There’s a lot of noise in the other room. Mostly, Chim thinks, coming from Buck. It’s a mere three weeks before he and Eddie tie the knot, and the level of energy radiating off the man at all times has definitely begun to pitch feverish. Half the 118 is at the Diaz house today, cutting, glueing and folding paper flowers for the table settings. Buck had wanted something the guests could take home with them and remember the day by, which Chimney thinks is sweet, but also after getting snapped at for the third apparently sloppy peony in a row he needed a break from his dearly beloved and also incredibly high strung brother in law. So, he’s hiding in the kitchen. Sure, he’ll admit it. Being a coward is great sometimes, whatever.
He’s pretending to peruse the snack assortment (quarantined in here because if someone got any sort of food substance on the flowers Chimney thinks Buck might commit a crime of passion) when Eddie walks in, headed for the ice chest full of cold sodas and seltzers (no alcohol, Buck had insisted, he wanted everyone’s hands steady and minds focused). He raises an eyebrow when he sees Chimney, laughing a little. “Are you hiding?”
“Yes,” Chimney shrugs, while Eddie laughs harder. “My peony petals were, quote, uneven and clumpy.”
“Uh oh,” Eddie grins, cracking open an orange la croix. “Can’t have that.” He leans against the counter while taking a few sips (NO drinks in the flower room), and looks remarkably relaxed.
“You look remarkably relaxed,” Chim says. “You’re getting married in three weeks.”
“I am,” Eddie says, grin growing so big Chimney feels his own cheeks ache.
“You’re not stressed out? With all- uh- I mean-“ Chimney tries not to gesture towards Buck in the other room, but Eddie just laughs again.
“With Buck being Buck, you mean? The dreaded clipboard?” He shakes his head, looking nothing but fond. “I think it’s cute.”
Chimney splutters a little, Eddie cracks up. “Cute? I think he made Bobby cry about a lackluster poppy he glued together.” He squints at Eddie. “Is it a sex thing? You’re into- bossiness?”
Eddie smirks and wiggles his eyebrows, and then cackles and shakes his head at Chim’s look of horror. “Nah. I mean- well, like I would tell you. No, I just…” He looks over towards the other room, like he can see his fiancé through the wall. “My first wedding… I think that thing got thrown together in maybe an hour. My parent’s backyard, Shannon in her cousin’s wedding dress that barely fit. The only reason there were any flowers at all is because abuela gave me some roses from her garden to give to her.” He shrugs, his smile a little sad but not entirely unhappy. “At the time all I really felt was terrified, but… later, I guess I wish we could have done something nicer. I think she deserved it. I think… we both did. We just weren’t… in the position to make that happen for each other.” He nods towards Buck, smiling growing again. “He’s driving everybody crazy in there, working so hard, because he wants to make this a nice day for us. He’s doing it because he loves me.” Eddie ducks his head, his Buck smile on. “Anytime he’s… uptight- don’t laugh- he’s doing it because he cares about the things he does maybe more than anyone I’ve ever met. So. Yeah.” He shrugs again. “Cute. Sweet. I love him… you know, for a lot of things, but this is one of them.”
Chimney makes a face at him, very suddenly misty eyed. “Well, jeez. I’ll try harder on your flowers, then.”
“You weren’t trying your hardest before?” Buck frowns from the doorway, and Chimney only jumps half a foot in the air, thank you. Eddie laughs, sets down his drink, and crosses the kitchen to kiss his betrothed. They get a little into it, gross, and Eddie winks at him after, the bastard.
“I thought you said it wasn’t a sex thing.”
“What?” Buck asks, looking between the two of them as Eddie laughs and laughs.
“Come on,” he manages eventually, twining his fingers with his husband-to-be’s. “I’m going to go make you some roses.”
Buck smiles as he’s lead out of the room, and he’s so much happier these days, so much more settled than he was when Chimney met him so many years ago. He feels lucky all of a sudden that he gets to be a part of this, that he got to be a part of any of it, that he’s somehow found himself in the sphere of Buck’s endless care. Chimney heads out after them. He’s got some flowers to make, and damn him if they aren’t going to be perfect.
