Pumpkin patch
Buddie fic for @whitecheddaaa
"Go put your jacket on, mijo," Eddie ordered Christopher. He was standing in front of his bedroom mirror, attempting to position his hair perfectly. They were getting ready to hang out with Buck, but he'd refused to reveal the location. "It's not even that cold outside, dad," Christopher groaned. "You know it gets a bit chilly when the sun goes down. Now hurry before Buck-," he's cut off by the sound of the front door opening. "Hey guys, I'm here," Buck announced. Eddie gives one last glance at his reflection before hurrying to the living room, Christopher following behind.
"Hi, Buck," Christopher exclaimed, giving Buck a tight hug. "Can you please tell your little trouble maker to wear a jacket so he doesn't catch a cold," Eddie teases. "Well, how about this, bring it along and only put it on if you need to," Buck suggests. "Ok," Christopher chirped and walked back to his room. Eddie gave a fake hurt face. "I swear he only ever listens to you," Eddie points out. "You have to give him some options," Buck said as if it was obvious. Eddie stepped closer to Buck, "so are you finally going to tell me where we're going?" Buck grins, "a pumpkin patch! Chris told me a few weeks ago that he'd never been to one. So we're taking him to pick out the best pumpkins for Halloween." Eddie was now smiling too, "you are so sweet." Buck couldn't help himself from blushing, "thanks...just want to make him happy." Eddie gently touches Buck's arm; "He's going to love it."
"Let's go, guys," Christopher said. He was now wearing a black jacket with the solar system printed on the back of it.
They were halfway to 'Crispy Patch,' and Christopher had come up with four different possible locations. "Is it...the firehouse," he asked from the backseat. "Nope! You get one more guess," Eddie responded. If he was honest, he was more excited than Christopher was. He loved creating new memories with him, especially if Buck was there. "Uhm... I'm all out of ideas!" Christopher said. "Then I guess you'll just have to wait," Buck said.
'Crispy Patch' was a bit crowded since it was only three days before Halloween. "Stay close to us, ok, Eddie said.
Thirty minutes passed by, and they still couldn't find the perfect pumpkin; Christopher either said it was too lumpy, small, and, believe it or not, not orange enough. "I think these are the ones!" Christopher exclaimed, pointing to the three most perfect pumpkins Eddie and Buck ever seen. "We should take a picture," Christopher suggests. Buck and Eddie look at one another, and Eddie smiled, silently thanking him. "Yes, we should," Eddie agreed, looking around for someone to take the photo.
"Hi, excuse me, can you take a picture of us, please," Eddie asked one of the 'Crispy Patch' employees who was walking by. "Yeah, sure," the lady said. Eddie and Buck shuffle themselves into the frame, with Christopher in the middle. She takes a few pictures and hands the phone back to Eddie. "You guys have the cutest son," she said. Eddie and Buck look at one another and smile, "thank you," they say in unison.
It was silent while Buck drove them back home. The sun was setting, and the orange and pink were hitting Buck perfectly. Eddie glances at the review mirror to see if Christopher was still asleep. "You didn't- you didn't correct her," Eddie mumbles. He regretted it the second he said it. "Yeah...neither did you," Buck points out jokingly. Eddie bites on his bottom lip, stopping what he wanted to say. He glanced at Eddie and then back at the road. "Did you want me to correct her?" Eddie didn't have the right words; it was always tricky finding what a "friend" should say. The last thing Eddie wanted was to be Buck's best friend; he wanted something else...something intimate. "No," Eddie said.
Buck pulled into the driveway. "Are we home," Christopher asked, still half asleep. "Yeah, bud, we're home," Eddie said. The conversation ended there.
Eddie carried Christopher inside, Buck following behind. "Thank you for today, " Eddie said, turning around to face Buck. "Of course," Buck smiled.
When Eddie came back, Buck was sitting in the kitchen. There was tension the second Eddie walked in. "You stayed," Eddie said, relived. "Hey, um do you want a beer or something," he asked, walking toward the fridge. Buck stood up, "no, I want to be completely sober when I say this." Eddie stopped in his tracks, Buck took a few steps toward him. "Eddie, I really like spending time with you and Christopher," he takes a deep breath, "and over the years, I've grown fond of Chris...and you." Their eyes lock, and Buck tries to read Eddie, but he can't. "But if you don't feel-," he's cut off. "Of course, I feel the same way," Eddie confesses. Buck takes a bigger step towards, never breaking eye contact with Eddie, and now they're only a few inches apart. "Can I kiss you," Buck's voice was low as if he only wanted Eddie to hear. "Yes," Eddie whispers.
Buck softly puts his hand on Eddie's cheek and leans down. The whole world stops when their lips touch, years of unspoken words finally said. Eddie puts his hands on Buck's hips and pulls him in closer. The kiss was no longer soft and slow, heavy and needy. "Do you...want to go on a date next Friday," Eddie asked breathlessly. "Yes," Buck chuckled.