#also this is not a gay eddie post miss me with that shit | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

mamakitty187 · 2 years

Text

Bad Ideas

Billy Hargrove x Eddie Munson

Rating: Explict

Warnings: rough sex, attempted non-con, gay slurs

A/N: Okay, so this one reeeeally got away from me... but once the idea hit me I just *had* to write it. Anywho, I hope yall like it!

Also available on ao3, here.

——— ——— ———

Billy Hargrove is many things - hot, mean, dangerous. But he is not gay. That’s what he tells himself anyway. He loves to fuck - loves it. He loves the feel of burying his cock in something tight and hot. And there’s nothing gay about that. Besides, he’s fucked nearly every woman in Hawkins, and a few from the surrounding towns too. Doesn’t matter how young or old (within reason), as long as it’s a hole he’ll fuck it. Mouth, pussy… ass… he loves fucking a nice, tight ass, probably more than anything else. Watching his cock disappear into the other person’s greedy little hole just drives him fucking wild. Making them scream his name, dragging his nails down their back or spanking them til their cheeks are red and hot. And when he’s done, shoving them off and watching his cum leak down their thighs.

There’s nothing gay about that, no matter who that hole is attached to. Billy fucks.

———

Eddie’s never been big on labels. Everyone’s gonna call him a freak no matter what (or who) he does anyway, so why should he waste his precious time biting his nails over what they’ll call him next? However, he is careful who he invites into his bed. Rarely is it anyone from school, more often it’s a post-concert (or deal) hookup. A lot of the time it’s a girl, but not always. He’s never really dated anyone, mostly because he’s never found anyone that wanted to date him. But it doesn’t bother him much, he’s got his band, his Hellfire club, his small circle of friends. And once he (eventually) graduates, he’s gonna get the hell out of Indiana anyway, and none of it will matter.

———

Eddie didn’t know what Billy’s problem with him was lately. He’d caught the resident ‘bad boy’ staring daggers at him any time they crossed paths, and it was making him curious. He was pretty sure they hadn’t banged the same chick, and even if they had, Billy was even less interested in repeat-hookups than himself. He knew he hadn’t sold him anything, so it’s not like he got shorted. Eddie shrugged; whatever his problem was, either he’d confront Eddie about it or he wouldn’t. No skin off his nuts either way. After school, Eddie went out to the picnic table in the woods. He didn’t have any deals lined up, but sometimes someone’ll just show up. He sat on the table with his feet on the bench, his back away from the school. A lit Camel hung from his lips as he scribbled some lyrics in a notebook, humming along to the melody in his head. He didn’t hear the footsteps behind him, and definitely didn’t see the hand reaching for the back of his shirt until he was dragged back. “What the fuck!” “Shut up, Munson,” Billy growled, and shoved his face down against the table. “You’ve got a lot of fucking nerve, you know that?”

“Woah man, whatever you think I did it wasn’t me, okay?” Eddie helds his hands up at his sides, trying to look back at the man behind him. “I said, shut up. You think you’re real slick with this shit, huh?” Billy pulled the bandana from Eddie’s back pocket and shoved it in his face. “It’d be funny if it wasn’t so pathetic. You really think you’re a top? You? You couldn’t top a fucking ice cream sundae.” Eddie tried again to look back at him, his brow furrowed. “Okay, I missed something, what the fuck are you talking about?”

“Don’t play fucking stupid,” Billy huffed, finally releasing Eddie and stepping back. He plucked the cigarette from where it’d fallen on the table and took a drag. “Wear that shit on the right side next time, or someone’s gonna sue for false advertising.”

Eddie turned to him, still utterly perplexed. Billy took another drag, then flicked the butt in Eddie’s face before turning away. He paused, glancing over his shoulder for a moment, then sneered and shook his head as he walked away. Eddie didn’t move; he barely breathed as he watched Billy disappear into the woods. When he was sure he was alone, he groaned and adjusted himself. Stupid fucking jackass getting him riled up for no reason. Eddie grabbed his lunchbox and his jacket and headed for his van, replaying the scene over and over, searching for any clue what the fuck that had been about.

