Buck lays his feet on Eddie’s lap as they sit in comfortable silence on the couch, Buck reading and Eddie staring into the ether since someone on B-shift lost the television remote. Eddie absently brushes his hand up and down Buck’s shin, enjoying the peace of no calls and no chores until dinner. Buck peers at him over the edge of his book, clearly not reading anymore, and grins. Placing the book down on the table, he begins to slide forward until he’s scooted himself almost all the way onto Eddie’s lap.
“Hey, there,” Eddie whispers as he cups Buck’s cheek to anchor himself as they kiss.
Buck smiles against his mouth. “Missed you.”
“From all the way over there?” Eddie teases, taking everything Buck gives him even though he knows they’re not supposed to be doing this at the station. Or at least not so out in the open.
“Of course.”
They’re interrupted by something tapping against their faces, forcing them to separate.
“Dollar for the kiss jar.” Chimney holds out the offending container. Set on his face is the disappointed expression he mastered from watching Bobby deal with them for all those years—and that was all pre-relationship.
Buck glares. “You know, no one likes a hall monitor.”
“And no one likes PDA,” Chimney gripes in return. “One of you has to pay up.” He continues to jiggle the pretzel container—one of those large ones shaped kind of like a beehive—in front of them like a street performer.
Eddie glances at Buck. “You’re the one who started it.”
Buck makes a face at him as he searches for his wallet. “See if I start anything when we get home,” he mutters under his breath before he curses because his wallet hunt turns up empty. It’s probably in his locker. Defeated, he sighs. “We really should set up venmo for this thing.”
“This was supposed to make you two not kiss in public spaces,” Chimney grumbles while eyeing what has to be a fifty dollars filling the jug. They emptied it last week, which was enough to purchase take-out for the entire station including B-shift. “Somehow I think it’s had the opposite effect.”
“How about an IOU?” Eddie suggests after Buck continues to come up with nothing and he’s certainly not going to attempt a search, though he is certain there’s a dollar in change under these couch cushions. Unfortunately, he’s particularly comfortable right now, with Buck on top of him.
“An IOU to babysit the kids tonight and we’ll call it even.”
Eddie turns to Buck, a smile cracking across his lips. “I don’t know; sounds like extortion to me.”
“See what happens when he finally gets some power?” Buck agrees, brows arched. “But also, Jee and Robby’s bedtime is like seven. They won’t be home from date night until ten easy and no one will be around between then.” He waggles his eyebrows for the exaggerated comedic effect of it all to drive Chimney up a wall, and Eddie has to laugh.
“Like the way you think.”
Standing, Buck salutes Chimney. No attempt is made to conceal his mischievous grin. “We accept. See you at six-thirty, captain.” He gestures for Eddie to follow as he begins to head downstairs.
“Hey!” Chimney quickly calls out, “No making out at my house, Buckley!”
Not turning around, Buck waves him off. “No promises.”
