@911christmasweek day 3: store-bought present or diy gift
buddie (1.3k) (read it on ao3)
I'm gifting every fic I post this week to one the wonderful people I've met in this fandom! day three is for @dancer-me! happy holidays, and thank you for making the 911 fandom such a lovely place to be!
Eddie knows, okay? He and Buck have discussed the idea of marriage more than once. He knows Buck will say yes, even if he proposes with a piece of twine. But Buck deserves better, and Eddie’s going to do everything right this time around.
So he’s here, in the fanciest jewelry store he has a prayer of affording, staring at the seemingly endless display of rings with no idea where to start. He’s so screwed.
“Hi! Can I help you?” A bubbly young woman with dark hair twisted into braids asks from behind the counter.
“Please,” Eddie replies, desperation leaking into his voice.
The woman - Kara, her name tag reads - laughs. “Why don’t you tell me what you’re looking for, and I’ll see what I can do.”
“I’m, uh, looking for an engagement ring.” Eddie rubs his hand along the back of his neck.
“Alright,” Kara says encouragingly, “Why don’t you tell me about your lucky someone.”
“His name is Buck,” Eddie says, smiling despite himself. “He’s the smartest person I’ve ever met, and the kindest. And he’s beautiful, in every sense of the word.”
“He sounds wonderful,” Kara says.
“He is.”
“What does he do for a living?”
“We’re both firefighters,” Eddie says, grinning. “Partners.” It wasn’t so long ago that he wasn’t able to say that. It feels good to say it again.
“Well, thank you both for your service,” Kara says brightly.
Eddie laughs, carefree. “I’m pretty sure if you said that to Buck, he’d leave here a blushing mess. He loves it, you know? I’m not sure if helping people is in his blood, but it’s definitely in his soul.”
Kara smiles, soft and sweet. “You really love him,” she says.
“I do.” Eddie ducks his head. “Which is why I need to find him the perfect ring.”
“Can you tell me a little about the style you think he’d like? After that, we can discuss your price range, and I can pull a few options for you.”
“Something sophisticated,” Eddie says, “Not too flashy. Something a little unique, though. Like him.”
Kara nods knowingly. Eddie tells her his budget, and she pulls out three trays of rings.
“I’ll give you a minute to look these over,” she says. “Let me know if one of them catches your eye!”
For a moment, Eddie’s eyes catch on a simple gold band. It’s classic and elegant, but it reminds him of the ring he bought second hand when he married Shannon. He wants something different, something that will set this marriage apart from his first.
Next, he picks up a silver ring engraved with twisting leaves and branches. It’s beautiful, and Eddie’s fairly certain he could make an argument about the symbolism of life and new growth, but it’s not right.
None of them are right - not the titanium ring with the cobalt blue stripe, not the not the braided gold and silver band, and definitely not the diamond studded rose gold monstrosity on the last tray.
Kara floats back over to him. “Do any of these look like the one?”
Eddie frowns and shakes his head. “I never really believed in fate, or the universe or whatever, but if there was ever someone I was meant to find, it was him. I want to feel the same way about the ring.”
Kara taps her fingers against her chin thoughtfully. Suddenly her face lights up. “Wait right here, I think I might have just the one.” She returns the ring trays to the cabinet and disappears to the back of the store.
Eddie shoves his hands in his pockets and waits. Another version of him might have taken this as some kind of sign. If he couldn’t find the ring, it wasn’t meant to be. The person he is today, though, knows and trusts that he and Buck are a forever kind of thing, rings and marriage certificates be damned. He isn’t marrying Buck because he thinks he should, or because he wants to telegraph something perfect and easy to the rest of the world. He’s marrying Buck because he loves him. Because he wants to make him happy. Because Buck makes him happier than he has any right to be.
Kara returns with a ring box in hand. “Now,” she says, opening the box and showing it to Eddie, “This ring isn’t technically for sale yet, but if you like it, I can set it aside for you.”
The ring is a textured black band, with a thin, silvery inlay offset from the center. It’s beautiful, and Eddie reaches out to run his finger along the edge.
“What’s it made of?” he asks.
Kara grins. “That’s what makes this ring so special. The primary material is tungsten, but the inlay is meteorite.”
“It’s perfect,” Eddie breathes.
///
A month later, the ring is burning a hole in Eddie’s pocket, waiting for a moment as perfect as it to propose. Eddie’s gone through at least a hundred ideas, but sitting here, at the kitchen table with Buck on Christmas Eve, he thinks that this might just be the perfect moment.
“Wait here a second,” Buck says, standing.
“We absolutely do not need any more cookies,” Eddie jokes.
“Ha ha,” Buck says sarcastically, but he’s grinning all the same. He disappears into the living room and comes back with a small, wrapped gift.
“It’s not Christmas yet, Buck,” Eddie reminds him.
Buck smiles, soft and sweet. “I know, but I was hoping you’d open this one a little early.”