It wasn’t until a couple weeks later that he figured it out. He was in the city for a concert, doing some shopping before heading to the venue. He walked into one of his favorite record stores and checked the bulletin board for any new gig potentials, and that’s when he saw it. Sticking out from behind a few layers of concert posters and guitarist-wanted flyers, there was a pamphlet for something called “The Hanky Code”. Eddie moved the other papers aside and looked it over. His eyes scanned down the list of colors and meanings. Black bandana, worn in the back left pocket - s&m top. This couldn’t be what Billy was talking about though, because how the hell would Billy Hargrove of all people know about a code system for gay kink? And even if he did, why would he be pissed at Eddie for “misrepresenting”, unless… “Holy shit.” Eddie stepped back from the board and covered his mouth. He didn’t know whether to be shocked or amused, or both.

When he got back to school on Monday, he kept a subtle eye on Billy. He was careful, that much was sure. But when he thought no one was looking, Eddie saw the other guy’s eyes drift up and down some decidedly not-female bodies. Son of a bitch… Eddie laughed out loud the first time he caught it. The sound drew Billy’s attention, his blue eyes snapping to the metalhead from across the cafeteria with a nasty sneer. Eddie just smirked and shook his head, then turned back to his conversation about the next Hellfire session. He caught Billy glaring at him more than ever after that, but it didn’t bother him any more. Eddie was pretty sure he had it figured out now - the dude was jealous, pissed off that Eddie didn’t care who talked, that he had the freedom that already being an outcast provided. If it came out that Eddie was into guys as much as girls, no one would bat an eye - just another item on the list of what made him a freak. But if anyone caught wind that Billy was anything other than a full-blooded skirt-chaser… Eddie couldn’t imagine it going well for him. Poor guy. Maybe that’s why Eddie started catching Billy’s eye more often, giving him subtle nods and smirks, and even a wink or two. Billy obviously needed an outlet, and if Eddie was totally honest, it’s not like he hadn’t thought about how their meeting in the woods could’ve ended differently. Eddie was always down for a good time, and if the rumors were true, Billy knew how to provide. Was it risky? Sure, but Eddie wasn’t scared of him, not now. Not when he knew he had the upper hand.

Eddie still went to the picnic table after school every day, sometimes doing deals, other times just smoking and writing. After a week and a half he was getting tired of waiting for something to happen. It’d been a long day, he was tired and hungry, and wanted to go home. Just as he was packing up his stuff, he heard footsteps approaching. “Closing up shop so make it quick,” he said without turning around.

“Thought I told you to cut that shit out.” Billy’s voice was gruff, but quiet, and it sent a tingle down Eddie’s spine. “What, this?” Eddie smirked and looked over his shoulder, tugging at the bandana in his back pocket. “Funny story, I didn’t know this meant anything til you brought it up. I just like having my bandana on hand.” He turned around and leaned against the picnic table, his arms crossed and a smirk on his lips. “But you… you seem to know exactly what it meant. Wonder how that happened.”

“Fuck you, Munson,” Billy spat, but Eddie just grinned wider. “When and where, Hargrove?”

In an instant Billy had closed the space between them, grabbing a fistful of Eddie’s curls and pulling his head back, his other hand wrapping around Eddie’s throat. “Yeah you’d like that, wouldn’t you? I should, just to wipe that stupid fucking smile off your face. You think you’re so god damn hot, don’t you?” Eddie swallowed hard, and his hands gripped the edge of the table until his knuckles blanched. “No, but… but I think you do,” he said with a strained voice as Billy squeezed his throat tighter. He braced himself, for what he didn’t know - a punch maybe, a knee to the balls, or maybe, just maybe, something more pleasure than pain. He got none of those as Billy practically shoved him backwards, then backed away. “Eleven o’clock. Your shitty trailer.” Billy glared at him, then turned and stalked away again.

Holy shit… Eddie honestly hadn’t expected Billy to actually take the bait. He looked down at his hands, not surprised to see them shaking slightly. This was a bad idea… Eddie was playing with fire, and he knew it. But sometimes it’s hard to resist that burn.

