Juxtaposition
“I know you’re awake.”
When he hears Buck’s voice, a rasp of revival in his ear, Eddie anticipates panic. (He’s not straight anymore. His expectations of himself are shattered. His world is flipped over… But none of that matters. He’s warm and safe and elated.) He anticipates worry over what he said the night before. (Is he regretting admitting his feelings? No, he’s definitely not.) He anticipates fear over ruining their friendship. (Will he live out his theory of being a bad boyfriend? No, he doesn’t think so.)
None of it comes, he stays cocooned in the bubble of happiness that’s encapsulated him since last night.
He opens his eyes slowly and comes face-to-face with Buck. He’s turned toward him; Buck’s hand is spread out on the edge of his pillow. His fingers stretch onto the edge of Eddie’s. Eddie’s pinky is half an inch away from touching Buck’s. Sleep still stuck in the cracks of Eddie’s smile and Buck breathes out as if that’s exactly what he was looking for all along.
“Hi,” Eddie whispers.
“Hi,” Buck says matching his tone. His attention is solely on Eddie, rapt and ready. His eyes reverberate shyness, a nervousness that makes Eddie’s heart beat like a steady drum in his ears. Buck is rumpled and cute in the early hours of the morning, but Eddie always knew that.
This is by far not the first time Eddie has seen him bright and early. He’s seen him in the middle of the night and the early hours of dawn, but it hits differently when everything is out in the open. It hits differently knowing Buck wants to be here with him, he wants to wake up and go to bed next to Eddie. Buck loves him. What Eddie knows stops and starts with that.
Buck loves him.
How did he get so lucky?
Chapter 7
Start at the beginning