“Sure,” Eddie says easily. “You’re still not getting yours until tomorrow, though. I’m pretty sure Chris would kill me if he didn’t get to see you open it.”
Buck’s smile widens. “Man, I love that kid,” he says.
Eddie’s heart warms. It’s nothing he didn’t already know, but every time Buck says it, it reminds him how lucky he was to find someone who loves them both; who makes them both happy.
Yeah, Eddie thinks. Tonight’s the night.
“Come on,” Buck prompts softly. “Open it.”
Eddie pulls the carefully tied bow from the box and slips his finger beneath the tape. As the paper falls from the box, he hears Buck move, but he pays him no mind as he stares at the blue velvet in his hand. Buck takes it from him gently, prompting Eddie to finally look up.
Buck kneels before him, ring box open and proudly displaying a silvery ring with a sawtooth inlay.
“Buck,” Eddie whispers, feeling his eyes begin to well.
“Eddie,” Buck says, grinning so widely it must hurt. “I never imagined, not for a minute, you. I was so lost, for so long, and the day I met you I was found. Took me a minute to realize, but I got there eventually.”
Eddie laughs wetly.
“Building a family with you has been the greatest privilege of my life, Eddie Diaz. Will you marry me?”
Eddie drops to his knees in front of Buck and cups his face in his hands. “I can’t believe you beat me to it,” he murmurs.
“Is that a yes?” Buck asks.
Eddie presses a soft kiss against Buck’s lips and pulls the similar box from his pocket. “That’s a right back at you, Buckley,” he says, holding the box up.
“Eddie,” Buck breathes.
“You know, I had a speech ready too,” Eddie says.
“Don’t let me stop you,” Buck replies faintly.
Eddie smiles and looks down at the ring, just for a second, then back into Buck’s eyes. “I forgot everything I was planning on saying,” he admits.
Buck laughs softly and rests his forehead against Eddie’s. “That’s okay,” he whispers.
“You’re like sunshine, Evan,” Eddie says. “You bring life to everything you touch. I spent so long choosing things that would make other people happy, but you… you make me happy. You make me so much happier than I ever thought was possible, and I want to spend the rest of my life making you feel the same way. So yes, Evan Buckley. I will marry you.”
Buck’s lips are on his in a heartbeat, knocking both of them to the floor. Eddie laughs, bright and carefree as he looks up at the man he loves. Fuck the ring, Evan Buckley is the greatest gift he’s ever been given.
Carlos supposes their absence has been noticed by now, but he can’t find it in himself to head back just yet. Instead of getting to hold TK’s hand and kiss him whenever he wants, as soon as they rejoin the group, they would have to go back to private smiles from across the room and secretly brushing their knees together under the table.
Despite being in a relationship with TK for almost four months, nobody else here knows about it.
@911christmasweek Day 4: fake holidate or secretly dating
2.3k | secret relationship, fluff
“Do you think it’s going to snow?” TK asks, zipping his jacket up higher as he stares at the gray sky.
“It looks like it. That would make the rest of our shift fun,” Carlos says sarcastically with a laugh. He’s got his elbows resting against the edge of the roof of the fire station as he looks out at the city. TK is pressed against his side, mirroring his position, so Carlos feels it when TK shivers.
“You cold?” He asks.
TK shrugs as he leans a little more into Carlos’ side. “A little.”
“We can go back inside if you want.” Carlos suggests.
TK shakes his head. “I want to stay here with you for a little bit longer.”
@911christmasweek: day four - fake holidate or secret dating
bathena (12k)
“Are you seeing someone?” Beatrice repeats pointedly, ignoring her reaction.
She sighs, thinking how many times she’s going to have to have this conversation with her mom and how she doesn’t think she can do it anymore as her eyes drift toward the wall behind her mother’s head. They catch on a frame nestled in the corner of the bookshelf there.
It’s the eight of them at a cardinals game a couple of months ago. All their faces smiling up in the stands as Hen takes the picture. Athena’s gaze lands on a tall figure on the far right, torso wrapped in a grey Stanford sweatshirt as he smiles softly for the camera. Her mouth opens before she even realizes.
“I am, actually.” She blurts out, lying through her teeth. “His name is Bobby.”
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: 9-1-1 (TV)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Characters: Evan "Buck" Buckley, Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Eddie Diaz's Parents (9-1-1 TV), Christopher Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Isabel Diaz, Josephina "Pepa" Diaz
Additional Tags: Getting Together, Friends to Lovers, First Kiss, the Diaz parents are not nice, Protective Evan "Buck" Buckley, Protective Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), they are in love
Series: Part 22 of Buddie Christmas 2021
Summary:
Day 23 and day 4 of 911 Christmas week prompt fake dating
Eddie’s parents are in town and Buck wants to help out. They’re just friends right? But pretending to date his best friend to help get his parents off his back whilst being in love with said best friend may not have been the best decision. How can Buck get through the night without blurting out how he really feels about Eddie?