It was 10:59 when Eddie heard the roar of an engine and the squeal of tires outside his window. He sat up and opened the door, only to be shoved inside by Billy. “Hey to you too,” he laughed as he shut the door. “So, uh, welcome to my castle. Sorry bout the mess, it uh… yeah…” “Like I give a fuck. Bedroom, now.” “Well aren’t you a romantic,” Eddie chuckled, but led the way back to his bedroom. He’d at least had time to clean up in here somewhat, and lit some incense to cover up the smell of weed and cigarette smoke. He was nervous, he could admit that to himself at least. Not because of any kind of feelings for the other man, far from it; he was just worried what Billy would do, what he was capable of. He was trusting a guy who absolutely, under no circumstances, should ever be trusted. And he’d invited him into his home, his sanctuary. What the fuck had he been thinking? Oh yeah, he’d been thinking about how hard Billy probably fucks. “Lemme just throw some music on. These walls aren’t exactly sound-proof.” Eddie looked through his tapes, picking out something by Metallica. He heard Billy scoff and mutter something under his breath, but decided it was safer to ignore it. “So, how you wanna-” “Shut up, and get on your knees.” Billy glared at him as he unbuckled his belt and unzipped his jeans. “You gonna stand the whole time? I got a perfectly good bed right there.” “You think I wanna sit on that nasty fucking piss-stained piece of shit mattress?” Billy reached out and grabbed Eddie’s hair again. “I said. Get on. Your knees.” He pushed, forcing Eddie down, and Eddie let him. Eddie’s eyes widened when Billy used his free hand to pull his cock out. It was impressive, a solid seven or eight inches at least.

“Well well, the rumors are true. Guess you’re not all talk, huh?” Eddie knew it was a bad idea to piss Billy off, but he couldn’t help it. Still, he didn’t expect to get backhanded so hard his head whipped around. “Bout time someone put that fucking mouth of yours to good use, Munson.” Billy adjusted the grip he had on Eddie’s hair and pulled his face forwards. Eddie for his part held back any further quips, and licked a stripe up Billy’s shaft. He felt the man above him shiver, and smirked before doing it again. He lapped at it slowly, teasingly. But he could tell Billy was getting impatient, so before too much time went by he wrapped his hand around the thick cock, and sucked the tip into his mouth. Billy stared down, watching silently and with a stony expression. The hand not in Munson’s hair hung at his side, balled into a tight fist. He let Eddie go at his own pace for maybe a minute, before grumbling and forcing his cock down the other man’s throat. Eddie coughed and squeezed his eyes shut, but when he managed to adjust he looked up at Billy and gave a thumbs up. Billy rolled his eyes and pulled back before thrusting again. He set a brutal pace, and Eddie struggled to keep from gagging. Eddie pressed the heel of his palm against his own growing hard-on, moaning around Billy’s cock. He figured Billy would be rough, counted on it… hoped for it, maybe even. Eddie wasn’t ashamed of what he liked, but that didn’t make getting it any easier, so it’d been a while since he’d been treated so roughly. He closed his eyes and groaned as he rubbed himself through his jeans. “Yeah, that’s what I thought,” Billy muttered, gripping Eddie’s hair tighter. “Look at you, choking on my cock like a fucking slut.” He pulled Eddie’s head back again, smirking as the other guy gasped for breath, a line of spit hanging from his lip. Eddie opened his eyes, and he could only guess how blown out they must’ve looked.

Billy shoved him backwards towards the bed. Eddie stumbled as he turned around, hands fumbling with his belt. As soon as Billy heard the zipper he grabbed the waist of Eddie’s jeans in both hands and ripped them down. “Fuck, someone’s eager,” Eddie panted, but yelped when Billy brought a hand down on his ass with a resounding smack. “Shit… bedside drawer.” He pointed with a shaky hand, then kneeled on the side of his mattress. Billy yanked the drawer open, sending a lighter and some papers off the top, and grabbed the jar of Vaseline out before slamming it shut again, this time sending an ashtray rattling to the floor. “H-hey man, easy with the goods.” Eddie’s voice trembled, and this time he wasn’t as surprised by the spank. He hung his head, muttering a curse, and wrapped his fist around his own aching erection. Billy looked down at the blooming red handprints. He smiled darkly and left a few more, relishing every moan and curse he drew from the man under him. “Fuck, you really are a needy little slut, aren’t you? I could beat the shit out of you and you’d probably get off on it.”

