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“It’s a little too tight.” Buck groaned, tilting his neck so he could slide his head into the fucking shirt. “I can’t.” He let out a tired huff, his arms hanging out of the sleeve holes. “Eddie, help.”
Buck couldn’t see him but he was pretty sure Eddie was rolling his eyes, then he felt his fingers tugging his shirt down, his cold knuckles sliding against Buck’s stomach. “It’s your own fault, you know? Should’ve let it air dry, but no, you had to ‘save time’.” Eddie grumbled, tugging harshly.
Before Buck’s brain could register it, he lost his balance and fell into him, luckily, Eddie caught him. Then pushed him back.
“Thanks.” Buck blinked, looking down at himself. “Jesus, half of my stomach’s hanging out, I can’t wear this, Eddie, take it off.”
Eddie narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms. “Are you kidding me?”
“I can’t move!”
Eddie groaned, throwing his head back. He didn’t try to pull the shirt over Buck’s head. No, he just…sort of…ripped it.
Buck just stared at him. Eddie stared back.
Buck gulped.
Eddie moved, sliding the shirt down Buck’s arms. “…Sorry.” He whispered, clearing his throat and shaking his head, brows furrowed in a way that told Buck that Eddie couldn’t quite believe that he did this. “I…it was just easier to…rip it, you know?”
“Uh-huh.” Buck nodded, taking the ripped shirt from Eddie and throwing it onto the messy bed.
Eddie nodded, doing that cute little thing where he puckers his lips and sucks at the inside of his cheek. It was adorable, Eddie was adorable.
Okay. Maybe it was time for Buck to adm—
“I think I forgot my hair gel.” Eddie said, turning around and walking into the tiny hotel bathroom. “It’s not here.”
Okay?
What the fuck.
Buck sort of thought they were having a moment there but okay?
He was pretty sure he didn’t imagine it, the evidence of what happened was literally lying on his bed.
“Buck, I can’t find it.”
Uh-oh.
Okay, so Buck might’ve had something to do with the mysterious hair gel loss.
It was a public service. He did it for the people.
He rubbed his face, bending down to take out a different shirt from his suitcase and following after Eddie. He pulled the shirt over his head, this time, with ease, even though the shirt was a little tight, but not because Buck had accidentally shrunk it. He leaned against the doorway, nodding his head over at the bag on the bathroom shelf, trying to look helpful. “You sure it’s not in there?”
Eddie looked over at him. “No, I che—“ He paused, doing a double take, reading the words on Buck’s shirt and then doing a very obvious once over. “What’s that?”
Buck smirked, spreading his arms out. “A shirt.”
“SUPERACHE IS FOR VIRGINGS?” Eddie quoted, eyebrows so high they almost disappeared into his hairline.
Buck chuckled, looking down at himself. “It’s merch.”
“From? Where did you get that? Why?”
Buck snorted. “I like Conan Gray.”
Eddie stared at him and Buck was certain that Eddie had no idea who Buck was talking about.
“It’s a singer.”
“Yeah, I know.” Eddie shook his head, forcing himself to look away. “He wrote…songs.”
Buck chuckled, leaning his head against the wooden door. “Yeah, he does that.”
Eddie hummed, pushing past Buck into the bedroom and grabbing his wallet from his nightstand.
“Where are you going?” Buck asked, brows furrowed. “We still have, like, two hours before we need to leave.”
“Yeah.” Eddie hummed, putting on his shoes. “I’m gonna be right back, I’m just gonna buy some hair g—“
“No.” Buck groaned, letting out a tired huff.
Eddie paused, looking over at Buck. “What?” He snorted, pulling on his jacket and looking very amused. “I’ll be right—“
“I threw it out, okay?”
Eddie took a long moment to even acknowledge what just came out of Buck’s mouth. He slowly turned around, brows furrowed in disbelief. “You…threw it out?”
Buck just stood there, looking at him. He didn’t know what to say. He could say the truth but that would be…weird, right? So he doesn’t say anything.
“Why?”
Buck stayed quiet.
Eddie huffed, kicking his shoes off and hanging his jacket.
Buck watched him, feeling very awkward as he stood there. “Eddie.” He swallowed, Eddie sat down at the edge of his bed and looked up at Buck expectantly. “Right, so, um.” Buck nodded, scratching at his stubble. “You see—“
“Buck, you could’ve just said you didn’t like it.” Eddie said, looking amused.
Okay, now Buck was confused.
It’s not like he expected Eddie to be mad or anything but this— this was too easy.
“Okay..?” Buck nodded. “I…” He shook his head, trying to figure out if this was some sort of a trick. “Just…you know, you need to save money for Chris’ college fund and…hair gel is expensive.”
