#usercombat

[imtheiliad]

it was only for three minutes // you do eventually, you process it // yeah, so what...

[ravipanikar]

ravi appreciation week ✦ day seven ravi panikkar: *✧fandom darling✧*

[evcn]

catching my death . . .

[clusterbuck]

hmm 48 and 14

fake dating + bodyguard AU

what an absolutely iconic combination tbh

"if anyone sees us," eddie hisses, dragging buck down the deserted hallway, "this was--"

"i know, i know, entirely my idea," buck supplies cheerfully. well, as cheerfully as it is possible to whisper while being manhandled down the back corridors of a large convention center.

"and i still don't think--"

"that it's a good one, yeah, we've covered that one too." buck tries to shake eddie's hand off, but the grip on his bicep just tightens.

buck definitely doesn't shiver in response.

"my way or the highway, buckley," eddie says. "if you want out of here, you'll do as i say."

"honestly, you should be thanking me," buck says, ignoring the flash of heat that runs up his spine at eddie's commanding tone. it's not like it's something he'll ever get to explore anyway. "that was the world's most boring presentation, and i got you out of it."

"did you forget the part where this is your job?" eddie asks. "the part where you need them on your side if you're gonna be the youngest senator in pennsylvania state history?"

"nobody's going to notice one missing face in the audience," buck says with a dismissive wave.

"you're the guest of honour!"

"so we'll tell them there was, i don't know, a family emergency," buck says easily. "that always gets people on your side."

"your parents--"

"really," buck says, interrupting eddie before he can finish the thought. they've been having such a good time, it seems like a shame to mar it with the parents who will remain unmentioned. "i'm doing you a favour. it's not like i'm trying to drag you out to the club, you know, i just want to take off my belt and these uncomfortable shoes and not be on all the time."

"and how is that doing me a favour?" eddie asks, but his tone is softer and his grip on buck's arm loosens just a little.

"please, like i don't know your shift ends the second i'm in my room for the night. go home to your son, eddie."

"yeah, okay."

they fall silent for a moment, carefully padding down the hallway, when suddenly the echo of brisk footsteps carries down towards them. buck freezes, and beside him eddie's gaze darts between the bare walls and the locked doors.

buck shakes his head to clear it and struggles to assess his options. it's not exactly a question of life or death, but the optics of leaving a presentation put on specifically for him... depending on who's coming down the hallway, it could be the death knell for his senate campaign.

there's a small niche in the wall a few steps ahead of them, and it catches his eye.

"sorry about this," he says, and hopes against all hope that the element of surprise will be enough for him to get eddie to go along with him.

and it works. he guides eddie into the niche and covers his body with his own, pressing his lips to eddie's just as the sound shifts from an echo to the sharp clack of high-heeled shoes.

eddie stills in surprise, but only for a second. then his hand is on buck's waist, pulling him close, and his mouth is surprisingly pliant against buck's, soft and warm and welcoming. buck leans into him without meaning to, like it's a real kiss and not just a hasty effort to save his political ass.

the footsteps stop just behind him, and buck tightens his grip on eddie's lapel and fights to keep all his attention on eddie's mouth.

(it's not difficult.)

"oh!" a voice behind him says, and the person takes a few steps. "i didn't--uh, sorry!"

the footsteps scurry away in the direction buck and eddie had come from, decidedly faster than they'd been before. buck doesn't move, not until the echo fades away, when he finally drops his head to eddie's shoulder.

"sorry," he mutters. "i shouldn't have--it was just the first thing i thought of."

eddie doesn't say anything for a second, and when buck looks up he finds a flush creeping across his face. eddie swallows, twice, and blinks, slowly, with too-bright eyes.

"no," he says, "it's okay. it was good--uh, it was a good idea. smart."

"you don't think she--"

"i'm sure she would have said something if she'd recognised you," eddie says, slipping further back into his composed bodyguard persona with every word. "it's probably fine."

"your lips to gods ears," buck mutters, and eddie huffs a laugh.

"okay," he says. "think we can make it back to the hotel without any more incidents?"