Eddie shook his head, he wasn’t a masochist, not really… but he gasped as Billy yanked on his hair again, pulling his head back at a sharp angle. A moment later he hissed as he felt two thick fingers being pushed into him roughly. “Ow fuck, come on man not s-so… fuck…” At least Billy’d been kind enough to use some lubrication, though not much. Eddie gritted his teeth, his fingers grasping at his sheets as he tried to breathe through the pain. Billy twisted and pushed his fingers at a brutal pace, and the pain was almost too much. Eddie was starting to see stars already when he felt a third finger being pressed against his hole. Thankfully Billy slowed his pace as he eased it in with the others, spreading and stretching. The pain finally dissipated into pleasure, and Eddie panted, his tongue lolling out of his mouth. He couldn’t even focus enough to touch himself, but it didn’t look like that was going to matter.

All of a sudden Billy’s touch was gone, and Eddie fell forward awkwardly. His arms felt like lead as he pushed himself up and looked over his shoulder. Billy was stroking himself, his cock glistening with a thin coating of lubrication, and Eddie felt his mouth water. Damn it, he wasn’t supposed to want it this bad. He met Billy’s eyes, which seemed to piss the other man off. He gripped Eddie’s hair again (always with the hair…) and shoved his face into the mattress as he moved behind him. Eddie braced himself, knowing full well Billy was going to make this hurt. Billy actually showed some restraint, but he hadn’t prepped Eddie enough, and as the head of his cock pressed against the tight hole Eddie whined and clawed at the sheets. It seemed to go on forever, and Eddie wondered if Billy’s cock had somehow grown longer. But finally he felt the other man’s hips pressed firmly against his ass, holding still. He pressed a hand to the small of Eddie’s back, and Eddie felt like he’d have a scorch mark in its place. His own cock was trapped between his body and the mattress, and he squirmed to seek some friction. “Fuck, knew you’d know how to take a cock,” Billy moaned. Eddie whined again and pushed back. “Little slut, fucking begging for it.” He pulled his hips back, then slammed them forward again, and Eddie cried out. Once more Billy tangled his fingers in Eddie’s locks and pulled backwards, using his hair like reins on a horse as he drove into him again and again. Eddie couldn’t remember the last time he’d been fucked this brutally, if he ever had. The line between pleasure and pain blurred, moreso as Billy brought his other hand down on his ass time and time again. He tried to push back, to give some kind of response, but it was all he could do to hang on and let Billy take him however he wanted. The tape that had been playing ended, and suddenly the room was full of the sounds of skin on skin, Billy grunting and Eddie whining and moaning. “Shut up,” Billy barked, and moved the hand on Eddie’s back to his throat. Eddie’s eyes went wide, and for the first time he felt a spark of genuine fear. He could feel Billy’s fingernails digging into his flesh, and he knew he’d have marks. That probably shouldn’t have turned him on even more, but he was Eddie the Freak, after all. “You wanna get off, you better do it yourself,” Billy grunted. Eddie’s hand shook as he wrapped it around his own cock, trying to match Billy’s insane pace as he stroked himself. It was too much, too fast, too hard… Billy slammed his hips forward, his grip on Eddie’s hair and throat tightening. Eddie started to feel lightheaded, tears pricking at his eyes, and a voice in the back of his head told him he’d known all along this was a stupid idea. And then, as Billy let out a noise somewhere between a growl and a scream, his cock pulsed and throbbed, painting Eddie’s insides with his seed. Eddie keened, his own dick twitching as he coated his hand and the sheets beneath him with his own release.

Billy pulled out roughly, dropping Eddie to the mattress in a shivering heap. Eddie heard rustling, and struggled to look behind him; Billy had grabbed some tissues to clean himself up, and was already zipping up his jeans. He looked Eddie over with a cold smile.