Fandom: 9-1-1 Lone Star
Relationship: TK/Carlos
Rating: Explicit
WC: 1.9k
Summary: The 126 are attending a holiday party, one that requires them to dress up. However, when TK and Carlos see each other, it's hard to keep their hands off each other. Luckily there's just enough time for some quick fun before they go out!
Hearing footsteps on the stairs, TK dropped his phone on the cushion next to him and sat up straight, wolf-whistling when Carlos came into view. His boyfriend was dressed in a dark burgundy red suit and a white shirt with the top button popped and had a pair of dress shoes dangling from one hand.
“I suddenly don’t want to go out anymore,” TK joked, pushing himself to his feet as Carlos dropped the shoes near the door before turning toward TK.
Read on AO3
For @911christmasweek for day 1 (December 20th): Ugly sweaters, Pyjamas or Fancy suits.
@911christmasweek day 1: ugly sweaters, pyjamas, or fancy suits
buddie (1.4k) (read it on ao3)
I'm gifting every fic I post this week to one the wonderful people I've met in this fandom! day one is for @wrenchdiaz! happy holidays, and thank you for making the 911 fandom such a lovely place to be!
Evan Buckley hates Christmas Eve. Not Christmas - Christmas is his and Maddie’s. He loves Christmas. Christmas Eve, though, belongs to his parents, and they use it to parade him and Maddie around Pennsylvania’s richest and most irritating. At least this year Doug’s gone. It’s just him and Maddie again, and for that, he’s grateful.
As he surveys the room, Maddie sidles up next to him. She’s beautiful, dressed in a stunning green velvet dress and the sort of delicate gold jewelry that their mom never thinks is enough for this sort of party.
“You ready for this?” Maddie asks softly.
Buck frowns. Ready to be shown off, like he’s an object to display? Or ready to go back to being invisible when it’s all over. He pastes on his trademark, winning smile.
“Aren’t I always?”
Maddie’s eyes go a little sad. “I wish you wouldn’t do that,” she says.
Buck shakes his head. “I don’t know what you mean,” he says, voice deliberately neutral.
“Just… come find me when the party starts, okay?” Maddie says. “I’m going to go make sure catering has everything they need.”
Buck nods and watches her go, suppressing the sigh that threatens to escape his chest.
He’ll be fine. Christmas Eve just… isn’t his thing.
///
Not for the first time, Eddie wonders what the hell he’s doing here. He hands the keys to his truck to the valet, who looks vaguely disappointed not to be driving another Lamborghini.
Chimney lets out a whistle. “How the hell did Hen and Karen swing these tickets?” he wonders.
“And why the hell did they give them to us?” Eddie mutters.
Chim slaps his shoulder. “Lighten up, Diaz. You promised to have fun.”
Eddie did no such thing, but he keeps his mouth shut.
They step through the doors into the ballroom, and Eddie tries to keep his jaw from dropping. The party’s already in full swing, and the best word Eddie can think of to describe it is opulent. The chandeliers hanging from the thirty foot ceilings drip with crystals, outshone only by the sparkling Christmas tree in the center of the room.
“Wow,” Chimney says.
Eddie’s about to agree when he realizes that he’s not looking at the decor. Across the room is a beautiful brunette woman in a green dress, and Chimney’s clearly enamoured. Eddie smiles.
“Go talk to her,” he says, nudging him with his elbow.
Chimney frowns doubtfully at him. “Are you going to be okay on your own?”
Eddie shakes his head and laughs. “I’ll be fine. Go!”
Chim smiles brightly and hightails it across the room. And okay, sure, Eddie doesn’t actually want to be on his own at this fancy party, but Chimney deserves to meet someone. He’s spent more than enough time getting over Tatiana.
He waits long enough to watch the conversation begin to flow between Chimney and the mystery woman, then heads to the bar. He’s out of his depth, sure, but a bar’s a bar.
Eddie fiddles with his cufflinks as he waits for the bartender. They’re silver, and he rarely wears them, but for this occasion he figures they’re warranted. They were a gift from Shannon, the day Christopher was born, embossed with the image of the saint that shares his name.
It makes him want to be home, but he did promise Hen he’d at least stay an hour, and Christopher is asleep anyway, so he resolves to ignore the feeling as best as he can.
He finally catches the bartender’s attention and hesitates only a second before ordering their top shelf scotch, neat. Usually Eddie’s more of a beer kind of guy, but hell, if they’re serving Macallan 18 for free, he’s not going to turn it down.
“Good taste,” a man with a low gravelly voice says, stepping up next to Eddie at the bar.
Eddie casts an appraising glance in his direction and has to stop himself from doing a double take. The man beside him is stunning. He’s dressed in a maroon velvet coat that beautifully offsets the blue of his eyes.
