Kiss Me Quick (And Make My Heart Go Crazy)
Rating: E II Word Count: 5,218 II Prompt: (alternate prompt) Shut up and kiss me
It’s not how he wanted it to go. Their first kiss. He’s been waiting–figuring himself out. It had taken him a while to get there and he knows he’s so close. Knows he’s almost ready to tear his heart out of his chest and see if Buck wants to keep it instead. It’s belonged to him for a long time, after all, even if Eddie hadn’t really been conscious of it. Eddie has wanted it all. The love, the life, the quiet nights and gentle mornings. The touch and the kisses.
But this isn’t how he wanted it to go.
“Fourteen, Eddie. He’s fourteen. How the hell did that happen?” Buck asks, standing beside Eddie on his porch as they greet Christopher’s friends, telling them where they can put their stuff before they join Christopher in the back yard.
“You don’t have to stress that to me, I’m well aware,” Eddie tells Buck with a laugh. He doesn’t know which of them is handling it worse.
“Did you know he invited this many people?” Buck asks, watching car after car try to find a spot on the street.
He did. It looked less on paper when he and Christopher had been writing out the invitations.. And he didn’t really expect all of them to arrive at once. Buck had managed to source a projector and a screen and they’d called around friends and pooled every bit of camping gear they could find. He’d figured his backyard was big enough for a few tents, but somewhere along the way he’d forgotten that there would be close to a dozen teenagers traipsing through his house until it was set up.
“Including Toby,” Buck says, nudging Eddie with his elbow, eyebrows dancing and he smirks.
Toby’s a great kid, and one of Christopher’s best friends right now. His mom, on the other hand, is overkill. She’s been flirting with Eddie all year and she’s relentless. It doesn’t matter how many times he knocks her back, because she seems to take every no as a “not yet”. He is not interested.
He directs the first of the boys to reach the door inside, quietly giving instructions and saying hi to the parents as they tell their kids to behave and make a run for their responsibility free night.
“So she’ll be here?” Buck asks, like an excited puppy. Some friend he is.
He pinches the bridge of his nose, dreading how that will go. Especially with a potential audience of teenage boys.
“Why don’t you just tell her no?”
“Oh god, why didn’t I think of that?” He says, scowling at Buck. “I’ve tried everything, Buck. Not interested, not dating. I told her I was still getting over my ex. Nothing works.”
He’s not still getting over his ex. His break-up with Marisol is pretty much ancient history at this point, and he’s made more than a few discoveries about the potential of his future dating pool since then.
“You broke up with Marisol six months ago,” Buck very helpfully supplies.
“And you came out as gay.”
“She doesn’t know that,” he tells him.
Buck laughs, smacking him playfully with the back of his hand.
“Don’t you think that would help?”
Eddie directs a few more of the kids inside. It’s already looking pretty full in there. He’s glad he has the excuse to set things up to avoid breaking up any arguments on who the best avenger is, or discussions about girls they like, or whatever the hell it is teenage boys talk about.
“Maybe. But at this point she probably wouldn’t believe me. She’d probably be thinking it’s some excuse she can work around. I’m telling you man, she’s loco. Hey, do you think we ordered enough pizza?” He asks, leaning his head inside as two more of Chirstopher’s guests walk past him.
“I mean. I think six will do, but maybe we should call the place and add a couple–”
“Eddie, shut up and kiss me.”
His brain grinds to a halt, all empty space other than Buck’s voice and the words kiss me playing on repeat.
Buck doesn’t finish his sentence, he just adjusts the way Eddie’s standing and leans down to press a soft, lingering kiss to Eddie’s lips.
It’s not how he wanted it to go. Not how he expected it. And he did expect it. At some point. Ever since Buck’s coming out, and his relationship with Tommy, had sparked a whirlwind of emotion and chaos that Eddie had to work through to finally come to terms with his own sexuality. Ever since he realised he’s probably been in love with Buck since he saved his son in the tsunami, almost bleeding to death trying to find him. Ever since Buck had broken up with Tommy and his touches with Eddie had grown more cautious, more…testing. They’ve been dancing around it for longer than they maybe should have, but this is still new to both of them, and it’s them. BuckandEddie. They want to get it right.
He’d expected their first kiss to be passionate. He’d expected confessions, and whispers and exploring tongues and hands. This isn’t that. It’s soft, and sure, like they’ve done it a million times. And it’s over far too soon.
Buck pulls away and Eddie struggles to open his eyes, until Buck’s hand slides around his waist and pulls him closer, and Eddie has to rest a hand to Buck’s chest to steady himself. Then he opens his eyes. Then he spots Melissa Cunningham, Toby’s mother–with her bleach blonde hair, perfectly manicured hands, and expensive wardrobe, standing at the bottom of his driveway with a disappointed look on her face.