“Uh-huh.” Eddie snorted. “Hair gel is expensive.”
Buck nodded. “Yeah.”
“Okay.” Eddie smiled to himself.
Buck swallowed, looking around the tiny hotel room, trying to diffuse the tension with something. “Uh. Coffee. You, um, you wanna get coffee instead?”
——
“You should’ve let them check you out, Buck.” Eddie sighed, closing the door to their hotel room behind himself, watching Buck sit down heavily onto his bed and prop up his knee.
Buck only shook his head, waving his hand in dismissal, that stubborn bastard. Eddie had enough of this, Buck was still sulking because of the second place in the firefighter competition.
Eddie thought second place was really admirable. And he thought that letting the Nashville team win in their hometown was a good thing.
But apparently Buck wanted to win first place. And when he saw Eddie ‘give up’ as Buck had put it, Buck pushed too hard and hurt his bad leg, again.
Eddie just wanted to do a good thing, he didn’t think that Buck would be this competitive.
Eddie sat down in front of him, watching him sulk. “Alright. Just talk to me.”
Buck chewed on his bottom lip, eyes meeting Eddie’s. “I’m not mad.”
“Okay.”
Buck rubbed his face, looking down at his leg, Eddie felt something tug at his heartstrings, if he could go back in time, he would win, just for Buck.
Eddie cleared his throat, reaching out, the tips of his fingers gently landing on Buck’s knee. “Will you let me help?”
He saw Buck blush and give a little nod. Eddie took a deep breath and began to gently massage the tight muscle, eyes staying on Buck.
He knew how overwhelmed Buck must’ve been, he’d seen this a million times before. It was a long day, and Buck’s battery had run out.
Today was just…a lot.
Eddie could admit that, what with all that hair gel thing and ripping shirts. He knew they were dancing around something, something really big.
There was a giant rainbow elephant in the room, begging to be addressed.
Eddie won’t bring it up, not tonight, maybe not even tomorrow. But he’s…well, he thinks he’s in a good place with Buck right now. They aren’t running from…this thing.
Eddie thinks that’s a great change for them.
——
Buck woke up slowly, stretching his legs out and feeling his left leg immediately cramp up, that got him sitting up real fast, cursing and accidentally waking Eddie up. “What?” Eddie mumbled.
“Leg. Cramps.” Buck was now holding onto his heel, grimacing and holding his breath until the cramps went away.
He saw Eddie rub his eyes and get up, walking the three steps it took to get to the window and opening the curtains, letting the morning light spill in.
Eddie was quiet. Well, he just woke up but…he was quiet. And he had his thinking face on.
Buck felt bad about yesterday. He was scared he ruined this whole trip with his need to win.
He just…he sort of wanted to win for Eddie, wanted to show off a little.
Buck knew that was…probably stupid. Pining after his straight best friend. He shook his head and dropped his face into his hands.
This might sound fucking ridiculous, but when Tommy left, he…sort of insinuated that Eddie might not be as straight as Buck thought.
At first, Buck didn’t believe that for even a second, but…these past few months, Eddie had been…lighter? More himself. Not to say that that’s what made Buck think ‘oh, maybe he’s not straight’.
It just made the thought of ‘not-straight Eddie’ more approachable.
And then the fact that Eddie just doesn’t want to date women anymore?
Well, it gets to a point.
“I’m sorry about yesterday.”
What?
Buck blinked, dropping his hands into his lap and looking up. Those were supposed to be Buck’s words, so why were they coming out of Eddie’s mouth?
Before Buck could say anything, Eddie was talking again. “You were right, I let them win.”
And Buck knew that. So he just nodded. “Why?”
Eddie shook his head, sitting back down on his bed. “It was the right thing to do.”
Oh.
And it’s that simple.
It’s so simple, being kind, it comes to Eddie so naturally he doesn’t even have to think about it, it’s his default setting.
Buck wished he was like that. “I wanted to win.” He didn’t say it to make Eddie feel bad, he said it because that was Buck’s default.
“I know, I’m sorry.” Eddie said, looking sincerely apologetic. Buck hated it.
“No, you…” He shook his head, taking a deep breath. “You did the right thing. You have a silver star.”
That made Eddie’s lips twitch into a smile and suddenly everything was okay in the world. “What’s that have to do with anything?”
Buck shrugged, the tension from yesterday falling off his shoulders. “It’s just…you’re kind.”
That made Eddie blush. And Buck was pretty sure he was in love. He’s been in love before, but it never quite felt like this.
“Truce?” Eddie offered.
Buck smiled. “Yeah, truce.”