“Good selection,” Eddie replies, tipping his glass towards the man.
He’s rewarded with a warm chuckle and a half smile that Eddie has a hard time tearing his gaze away from.
///
“He is so cute!” Maddie exclaims, tugging on Buck’s arm.
He follows her gaze, only to find himself looking at the most attractive man he’s ever seen. He has dark hair with even darker eyes that shine under the sparkling lights. He wears a sinfully tailored midnight blue jacket that Buck can just imagine pulling from his shoulders.
Cute isn’t the word he’d use. “Wow,” he says breathlessly.
“He’s coming over here!” Maddie says, slapping his shoulder excitedly.
Buck frowns. “He’s not-”
Maddie bites her lip and smiles softly. She’s not, Buck realizes, looking at the man he’d noticed, but rather at his similarly handsome companion who is, indeed, making his way through the crowd towards them.
“I love you, but go somewhere else, please,” Maddie says, not looking away from the man.
Buck chuckles good-naturedly. “Have fun,” he says, allowing himself to be pulled away in the currents of the crowd.
He notices, not much later, that the man in the blue jacket is now at the bar, alone. And, well, that simply won’t do.
///
The man is charming and attractive, and Eddie isn’t here to hook up, but he can’t help the way he’s drawn to the man like a planet orbiting a star.
He introduces himself as Buck, and before Eddie can return the favor launches into the cheesiest pick up line Eddie’s ever heard. It makes Eddie laugh, and when he does Buck’s expression erupts into a breathtaking smile.
It’s the kind of smile that Eddie thinks could be very dangerous.
He wants to kiss it off Buck’s face.
It gets worse though, because he’s not just funny, he’s kind and he’s smart, and when Eddie mentions Christopher he grins and tells him shyly that he loves kids.
So when Buck offers his hand and suggests that they dance, Eddie has no problem following him out of the ballroom. There’s more than one way to tango, and Eddie figures he’s had just enough liquid courage to try something new.
///
Buck pulls the handsome stranger into the hall behind the ballroom and slips his hands beneath that stunning blue jacket, just like he’s wanted to since the minute he saw it. Maybe, he thinks, sliding his fingers along the man’s waist, Christmas Eve isn’t so bad after all. He pulls the man flush against him, nosing at his jaw, and presses a kiss against his fluttering pulse point.
The man twines his fingers in Buck’s hair and tugs lightly, drawing a harsh gasp from Buck’s chest.
“You- you want to take this somewhere a little more private,” Buck pants.
“Yes,” the man says hungrily. Buck should really get his name at some point.
He pulls him farther into the manor, allowing his hands to roam as they go. Buck wants to touch this man everywhere. Thankfully, he seems amenable.
Buck sheds his jacket as they tumble into his bedroom, wrapping his fingers in the man’s lapels.
“Want this off,” Buck says, nipping at the bolt of the man’s jaw.
He shrugs his shoulders back, and the jacket hits the floor with a clink.
The man lifts his hand to cradle Buck’s jaw, impossibly gentle, and looks him in the eye.
“I’d like to kiss you now,” he says.
And well, who’s Buck to argue with that.
///
Eddie lips are a hairsbreadth from Buck’s when his phone rings. It’s on Do Not Disturb for everyone except Pepa, his abuela and his captain, none of whom would call him if it wasn’t an emergency.
“I’m sorry,” he says, stepping back and pulling the phone from his pocket. “Abuela?” he answers.
“Eddito, I’m sorry to call, but Christopher-”
“What happened? Is he okay?” Eddie cuts her off.
“He had a nightmare, and he’s asking for you.”
“I’m on my way, okay? I’ll be home in fifteen minutes.”
He hangs up the phone and turns back to Buck, who’s already holding out his jacket. “I really am sorry,” Eddie says regretfully. “But I have to go.”
Buck smiles sadly. “It’s okay,” he says. “Drive safe. I hope everything’s okay.”
///
The man practically flees the party, and it’s only when he’s gone that Buck realizes he has no name, no phone number, no way to find him again. That tracks, he thinks.
It’s stupid, to have gotten so invested, so fast. Buck doesn’t even know the man’s name. Something about him, though, felt different. Like maybe he and Buck were meant to find each other. Like fate, or the universe, maybe.
Obviously he was wrong, though, because the man is gone and Buck’s standing alone with no jacket and a rumpled tie.
He goes back to the party.
Yeah, Christmas Eve sucks.
///
Eddie dreams of blue eyes and strong hands and wakes on Christmas morning thinking of Buck. Buck and his cheesy pick up lines, Buck and his charming smile, Buck and that nervous way he ducks his head and looks up through his eyelashes, Buck.
It’s ridiculous. He doesn’t know the man. He doesn’t know where he’s from, what he does for a living - hell, he doesn’t even know his last name.