"i make no promises," buck says, and eddie elbows him, and for a second it feels like nothing has changed between them.

but eddie is quiet as they finally make it out of the conference centre, and his hands hang awkwardly at his sides, no longer clutching buck's arm. a sinking feeling takes hold in buck's stomach, and only grows as they cross the street to the hotel.

there'd been a second, just after the kiss, when he'd thought maybe eddie had been into it. when he'd seen eddie's pink cheeks and wide eyes, heard the way his voice caught on it was good--

but it was all gone now, vanished in an instant when eddie flipped the switch back to bodyguard mode, and now all that's left is an uneasiness that's never existed between them before.

he didn't want it, buck thinks. i made a snap judgement and miscalculated like usual and now he's going to put in for a transfer, yet another person leaving me.

well, isn't that just typical.

by the time they get to the door of buck's hotel room, eddie is more distant than buck remembers ever seeing him. eddie watches him open the door and does a quick sweep of the room, then steps outside and nods at buck.

buck slips halfway into the room, then turns back to look at eddie. "good night," he says, trying to muster a smile. "say hi to christopher for me."

"night," eddie says and turns on his heel without another word. he exchanges a curt nod with chimney, who's settled in for the night shift, and disappears silently down the hall.

buck closes the door with a sigh. he'd been looking forward to being alone in his hotel room all day, but now the silence is heavy with the lack of eddie and all he can think about is how he'd fucked it up again, and now eddie's never going to want to see him again.

despite how hard he tries not to, he falls asleep thinking about eddie's lips on his.

--

in the morning, buck wakes to an angry knock on his door. it flies open before he can do much more than sit up in bed, and karen marches in, eddie in tow.

for the life of him, buck can't decipher eddie's expression.

karen flings a newspaper down on the bed in front of buck. there, front page above the fold, are two images side by side: one of buck and eddie walking down the hallway, clearly recognisable, and one of them tucked in the niche with their bodies pressed against each other.

"i--" buck starts, and closes his mouth when he can't think of anything to say. then, "but how?"

karen unfolds the newspaper to reveal a headline proclaiming SECURITY CAMERAS REVEAL SENATE-HOPEFUL'S SECRET SEXCAPADES.

"security cameras," buck mutters. right. he glances at the images again and notices they're timestamped, neat black-and-white numbers in the bottom right corner.

so there's no pretending the second picture is someone else.

he reads over the headline again and snorts. "it was hardly a sexcapade."

karen heaves a long-suffering sigh. "that's not--"

"not the point, i know," buck says. "but--we can spin this, right? you can spin it?"

"you're damn right i can spin this," karen says. "we'll just lean into it. america loves a love story."

buck looks up so fast he hears his neck crack. "you don't mean--"

"i do," karen says, and gestures between him and eddie. eddie, who--buck is pretty sure--would rather be literally anywhere else in the word right now. "as far as the media is concerned, this is happening. forbidden love. very media-sexy."

eddie still won't look at buck.

send me a trope mashup

(so... this is actually more like the precursor to fake dating oops maybe i will continue it someday if there is interest)

[moonlightbuckleys]

a prompt for the jestest jestie: buck posts a picture of eddie somewhere online (insta maybe) and it becomes a meme

this got away from me big time and im gonna be honest it doesnt even fully fit the request but i hope you like it

buddie | 1845 words | read on ao3

Eddie has never been especially tech savvy—and that did not exclude social media. He has an instagram account that his niece helped him make before he left Texas so he could keep up with her journey as a photographer—which, in his—only a little bit biased—opinion, she was gonna be famous for someday.

He also tried facebook to keep up with other relatives and friends from Texas—but as it turned out most his friends from Texas were also Shannon’s friends—which made things complicated—and the rest were a little too eager to call her a bitch for leaving him and Chris—which, despite Eddie’s own complicated feelings, sat with him about as well as getting shot. As for his relatives—well, the important ones he could always call.

The point is, Eddie’s never been one for social media, and then he gets a job as the LAFD’s liaison at dispatch and suddenly twitter becomes a staple of his life from 9-5, Mondays through Fridays.

And somehow—somehow—that leads Eddie here, sitting at his desk, staring at a tiktok he knows his best friend made—and he’s pretty sure it’s about him.

(Logically, he knows exactly how it happened—people on twitter will occasionally send him links to tiktoks about fire safety, asking about the accuracy of the content—and this is what he’s technically being paid for now, he supposes—and then a link leads him to a video that was unmistakably taken at the 118’s firehouse, and the voice behind it—without even a sliver of doubt—belonging to Buck. And then Eddie had clicked on the account it belonged to—and here he is.)

Here he is, staring at the last video posted on the account—well over a year ago—it’s not really a video, just a shot of a ceiling with block of text and some song Eddie vaguely recognizes from the radio playing over it.

The first thought he had upon seeing the video, was that he recognizes the shot of the ceiling as the bit just above Buck’s bed in the loft. The second thought he had—and still has—is that Buck is talking about him.