“Almost wish I could get a picture of this.” “You gonna…” Eddie swallowed, his mouth bone dry. “Put it up in your locker?” He watched as Billy scowled, lunging forward and gripping him by the nape of the neck and pulling him upright. “You tell anybody, and I mean anybody about this, and they won’t even find your fucking body. You got that, Munson?” Eddie nodded weakly, still struggling to make his sore throat work properly. He was dropped again, and a moment later his door slammed shut, followed by the door to the trailer. He lay there as he listened to the engine outside rev loudly, tires throwing up gravel as Billy’s car peeled out and sped away. He lay there for a long time, aching all over. Slowly he cleaned himself up and crawled into bed, curling up. He’d be sore as fuck the next morning, he knew it. But at least he’d had fun… for the most part. When he woke up the next day he was in even more pain that he’d anticipated. He dragged himself to the bedroom, and his reflection shocked him - hair a tangled mess, eyes bloodshot, neck red and bruised, lips dry and cracking. He looked like hell. He took a shower, sighing as the hot water helped soothe his aching muscles. He thought about playing hooky, but remembered he had a quiz in Mrs O’Donnell’s class, and he couldn’t afford another zero. So after his shower he got dressed and hopped in his van (well, more like gingerly sat) and drove to school, getting there just as the first bell rang. He spotted Billy at lunch, but made sure not to look over for too long. Still, he could see the appraising look the other man gave him, his lips curling up a fraction before he looked away. Like he was proud of his handiwork. Eddie expected that to be the end of it. Billy had gotten his fix, and so had he. Days went by, and the marks on his neck faded away. Eddie played his weekly show at The Hideout, and brought home a girl that’d wandered in halfway through. It was good, but it didn’t scratch that same itch. A couple weeks later Eddie was laying in bed, smoking a joint and listening to his new Megadeth album, when he heard a familiar car outside. As soon as he opened the door Billy was there, grabbing him by the back of the neck and dragging him to the bedroom, slamming the door shut behind him. And that’s how it started. Every couple weeks or so, Billy would just show up at Eddie’s trailer, fuck him raw, and then leave with a threat of violence if word ever left those four walls. Eddie put up with it, mostly because he loved the way it felt when Billy manhandled him. But he didn’t love the bruises on his neck and ass, or the sore scalp from having his hair constantly yanked. And he was getting real tired of the constant sneers and threatening looks Billy gave him throughout the days in between. He knew Billy was using him, just as much as he was using Billy, but the hypocrisy made him sick.

It wasn’t that Eddie had feelings for Billy - far from it. He hated everything about him, other than the sex. He didn’t like how he treated anyone he saw as beneath him (so, everybody); he didn’t like how he carried himself like he was untouchable. He really didn’t like how he treated his kid sister, and that was just based off what he saw. Someone needed to put him in his place. Eddie just wasn’t that guy.

He started wondering what Billy would do if he turned him down. Would he get pissed off, or just leave? Eddie wasn’t sure, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to find out. But the next time Billy stopped by, Eddie just wasn’t in the mood. When he answered the door he blocked the way, standing his ground so Billy couldn’t shove him back. “Not tonight, Hargrove. I’m fucking beat.”

“Got a headache?” Billy sneered. “Too bad.” “Yeah, too bad for you,” Eddie replied, rolling his eyes. “Better luck next time.” He watched as Billy’s jaw tensed, his hands clenching and unclenching. “You really think you can say no to me? With how bad you were begging for it last time? Shit, you were fucking crying.” “First off,” Eddie scoffed, “no I wasn’t. Second, yeah I do, and I’ll prove it - no.” He quickly shut his door, flipping the lock. He stood there a minute, not counting on Billy giving up that easy. But to his surprise, he did hear Billy’s Camaro pulling away from the trailer. So maybe it really was that simple. Eddie woke with a start to someone banging on his door. He rubbed his eyes and looked at the clock - it was nearing 2 in the morning. The pounding continued, along with a familiar voice yelling his name. “Open the god damn door, Munson!” Billy shouted, then went back to banging. Eddie grumbled and tossed the blankets aside; if he’d been thinking more clearly, he might’ve grabbed a shirt instead of answering the door in just his boxers.

“Hargrove, what the fuck do you want?” He opened the main door but kept the screen door locked. “Holy shit dude, you smell like a bar at closing time.”

