buddie | 6.5k | humor | rated t
Even if Eddie isn't as straight as either of them previously assumed, something he hesitantly told Buck two months ago and everyone else in a group text last week, he doesn't have feelings for Buck. Buck is sure of that. He has to be.
He's got excellent reasoning behind his certainty:
1. Eddie knows Buck better than anyone else in the world.
2. Eddie is too smart to be in love with Buck.
3. Eddie deserves better than Buck.
4. Christopher wouldn't approve.
5. And, for that matter, Theo probably wouldn't either. He loves Eddie, but loving him as Buck's best friend is way different than loving him as Buck's boyfriend.
6. If Buck lets himself have hope, he'll be crushed.
He repeats this list to himself a lot. It's a good list.
Despite the amount of time he spends running over all the reasons this won't work, his heart still leaps into his throat when Eddie rounds the engine and smiles at him. He looks good, already in uniform with his hair gelled back. The strand that usually springs free about three hours into any given shift is still in place.
“Hey, Buck,” Eddie says. “How's Theo doing?”
“He tried to make the microwave explode this morning.” Has Buck's mouth always been this dry? Maybe it's been a few years since he last had a sip of water. That would explain it.
“He's going to be a scientist.” Eddie's tone is both confident and adoring. Buck wants to lick him.
He doesn't. They're at work, and Eddie doesn't want Buck. Instead, he lurches forward, shoves the box into Eddie's hands, and says, “Thanks, cupcake.”
Then he flees the scene. It’s not dignified, but he doesn’t want to see Eddie’s reaction to Buck turning up with a freshly bought baked good for him and no one else. It’s too revealing.
It isn't until he's halfway into his uniform, fly still open and shirt unbuttoned, that he realizes.
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dailybridgerton