‘Guys please stop asking me for updates on my best friend- it’s never gonna happen. He’s straight, and has a girlfriend now, and I’m happy for him- he deserves to be happy.’

The comments are turned off, but that doesn’t matter, because Eddie’s already gone through Buck’s other tiktoks. He’s already found the video posted a few months before the last, another shot of the ceiling above Buck’s bed with text over it, there’s no music playing this time, and Eddie swears he can hear—what he thinks is—his own soft snores. The date on the video lines up with when Eddie was quarantining at Buck’s—when he had been sleeping in Buck’s bed.

‘When I pictured finally getting to share a bed with my best friend I didn’t expect it to be because of a global pandemic 😒’

So yeah, he’s almost positive it’s about him, and he has no idea what to do about it.

———

He’s not sure if he’s grateful or not to have to go to therapy after work, because on one hand, it keeps him from having to go home, to Buck—who’s been crashing on his couch ever since he and Taylor broke up, wanting to give her space to find a new place, it’s been over a month since that and Buck’s made no move to return to his loft, Taylor texted him a week ago telling him she had found a place and moved out—Buck hadn’t made any move to go back to his loft—and Eddie hasn’t asked.

“I think Buck might be in love with me.”

Frank raises an eyebrow and Eddie silently curses himself—and then Frank and therapy for making him so goddamn open about his feelings.

“What makes you think this?” Frank asks, his expression impassive as he links his fingers together, notepad left sitting in his lap.

Eddie wonders if it’s telling that Frank doesn’t have to ask who Buck is—wonders just how much he brings up Buck in conversation—and at what point it undoubtedly crossed the line of ‘normal amount to bring up your best friend in therapy.’

“Uh, I found his tiktok?” It sounds so stupid when he says it out loud—it sounds stupid when he thinks about it too—because really, what had he found? Two vague tiktoks—okay yeah, maybe they were about him—but that doesn’t mean that Buck is—or was—in love with him. Just that Buck had thought about sharing a bed with him—just that ‘it’s never gonna happen’ and that Buck thinks Eddie’s straight—and to be fair, until very recently, Eddie had also thought he was straight.

Until very recently, when he started thinking about Buck.

Eddie looks up—Frank is watching him, waiting patiently for Eddie to continue.

“Maybe—maybe not in love with me—but…something—I think he felt something—” he drags a hand through his hair, “I think—I think I want him to still feel something—for me.”

Frank nods slowly, “do you love him?”

“Jesus, Frank,” Eddie says, ignoring the way his heartbeat has sped up in his chest, “you really don’t beat around the bush.”

“I find that being direct seems to work best for you.”

Eddie stares at Frank, who’s expression remains impassive and patient.

“Of course I love him, he’s my best friend.”

Frank waits—Eddie thinks absently that if Buck and Frank ever teamed up against him, they would out stubborn him in seconds.

Eddie sighs, leaning back in his chair and staring up at the ceiling of Frank’s office, “if I was—in love with him—what do I—what would I do about it?”

“That’s a question only you can answer, Eddie. But if you’re asking me if it’s wrong—if you’re allowed to be in love with him—I ask you to think about all the people in your life, and of the people they love—and extending yourself the same love and acceptance that you give them.”

———

Eddie stops to pickup takeout on his way home from therapy—it’s another delay to going home, but he also really didn’t want to cook dinner tonight.

When he finally gets home, Buck is waiting for him on the couch, reading through a national geographic magazine that he had gotten Chris a subscription to for Christmas.

Buck looks up the second Eddie shuts the front door and smiles at him, “hey, everything go okay today?”

Eddie shrugs, “traffic was a pain—I got takeout.”

“I don’t mind cooking—”

“I know you don’t, but—” Eddie holds up the takeout bags—“I got dumplings from that Chinese place you and Chris love so much.”

Buck raises an eyebrow, “the place over on sixth?”

Eddie nods, attempting to toe off his boots.

“Did you get—”

“—the dipping sauce? Yeah—though I’m still not convinced it’s anything but soy sauce.”

“It’s not just soy sauce,” Buck insists, getting up from the couch and crossing the room to take the bags from him, “they put something special in it—a secret ingredient that makes it taste better than just soy sauce.”

Eddie rolls his eyes, but Buck’s already turned to take the food to the table.

“Chris is in his room,” Buck says over his shoulder, “he finished all his homework, so I told him he could play video games until you got home.”