He finds himself wishing he knew more. To start, Buck’s phone number. Also, though, everything about him, from the way he takes his coffee to the make up of his dreams.
He pushes it all down, though, because it’s Christmas and he’s got a kid to make happy and a party to attend at Hen’s in the afternoon. He hears Christopher shuffling in the next room and smiles.
“Dad! It’s Christmas!”
///
Buck wakes with a massive hangover, and without a blanket. He shivers and reaches blindly for his comforter, but it must be on the floor because his bed is bare. Buck groans and pulls himself out of bed, cursing when he steps on something sharp.
“Fuck,” he mumbles, blearily blinking his eyes open.
His comforter is, inexplicably, on the other side of the room. On the ground is a small silver object, entirely unfamiliar. Buck picks it up and realizes it’s a cufflink, though not one of his. He frowns and places it on his bedside table, then gets out of bed and grabs his comforter off the floor.
Buck’s gaze falls to the cufflink again, and he wonders where it came from. He’s just about to crawl back in bed when it hits him.
His mystery man.
Buck has to find him.
He grabs the cufflink and stumbles into the hallway, practically running to Maddie’s room.
“You have to help me,” he says, barrelling through the door.
“Knock-knock, come in! Merry Christmas, Maddie. Merry Christmas to you, too, Buck,” Maddie says, grinning despite herself.
Buck rolls his eyes and smiles. “Merry Christmas, Maddie, you have to help me.”
Maddie pats the bed next to her, and Buck sits. “What’s wrong?” she asks.
“Not wrong, exactly,” Buck replies. He tells her about the man, leaving out a few of the more risque details, and shows her the cufflink. “I have to return it,” he says.
Maddie’s eyes sparkle. “Are you sure that’s all you want?”
Buck blushes. “He didn’t even tell me his name, Mads. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t want to see me again. I still need to give it back, though. It’s my fault he lost it.”
Maddie smiles a little sadly and pats him on the knee. “Come on, I’ve got the guest list somewhere. We’ll find him.”
They’re lucky, in a way. The party was a charity event, so they’ve got addresses for everyone who’d purchased a ticket. They mark out every person they’re sure isn’t Buck’s mystery man, and it leaves them with a list of twenty-six families.
Buck scans the list. None of the last names scream his mystery man, but who knows. He could be a McKinney, or a Fitzpatrick.
“Go get dressed,” Maddie orders, pushing him out of her bed. “Let’s find your man.”
///
Eddie’s distracted, and he knows the others have noticed. He’s surrounded by his family, of both blood and choice, but his mind is a million miles away. Or, more accurately, about fifteen miles away, at a makeshift bar in an opulent ballroom.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Hen asks him, settling beside him on the couch.
Eddie watches Christopher, Denny and Harry as they play a game called- concerningly- Exploding Kittens on the floor. “I met someone last night,” he says softly.
“That’s a good thing, right?”
Eddie shakes his head. “Maybe? I don’t know. I haven’t really dated since Shannon, except for Ana, and we both know how that ended. Besides, I had to leave in a rush. I didn’t even get his number.”
“It’s a good thing,” Hen says decisively, patting him on the knee. “Even if it doesn’t go anywhere, you put yourself out there. I’m proud of you.”
“Thanks,” Eddie sighs. “I just wish…”
“What?” Hen prompts.
“I wish I could see him again.”
“You got his name, right? Maybe we could contact the organizers and they could pass along a message.”
“Maybe,” Eddie says. He looks down. In the moment, everything with Buck had felt magical. Now, though… maybe it’s for the best. He’s not built for romance or relationships. If he doesn’t find Buck, he won’t taint the memory. The idea of never seeing him again, though - the ache of that surprises him, intense in a way that longing shouldn’t be after a single night with someone.
The doorbell rings and Hen stands. “Just think about it,” she says kindly.
A few seconds later, she opens the door and Eddie hears a familiar voice.
“-not going to be here, Maddie, it’s the last house. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“Buck,” Eddie breathes, standing. He drifts towards the door without meaning to, pulled as if by a magnet.
“Hi,” a woman says. “My name’s Maddie, and this is my brother, Evan.”
“Buck,” Buck interjects.
“We’re looking for someone Buck met last night at our parents’ holiday gala? He lost a cufflink, and Buck wants to return it.”
Eddie’s brow furrows. He hadn’t even noticed the cufflink missing, but if Buck’s here… Eddie steps into the front hall.
Buck’s eyes find his immediately. His mouth drops open and his lips curl into a small smile. “Hi,” he says softly.
“Hi,” Eddie replies.
Distantly, Eddie notices Hen lead Maddie further inside, leaving him and Buck, nothing but the door’s threshold between them.
“Hi,” Buck says again.
Eddie laughs, a soft, light noise that he probably hasn’t made since before Shannon died. “You already said that,” Eddie points out.
Buck blushes a pretty pink, then sticks out his hand. “You, uh, you lost this,” he says.