“Let me in, Munson,” Billy growled. His eyes were glazed, and his lips glistened with spit. If it wasn’t the middle of the night, Eddie might’ve considered it. “No way. Go sleep it off somewhere else, man; I’m sure you’ve got ten kinds of pussy on speed dial. Or dick,” he added with a smirk. “Fuck you!” Billy shouted suddenly, making Eddie jump. “I’m not like you, Freak. Don’t you think for a god damn second I’m anything like you. Now shut the fuck up and open the fucking door!”

Eddie looked around as a dog started barking. “Jesus, Hargrove, you trying to wake the fucking neighborhood? Go the fuck home, seriously. Deal with your closet-shit on your own time.”

“You’re gonna regret this, Munson. Nobody says no to me. Nobody.” “Yeah yeah, I’m sure.” Eddie rolled his eyes again. “Have fun with the hangover.” He closed the door and leaned against it. He was wide awake now, and as he listened for the sound of the Camaro’s engine, the silence stretched on. Suddenly something hit the side of the trailer with a loud bang, followed by the sound of glass shattering.

“Jesus Christ,” Eddie gasped, jumping back. “Fucking faggot!” Billy screamed. “I’m gonna tell everyone what a god damn fag you are! You’re gonna fucking regret this!” “Shit,” Eddie breathed. He peered out the window and saw Billy standing there glaring at the trailer. After a few tense moments he got in his Camaro and sped away. Eddie backed up to lean against the kitchen counter, his heart hammering in his chest. Yeah, maybe this really was a bad idea after all…

The next day, Eddie tried not to think about the night before. Maybe Billy had gone home and slept it off; maybe he wouldn’t even remember it today. Eddie really hoped that was the case. He spotted Billy in the hall after third period - dark sunglasses covering what Eddie assumed was a pretty gnarly hangover face. He saw the other guy’s head turn in his direction, but he quickly turned down a side hall to escape. It wasn’t that he was afraid of him; he just didn’t wanna deal with Billy’s drama.

He was heading back in from lunch when he got called to the principal’s office. He was mostly sure he hadn’t broken any rules today, so he was more than a little confused. Principal Higgins met him in the hall, commanding him to follow. As they approached Eddie’s locker, he groaned, seeing the problem already.

“You want to explain this?” Principal Higgins asked sternly, pointing to the locker. The word ‘fag’ was spray painted across it in bright pink. “Vandalism is a serious offense, son.”

Eddie stared at him, one eyebrow up.

“You think I sprayed a slur on my own locker?”

“Don’t get cute with me,” the older man huffed. “You’re gonna go to the janitors office and get some paint remover and a rag, and you’re going to scrub this locker until it’s good as new. And whatever you miss in your classes is up to you to make up.”

“This is bullshit!” Eddie scowled. “Why am I getting hit for this?”

“Enough. Get to work, Munson, or I’ll have you suspended.”

Eddie scoffed as the principal walked away, and flipped him off behind his back. He went to get the cleaning supplies, grumbling to himself the whole time. Of course he knew who did this; it sucked, but it was kinda tame compared to what he’d feared. It took him the better part of an hour to strip the paint from the metal, and there was a faint outline from where he’d had to scrub extra hard.

The bell rang just as he was wiping his hands off on his jeans, the halls flooding with people. He could hear the whispers, feel the eyes on him. Big deal, he was used to that. But he wasn’t used to people keeping such a wide berth around him as he headed to his next class. Whatever, he thought, these sheep see one word of graffiti and jump to conclusions. But the stares and whispers kept happening, more than usual. He stopped between classes to eavesdrop, and it didn’t take long to hear what the buzz was all about. “Did you hear the freak tried to hit on Jackson at that party last week?” “I heard he did the same thing to Scott West.” “A friend of mine said he knows a guy who Eddie tried to jump after selling him some speed.”

Eddie’s blood ran cold. To be outed, yeah that sucked. But to be accused of being that aggressive, that predatory... that one hurt. Eddie stood facing his locker for a long time, his hands shaking. He shouldn’t have been surprised Billy would stoop that low, but he didn’t expect he’d actually go there.

