nudging into the crook of your partner's neck 🥺🥺
It had been a long shift. It had been a long week, if Buck was being entirely honest, but it had been a particularly long day. That was the thing, about firefighting – it had long, long days. It had started with a structure fire that had lasted for 12 of their 24, and after that, it had been call, after call, dinner a hurried UberEats order, Bobby’s ingredients left in the fridge for their next shift. As much as Buck loved being a firefighter, he hated shifts like this one – felt the tiredness deep in his bones.
Fifteen minutes.
They just had to survive fifteen more minutes until their shift change.
If he sat down, Buck wasn’t sure he’d ever peel himself off that firehouse couch, so he stayed standing. It was easier.
He couldn’t help the smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth as he noticed Eddie approaching. His boyfriend – and it had been a few weeks now, but Buck still wasn’t used to that, being able to call Eddie his – looked dead tired, his eyes heavy with the need for sleep as he shuffled across the firehouse loft.
“Hey, honey,” Buck greeted softly, enjoying the way Eddie’s cheeks got a little pinker, at the petname. That was the joy, of being in the early stages of a new relationship – Buck was testing things out. It was fun.
“Mm,” Eddie made an agreeable noise, wrapping his arms around Buck’s waist. “I’m so tired.”
“Me too,” Buck agreed. This, the way Eddie was so affectionate, had been one of the best surprises of them starting to date – Buck hadn’t expected Eddie to crave touch, quite so much, but he did. They kept things mostly professional, at work, but with thirteen minutes to go until the end of their shift, Buck was not going to refuse an armful of Eddie.
“When we go home, can we just go straight to bed?”
Home.
When Eddie and Chris had come back from Texas, Buck hadn’t moved out, and that probably should have been a good indicator of where things were headed – and now, six weeks, a love confession or two, and several arguments about which sets of furniture to keep, they were officially living together in that perfect, sunny home on South Bedford.
“Definitely,” Buck agreed, and laughed, as Eddie nuzzled his face into the crook of his neck, Eddie’s arms slung loosely around Buck’s waist. “You really are tired, huh?”
Eddie nodded, the faint scratch of the beginnings of stubble rubbing roughly at his neck. He didn’t say anything, but he tightened his grip on Buck’s waist.
Pressing a kiss to the side of Eddie’s head, Buck tightened his own grip. He loved this – loved getting to hold Eddie like this. When he’d realised that he was in love with Eddie, he’d spent months trying to bury the feeling, convincing himself that Eddie would never feel the same, that he could never crave this, never have this, never get to have Eddie in his arms like this – so, sue him for indulging himself, even if they were at work.
Buck didn’t even realise he was swaying, slightly, until Hen arrived, a fond look on her face. “It looks like he’s asleep standing up,” she teased, her voice low.
Eddie’s breath was low, and even, a telltale sign he was definitely asleep. It was one of Eddie’s more impressive skills – his ability to sleep anywhere, even standing up. He probably had the army, to thank for that.
“He might be,” Buck grinned, holding Eddie a little tighter.
“’M awake,” Eddie mumbled, not moving his face from where it was nestled in the crook of Buck’s shoulder. “Just resting my eyes. You’re very comfortable.”
Buck snorted. “Thank you, baby.”
“You two are cavity inducing,” Hen teased good-naturedly.
Buck knew.
He was fine with it.
(Eddie was too.)
send me a physical intimacy prompt