Eddie takes the cufflink and tucks it in his pocket. “Thanks,” he says, ducking his head. “Do you want to come in?” he asks.
Buck bites his lip and shakes his head. “I don’t want to bother you,” he says, looking away.
Eddie realizes suddenly that, for all his bravado last night, Buck is nervous, too. Eddie reaches out and wraps his fingers around Buck’s wrist. “Please come in?” He asks, catching Buck’s gaze and holding it.
Buck smiles that brilliant grin of his, and Eddie knows he’s done the right thing. “Yeah?” he asks.
“Yeah,” Eddie confirms. “One thing first, though?”
Buck looks nervous all over again. “What?”
“I still owe you a kiss.”
The corners of Buck’s lips tick up. “Well, we can’t have that,” he says, stepping across the threshold.
Eddie fits his free hand against Buck’s waist and pulls him close, shivering when Buck’s arms come to rest on his shoulders. He leans in slowly, giving Buck every chance back away. Buck closes the distance, and when their lips finally meet, it feels like the beginning of something. A forever kind of kiss.
And maybe it’s too early to say, but as Eddie pulls the door shut behind Buck and leads him to the rest of his family, he’s pretty sure that they’re going to live happily ever after.
@911christmasweek day 4: fake holidate or secret dating
buddie (1.2k) (read it on ao3)
I'm gifting every fic I post this week to one the wonderful people I've met in this fandom! day four is for @hattalove! happy holidays, and thank you for making the 911 fandom such a lovely place to be!
“Buck, please, you have to help me,” Eddie begs.
For the record, Buck is a good and kind person who cares deeply about the wellbeing of his friends. That said, he laughs in Eddie’s face.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Buck gasps, “I just don’t understand how this happened.”
“You think I do?” Eddie mutters. “C’mon, Buck, just - please?”
“‘Course, Eds, you know I’ve got your back.” He slings an arm around Eddie’s shoulders. “Now tell me, how did I sweep you off your feet?”
Eddie groans. “I’m going to regret this, aren’t I?”
“Maybe!” Buck says cheerfully. Internally, though, he wonders if he won’t end up being the one with regrets. It’s just an itty-bitty teensy-tiny barely-noticeable-really crush he’s got on Eddie, though. He’ll be fine.
///
Buck has regrets. So many regrets. Most of them have to do with the way he isn’t touching Eddie’s biceps right now. He’s dressed like a walking wet dream, in a tight fitting maroon shirt whose buttons are fighting valiantly against Eddie’s broad chest.
“Jesus christ,” Buck mumbles.
“Hm?” Eddie says, turning to face him.
Buck feels his face flush. “Nothing! Just, uh, I thought you were trying to avoid attention at this party.”
Eddie winks at him. He winks. “I didn’t say that. I just need you to protect me from Winnie’s mom.”
“Right,” Buck chokes, trying not to drool as Eddie frowns at the mirror and undoes another button.
Eddie casts a glance in his direction. “You clean up pretty good yourself,” he says.
It seems like it shouldn’t be possible, but Buck flushes an even darker pink. “Thanks,” he mumbles, tugging at the sleeve of his emerald green sweater.
“Ready?” Eddie asks, picking up Buck’s keys.
Buck swallows. He’d better be.
///
Eddie is really selling the whole fake-boyfriend thing. He grabs Buck by the hand as soon as they’re out of the jeep and doesn’t let go until they’ve both got drinks. Even when they’re not holding hands, Eddie finds excuses to touch him; a hand on the small of his back here, a bump of the shoulders there. It’s driving Buck insane.
“What’s this party for, anyway?” Buck asks, trying to distract himself from the fire that burns beneath his skin everywhere Eddie’s touched him.
“Half holiday mixer, half school fundraiser,” Eddie says, leaning in so close Buck can feel his breath against the shell of his ear.
Buck suppresses a shiver. “Right,” he says shakily. He takes a step back from Eddie, desperate for a little space to breathe. “I’m going to grab another drink, you want something?”
“Nah, I’m good,” Eddie says, holding up his mostly full beer.
A strange look that Buck wants to call disappointment flashes across Eddie’s face, but it’s gone as soon as it appears. Buck turns tail and runs.
///
So Buck’s abso-fucking-lutely head-over-heels stupid in love with Eddie and he has no fucking clue how he missed it before now. As he watches Eddie from across the room, though, it hits him.
He’s beautiful, is the thing. He’s beautiful when he smiles, he’s beautiful when he laughs, and he’s beautiful when he catches Buck’s eyes and tilts his head just so, as if to ask if everything’s alright.
Buck nods, almost imperceptibly, and Eddie smiles, going back to his conversation with Christopher’s math teacher, an older man with ruddy cheeks and bushy gray eyebrows.
“Oh! Are you Buck?” a woman standing to his left at the bar asks suddenly.