It’s such a simple statement, but it makes Eddie’s heart beat a little faster in his chest—this is what he wants, he realizes—coming home to Buck, raising Christopher together—being a family together. And he already has it—for the most part he has it—and maybe he doesn’t have to settle for only mostly having it.

“So, uh, I’ve discovered tiktok.” Eddie says as he moves to join Buck in setting the table.

Buck raises an eyebrow, “Tiktok? I know you don’t love having a desk job—but are you really that bored?”

Eddie finds himself rolling his eyes again, though the fond smile growing across his face probably negates it, “I found it through work, actually—people have been sending links to fare safety tiktoks and asking if they’re any good.”

Buck snorts, “and are they?”

“There have been a few good ones,” Eddie says slowly, debating his words as he stares down at the empty glass in his hands, “found a really good one today, actually.”

“Oh yeah?” Buck asks—completely unaware as he continues searching through the cabinets for Christopher’s favorite cup—because Chris currently has a favorite cup—and Buck knows that.

“The guy was really knowledgable about fire safety, though honestly I was a bit more interested in his other tiktoks—” Eddie sets down the glass so he doesn’t risk breaking it with his shaking hands—“I think—I think he might be in love with his best friend.”

There’s a pause and Eddie can see the exact moment Buck realizes what Eddie’s talking about, because his entire body freezes—his head still halfway in one of the cabinets.

“I think—” Eddie’s heart pounds in his chest as he continues, a voice in the back of his head telling him now or never—“I think he should give the best friend a chance—because maybe he was just a little slow in realizing he feels the same way.”

Buck turns around so quick his head thunks into the cabinet door—Eddie winces on his behalf but if it hurt Buck doesn’t show it.

“You what?” His voice is barely above a whisper, and he’s staring at Eddie like his life depends on it.

“I love you,” Eddie says, the words not so much as spilling from his tongue—instead they dance across it—delicate but purposeful.

“Eddie—”

“I’m in love with you,” Eddie clarifies—because he can see the almost-panicked hope in Buck’s eyes—and the thinly veiled doubt.

Buck stares at him, and Eddie’s heart pounds in his chest as the seconds rick by—each one feeling like a lifetime—Eddie tries not to let the panic rise in his chest as Buck just stands there, because what if he was wrong—what if—

“Eddie—” Buck repeats, voice unbearably soft—and then he’s there right in front of Eddie, blue eyes searching brown for just a moment and then—

Kissing Buck feels like coming home to him a million times all at once—and Eddie vaguely wonders if this is what the movies mean by true love’s kiss.

“You’re right,” Buck says against his lips, pulling back just enough to speak, “that guy on tiktok is definitely in love with his best friend.”

“Oh yeah?” Eddie tries to squint quizzically at him, but he’s pretty sure the smile burning bright across his face betrays that, “how can you be so sure? I haven’t even showed you the—”

He’s interrupted by Buck’s lips crashing back into his—and Eddie’s pretty sure he will never be mad about being interrupted by Buck ever again if it feels like this.

“I love you,” Buck says when they finally have to break for air, “Eddie—I love you so much—I—” he pauses, eyes widening slightly and then he’s laughing—“I can’t believe this is happening because you found my stupid tiktoks—”

Eddie manages to somehow smile even harder, “hey, I’ll have you know those tiktoks were very informational.”

[oneawkwardcookie]

It almost feels like a joke to play out a part When you are not the starring role in someone else's heart You know I'd rather walk alone (I'd rather walk alone) Than play a supporting role If I can't get the starring role

thumbnail by @fullmoondiaz

[imtheiliad]

Buck watching Christopher and Eddie ⤷for @soullistrations

[image description: 8 large gifs from 911, 4 gifs of Evan Buckley and 4 gifs of Eddie Diaz, and Christopher Diaz. gif 1: from season 2 episode 3, Buck smiles and watches from his car as Eddie and Christopher reunite. gif 2: Eddie spins Christopher around, they are both smiling wide. gif 3: from season 2 episode 4, Buck talks with Josephina at the hospital as he watches Eddie and Christopher. gif 4: Eddie holds Christopher on his hip. gif 5: from season 3 episode 3, Buck covered in dirt and scratches watches in disbelief and then smiles as Eddie and Christopher are reunited. gif 6: Eddie kneeling on the ground, with Christopher in his arms, looks back over his shoulder at Buck. gif 7: from season 4 episode 14, Buck watches Eddie and Christopher from the doorway of Eddie's house and smiles. gif 8: Eddie bends down and kisses Christopher's hair. /end ID]

[ravipanikar]

RAVI PANIKKAR in 5x17 'Hero Complex'