She shakes it off pretty quickly, and catches up to her son.
“What are you doing?” Eddie whispers, hissing it from the corner of his mouth.
“Just…play along. Maybe then she’ll stop,” Buck whispers back, squeezing his waist.
“Mrs Cunnigham,” Eddie says as she steps up on the porch.
“Oh, Eddie, I’ve told you before, call me Melissa.”
He resolutely ignores her in favor of talking to Toby.
“Hey kiddo. You can just dump your stuff inside for now. The guys are all on the PlayStation. We’ll be right in.”
“Thanks Mr Diaz,” Toby says cheerfully, swinging his back through the door and following after.
“I’m sorry, I don’t believe we’ve met,” Melissa says, holding out a hand towards Buck, passive aggressive smile on her face.
Buck unwraps himself from around Eddie and leans forward to take her hand and shake it.
“Hi, I’m Buck. I’m Eddie’s partner.”
Partner. Not boyfriend. Technically not a lie, but it still tears something open inside of Eddie, wishing it were more true.
“Oh. Yes. Christopher talks about you all the time.”
Buck smiles proudly. That definitely isn’t fake. And it never fails to make Eddie smile when he sees it. The love Buck has for Christopher can be seen from space, and that only makes Eddie love him more.
“Well,” Buck says, an air of finality about it. “We’ll take good care of Toby and have him back to you tomorrow all in one piece. They’ll have fun.”
“Yes, well…” she looks between the two of them, and Buck throws and arm around him once more. He doesn’t know whether to laugh, cry, or beat the hell out of him. “I guess I’ll see you both tomorrow.”
They watch her walk back down the driveway and climb into her car. Eddie hadn’t realised how tense he actually felt until he’s relaxing, Buck still pressed into his side.
Eddie pushes him off and shakes his head.
“What?” Buck asks innocently. “Problem solved, right?”
“You’re ridiculous,” Eddie tells him, failing to keep the laughter from his voice.
“But you forgive me. I just saved you from the scary single mom.”
Eddie doesn’t dignify him with a response, heading inside and waiting for Buck to follow. Once Buck shuts the door, Eddie rounds the gaggle of teenage boys to stand in front of the fireplace. Christopher pauses the game, and eleven boys turn to look at him in unison. It’s a terrifying sight, actually.
“Okay, boys. Pizza should be here in an hour. Me and Buck are gonna set up in the backyard, please try not to destroy my house.”
Chris groans, dropping his head.
“Okay,” Buck says, hurrying round to take his place next to Eddie and take over. “And if anybody needs a drink, there are sodas on the table.” He points to the kitchen. “Please don’t spill.”
“Buck!” Chris protects again, loudly. “We’re not babies.”
“Thanks Mr Diaz,” Toby says, kindly. He’s always liked that kid. “And Mr Diaz’s boyfriend.”
“Uh, I– Um, we’re–” Buck stumbles, and Eddie drags him away before he can embarrass Christopher any further.
He pushes him out of the backdoor and watches Buck stumble on the porch, almost tripping over the pile of camping gear they still have to sort through.
“That’s your fault,” Eddie tells him.
“I guess I didn’t really think that through.”
“No you did not,” Eddie says, shaking his head. “But you can make it up by helping.”
“I was already going to help,” Buck says.
“Well, you can help harder.”
They get as far as putting the tent bags in the spots they’re planning to set them up, around the perimeter of the yard, when the back door swings open with enough force to send it slamming into the wall.
“You guys kissed!” Christopher yells, stepping through the door and pushing it closed behind him.
Eddie levels Buck with a glare, because it was Buck’s actions so he can deal with the consequences.
“Uh, yeah, kinda, but it wasn’t like that,” Buck says, grimacing at Eddie, clearly looking for help. Eddie sends him a look back to tell him he’s on his own with this one. “It was just, uh, to…help your dad out.”
“By kissing him?” Christopher asks, looking unsure, like he doesn’t quite believe him. Not that Eddie blames him, he’s just as confused.
“Yeah. It’s a, uh, long story. We’ll tell you tomorrow when everybody’s gone.”
“So you’re not boyfriends now?”
“No,” Buck says, quickly enough that it feels like a punch to Eddie’s gut, even if it is technically true. “We’re not.”
“Oh,” Christopher says, looking down–looking disappointed.
“We’ll explain tomorrow, bud. When there aren’t so many people around. I promise.”
Christopher nods and slopes back inside to continue entertaining his guests.
“Your fault,” Eddie says, pointing a tentpole in Buck’s direction.