Buck turns to her, surprised. “I, uh, yeah?”
“Sorry, sorry,” the woman says, flapping her hand and laughing. “That was a weird way to start a conversation. I’m McKenna, Winnie’s mom.”
Buck’s eyebrows shoot up, and he works to get his expression under control quickly. He sticks out his hand. “Hi,” he says. “I’m Buck. But, er, I guess you already know that.” Buck winces internally. “Eddie’s boyfriend,” he tacks on as an afterthought.
“Oh, I know,” McKenna says, grinning. “I saw you guys together earlier. That’s why I came over! I just had to meet the mystery man Eddie’s been talking about.”
“He’s been talking about me?” Buck asks. For a moment, his heart soars, but he tamps it down. Of course he’s been talking about him, if he’s trying to get McKenna to back off. It doesn’t mean anything, he tells himself firmly.
“Oh yeah, it’s always: Buck took Christopher to the zoo this weekend, or Buck made the best risotto last night, or, my personal favorite, it’s unfair how good Buck’s ass looks in turnouts.” McKenna giggles behind her hand.
For what must be the millionth time tonight, Buck flushes scarlet. He shakes his head. “Eddie did not say that,” he deflects.
“Oh he absolutely did,” McKenna argues. “Ari and I joked about it for a week.”
“Ari?” Buck asks, desperate to change the subject.
“My wife,” McKenna explains, grinning as she points out a beautiful woman standing in the corner. “Who, speaking of, asked for a drink fifteen minutes ago and is probably getting impatient. It was nice to meet you, Buck! You, Eddie and Christopher should come over for dinner sometime.”
“Sounds… good,” Buck says faintly, but she’s already gone.
So Winnie’s mom is definitely not into Eddie. Which means Eddie… huh.
Buck orders a shot of whiskey and throws it back. He’s going to need a little liquid courage for what he’s about to do next.
///
“You okay?” Eddie asks, placing his hand on Buck’s waist as soon as he returns and looking up at him with wide, concerned eyes. “You were gone awhile.”
“Fine,” Buck replies, allowing himself to lean into the touch.
Eddie smiles, a small soft thing that Buck is realizing only now is reserved for him and Christopher. “Thank you for coming tonight.”
Buck wants to reach out, and, for the first time, he lets himself. He rests his hand on Eddie’s elbow and strokes his thumb back and forth. “Nowhere I’d rather be,” he says, and he means it.
Wherever in the world Eddie is, that’s where Buck wants to be. Has wanted to be, since virtually the day they met. His eyes drop briefly to Eddie’s lips.
“Buck,” Eddie says. His expression twists into something guilt-ridden. “I have to tell you something.”
Buck tightens his grips on Eddie’s elbow, aiming for reassuring. “It’s okay, Eds,” he says softly.
“It’s not,” Eddie shakes his head. “I lied to you. About Winnie’s mom, she’s not-”
“I know,” Buck interrupts. “And it’s okay.”
Eddie looks at him, bewildered. “You know? How?”
“I met McKenna at the bar,” Buck admits. “She had some interesting things to say.”
“Fuck, I’m sorry,” Eddie says, letting go of Buck’s waist and stepping back.
The absence leaves Buck feeling bereft, and he steps back into Eddie’s space. “I’m not,” he murmurs.
“You’re…”
“Eddie, I’m so stupid for you. It’s only fair if you’re a little stupid for me, too.”
Eddie’s mouth opens and closes. He nods. “Right,” he says. “Okay.” He surges forward and kisses Buck square on the lips.
Buck kisses back for all he’s worth, pulling Eddie close by the lapels. Eddie’s fingers twist in the fabric of his sweater. Eddie’s lips part and Buck has to bite back a moan as he feels Eddie’s tongue probing his teeth.
Somewhere off to the side, someone coughs, reminding Buck that they are, in fact, in the middle of a party with all of Christopher’s teachers and friends’ parents. Eddie pulls back, but presses another, far more chaste kiss to his lips in apology.
“McKenna and Ari want to have dinner, by the way,” Buck says breathesly.
Eddie laughs and rests his forehead against Buck’s. “You’ll have to make your risotto,” he replies.
@911christmasweek day 2: holidays alone or with company
buddie (954 words) (read it on ao3)
I'm gifting every fic I post this week to one the wonderful people I've met in this fandom! day two is for @evanbucxley! happy holidays, and thank you for making the 911 fandom such a lovely place to be!
“Eds, come take the soup off the stove!” Buck calls.
Eddie walks into the kitchen and pretends, just for a minute, that this is something he can have. That Buck will always keep him from burning dinner, that every Christmas he’ll be able to place a present with Buck’s name on it under the tree, that the warm feeling in his chest is permanent.
He moves the soup to a different burner and grins at Buck. “What would I do without you?” he asks.
“Eat a whole lot more takeout, for one,” Buck replies with a laugh.
