are right I don’t have to know everything. K bye
woah that hurt, he has never gotten more of a passive aggressive text. He does NOT know how to respond to that, he must ask Maddie.
at the mad-chim house
Buck gets out of the car and takes a deep breath. He is mad at Eddie but why… it’s just this lingering feeling of quilt and annoyance. Why does Eddie even care, he left Buck alone in LA and yes of course Buck gets the reason why. Eddie obviously can’t take him to El Paso, but acting as if it’s nothing and then being jealous because he has a one night stand with his own ex. The audacity, Buck spits out a gum into the trashcan and rings the bell of Maddie’s house. But apparently Maddie isn’t home only Chimney.
”Hey Buck, well isn’t this a nice surprise, right Jee?” Jee pops out behind the door and cutely smiles at Buck
“Hi uncle Buck, wanna play dress up?” Buck looks at Jee with so much fondness as he can feel and he also looks at Chim, seeing his red lips, purple eyes and red cheeks he smiles
“Well of course my princess, come here- he picks Jee up with ease- i got ya haha. Hey um Chim… when do you think Maddie will be home i have something important to talk about?” Chim looks at him as if he just said he committed a crime, Buck gives Jee a kiss on the forehead and whispers to her
”Go and get ready for me i need my saloon to be perfectly clean.” Jee smiles and obliges.
”Hey man if something is bothering you, you can always talk to me… wait is it something about Eddie?” Buck is very surprised by this question but not too much because he realizes that it is very probable that Maddie told Chim about the whole “are you in love with Eddie?” Situation.
”i mean kinda, i made him mad and now I don’t know what to say to him, but i am also so mad at him… it’s hard to explain” Buck nervously cracks his knuckles
“I can’t really help you man and I don’t think Maddie can either. This is between you and Eddie. Talk, argue, cry, but just DON’T ignore any feelings. I did that once and it was the worst decision”
Buck doesn’t know what to say, so… he just hugs Chimney. What else he can do, he does not want to call Eddie right now, but he doesn’t want to leave. He gets painted by Jee, it tingles but he doesn’t want to disappoint her. He sits there for a hour and a half and she finally shows him the product. Nothing he didn’t expect. Red blush all over his cheeks, red lipstick unevenly done, blue eye shadow on one eye, purple on the other, but the best part very visible eyliner all over his eyelids. He thanks Jee, who looks like the proudest mother ever, even though she is just 4. Buck has an idea-
Buck<3
send a picture
Buck has decided that the best way to break a silence is a funny photo of Buck in Jee’s makeup. Eddie sees it, opens it and no response. What? No response is he really that mad at me? Buck is really sad because he really didn’t expect Eddie to be giving him the silent treatment. He stands up and goes to the kitchen just to see Chimney and Maddie having so much fun. Oh how he misses Eddie. No stop, shush brain, we are mad at him. He just waves at Maddie, she starts saying something but Buck ignores her, he opens the door and leaves. As he sits in the car he starts crying. Why is he so alone, why is everyone leaving him, can Eddie come back already it’s the worst day of hi worst days. He picks up his phone and calls Eddie. He doesn’t answer… what is he doing right now?
back in Texas
Eddie is stressing. “What the hell does that photo mean” he shouts into the paper walls. He is sooo hot even though he is wearing some stupid child makeup that Jee probably put on him. Eddie screenshotted the photo he doesn’t know why, he feels warm, hot even. What is happening to him. He doesn’t know what to answer, he is still hurt by the fact that Buck said that he doesn’t have to tell him everything. Gosh he misses him so much. He misses his smile. His smell. His loud laugh. He still has a hangover. He got really mad yesterday but he doesn’t have any friends to get drunk with so he just drank. He knows that it’s bad so he called Bobby and told him about everything. Bobby told him if Eddie feels like he has to drink to get feelings, whatever they are, away its wrong. Eddie agrees but how can he tell his best friend that he- he- oh he can’t say it out loud. He runs out of his house to his so called garden and screams. “I am in love with you Buck and and its so hard to admit because i am suppose to be straight but I’m obviously not… i think i have known that for a long time i just i just am too scared to tell you.” He falls to his knees and cries, this isn’t where he was supposed to have a realization. He was supposed to be right next to Buck so he could tell him. He goes back into his house and sees that Buck has called him. He calls him back.
”hey” there is some silence but breaks it
“hey… so ready to talk?” Eddie is scared but ready
”yes i am always ready…” not the best time to crack a joke
”okey so, yes i did sleep with Tommy. Yes it was enjoyable but the morning after wass something else let’s just say.” Please don’t ask why please don’t Buck prays
”oh really what happened man, i mean I don’t even wanna know why, you were probably super drunk but maaan…” shit he asked why
”nah man its nothing serious its just he erm he called you a competition, ridiculous RIGHT?! You are straight and i was very much interested in him so why would he think something like that- Eddie can hear how Buck’s voice is getting shakier and shakier- i mean you’re hot and all but competition bahahaha, so i kind of said something stupid and he ran out. We don’t really talk again, buuut now I don’t miss him and I don’t bake. I now only bake to compensate for you” if Eddie wouldn’t have listened properly he would’ve missed the you, he ignores it tho. The thing stuck in his head is “i mean you’re hot…” does he really think that? Wow
“ahh naah come on share your stupid ideas again, you know i like listening to them” Buck blushes, that’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to him.
”nope not telling ya, maybe because I can’t really remember it. It was in moment kind of thing, apparently he did not like it at all.”
”must have hurt like hell then, hey i wanted to say sorry again for ignoring you funny photo its just I didn’t know how to respond to that. I was still kinda mad at you for telling me that not everything is my business but you were right. You don’t have to tell me everything” Eddie is still hurt and kind of wants an apology but he knows he can’t get one
“you don’t have to say sorry. You ARE my best friend you have the right to know everything. I just thought and i thought right that you would be really mad at me… but i guess not telling ya is worse.” He smiles and Eddie can feel it through his phone
“ye it is worse, hey i have to go now. I am going to hang out with Chris and my parents. Be safe out there” he laughs as he says the last sentence, but he also means it. Because suddenly he is so scared that something might happen before he comes back-
“of course man, say hi to Chris to me byeee…”
As Buck hangs up Eddie is closing the door to his house and is starting the car, he has a long shift before him.