“Fuck you,” Eddie says lightly.
“Backatcha, Diaz,” Buck grins. He hops off the counter. “So, come on, how does it taste? I’m dying to know if the mustard powder was a good addition.”
“That wasn’t funny the first time you said it, and it isn’t funny now,” Eddie says wryly, grabbing a spoon from the drawer. He tastes the soup. “Delicious as always, Buck.”
“Damn, I miss food,” Buck says, stepping through the kitchen island and leaning over Eddie’s shoulder to smell the soup.
The silvery sheen that clings to Buck’s skin wavers, the way it often does when he’s feeling something strongly.
“Tell me what’s wrong?” Eddie asks softly.
Buck smiles sadly. “My sister used to make this for me every Christmas Eve. I just miss her, that’s all. I always do, this time of year.”
“I could call her,” Eddie reminds him.
Buck shakes his head. “She’s moved on, Eds. Telling her I’m still hanging around… it’ll just hurt her.”
“I’m sorry, Buck.”
“Sorry for what?”
Eddie swallows and looks away. “I’m supposed to help you, the way I helped all the others,” he says. “It’s been months, and I still don’t know why you’re here. I’m sorry I can’t fix this.”
“Eddie, don’t.” Buck’s ghostly aura wavers even more, and Eddie aches to reach out, to comfort with his hands where his words fall short.
“Come on,” Eddie says. “I have something for you.” He gestures towards the living room.
In the light of the Christmas tree, it’s easy to believe that Buck is as alive as anyone. His cheeks are rosy and his lips are pink, and Eddie’s just brave enough to admit to himself that he’d like to kiss him.
“Here,” Eddie says, grabbing a present from beneath the tree. “I know you can’t actually open it, but this is for you.”
“You… you got me a gift?” Buck asks, staring at his hands.
“Yeah,” Eddie says. “You- I know it’s a little unconventional, but you’re important to me. You’re my family.”
Buck looks up at him, mouth dropping open. “Eddie…” he says softly.
“It’s stupid, I know,” Eddie says, looking down. “I just… I needed you to know, okay?”
“No, Eddie, that’s not-” a tear slips down Buck’s cheek.
“What?” Eddie asks him softly.
Buck offers him a watery smile. “It’s just… nice,” he says. “Not to be alone for Christmas, I mean. It’s, uh, it’s been a really long time. Even before I died, I’d be on my own for a while. Thank you.”
Eddie drops down to the couch next to him, leaning towards him, wishing he could bump their shoulders together. He could swear he feels the ghost of the touch, a tingling sensation that erupts in his arm and sends shivers across his body.
“I’m glad you’re here, Buck,” Eddie says softly, like it’s some kind of secret.
“Me too,” Buck whispers. Another tear slips down his face.
“Tell me what’s wrong?” Eddie asks.
Buck closes his eyes. “I never… it never really bothered me, being dead, you know? I- I don’t even remember how I died. I was alone for so long, Eddie, and then I met you, and- and it changed everything. I know you’re supposed to help me move on, but I don’t don’t want to go. Eddie, please, please don’t make me.”
Another tear slips down Buck’s cheek, and Eddie reaches out without thinking to brush it away. “I don’t want you to go,” Eddie says, letting his fingers linger against the warm skin of Buck’s face.
“Eddie,” Buck gasps.
“You…” Eddie breathes. He drags his fingers along the length of Buck’s jaw, revelling in the feeling.
“I don’t understand,” Buck says softly.
“It’s a Christmas miracle,” Eddie jokes weakly, grasping Buck’s hand in his own.
Buck laughs wetly. “It’s not Christmas yet, Eds.”
“Buck,” Eddie asks slowly. “How did you die?”
“I’ve told you before, I don’t remember. I was alive, and alone and I always felt invisible, and then one day I woke up and I really was.”
“I see you,” Eddie whispers.
Buck smiles softly. “You’ve always seen me.”
“Do you think, maybe, that’s the point?”
“I don’t understand,” Buck says, leaning into his touch.
“I heard a story once,” Eddie says, “about a man who felt alone, and invisible, and unloved. So much so that he slipped into the space between worlds, not alive, not dead. Completely alone.”
“Sounds familiar,” Buck murmurs. “How did it end?”
“Happily ever after,” Eddie whispers.
“Sounds like a fairytale,” Buck replies.
“There’s just one thing we’re missing.”
Buck smiles softly. “What’s that?”
Eddie swallows, suddenly nervous. “True love’s kiss,” he whispers.
Buck leans in, but hesitates. “Eddie, is this real?” he asks. “I don’t think I could survive having this and losing it all over again.”
Eddie drops his forehead against Buck’s, relishing the warmth he finds there. “This is real,” he promises. “I love you, you know that, right?”
A harsh sob escapes Buck’s lips. “You changed everything for me, Eddie, everything. I know. I love you, too.”