After school he went to his usual spot. He had a couple deals already lined up from the past couple days, but as he sat waiting, the woods were silent and empty. He hated getting stood up, but given the rumor mill, he probably should’ve expected it. Still, one of them was a regular, someone Eddie would even call a friend. Someone that definitely should’ve known better. He grumbled as he packed up his stuff and walked back out onto school grounds. The parking lot was still a little busy, with after-school clubs having just gotten out. He crossed the lot to his van, but stopped halfway there.

The same graffiti that had been left on his locker was gracing all four sides - including the windshield - of his van. Eddie seethed; nobody messed with his ride. He looked around, and suddenly a wave of laughter spread across the crowd. And then the shouts started. Eddie tried to ignore them as he stomped to his van, slamming the door shut as he got in. He could barely see around the hot pink coating the windshield. He turned his music up to a deafening volume and revved his engine loudly before peeling out of the lot.

He almost didn’t go home, afraid of what he might find there. But if he was gonna disappear for a couple days to let this blow over, he was gonna need some supplies.

He pulled into the trailer park and swore. Billy’s Camaro was parked outside his trailer, the asshole leaning against the side and smoking a cigarette. Eddie stopped, seriously considering turning tail and running. But what good would that really do? He couldn’t just run away completely. So he pushed forward, white-knuckled hands gripping the steering wheel as he pulled in next to Billy’s car. “Shouldn’t have said no to me,” Billy said as Eddie got out of his van, slamming the door hard enough to rock the vehicle.

“Just what the fuck is your problem, Hargrove?” Eddie snapped. “Scratch that, I know exactly what your problem is. But that’s just it - it’s your problem, not mine. Find someone else to be your guilty fuck.”

Eddie shoved past him and started into his trailer, but he was shoved forward, falling into the counter that divided the kitchen and living room. He didn’t have time to react before he heard the door being locked shut behind him, and then he was being bent over, his face pressed against the laminate countertop. He struggled, but froze when he felt the cold sting of a knife being pressed against his throat. “You move one fucking muscle and you’re a dead man,” Billy growled, his voice low and dangerously calm. Eddie swallowed hard, his eyes watering. He really never should have given Billy the time of day, let alone let him start all of this. He’d always been so careful before, for this exact reason. It was stupid, so stupid, and now he was gonna regret that stupidity forever.

Eddie felt Billy’s hand on his back, tugging at the waist of his jeans, and he panicked. Everything happened in a blur as he kicked backwards, spun around and wrestled the knife from Billy’s hand, shoved Billy back, took a swipe with the knife that missed, took another swipe that sliced Billy’s cheek. Both men froze for a long, tense moment. A faint trickle of blood dripped down Billy’s cheek.

“Get the fuck out of my house,” Eddie said, his voice shaking but thick with conviction. “Or I swear to god I’ll cut it off.”

Billy continued to stare at him, and Eddie mentally braced himself for the worst. But then the blond scoffed.

“Wasn’t even that good,” he muttered, reaching behind himself to open the door.

“And don’t come back,” Eddie added, pointing the knife for emphasis. Billy walked backwards out the door and down the steps, eyeing Eddie like a dangerous animal. When he got to his car he shook his head and got in, music blaring. He revved his engine once, then backed up and pulled away in a cloud of dust and gravel.

“Eddie?”

Eddie jumped a mile, turning to see his uncle staring at him from the hallway. He felt all the blood drain from his face as he looked at his uncle’s concerned face, and the pistol he held tight in his grip. The older man took a step closer, then another; he set the gun down as he approached his nephew. “It’s okay, he’s gone. You can relax now.” Eddie nodded, lowering the knife in his still-shaking hand. He rubbed his face, wiping away the tears he hadn’t noticed falling.

“It’s okay,” his uncle said again, softer. He closed the distance, pulling Eddie into a tight embrace. “It’s okay,” he whispered, as his nephew crumbled, sniffling and sobbing into his uncle’s shoulder.

Hours later, they sat beside each other on the couch, beers in hand, some old black and white rerun on the tv. Eddie looked over at his uncle for the umteenth time since that afternoon, and smiled. His uncle smiled back and patted his shoulder; a laugh track on the tv drew both their attention, and they joined in as the characters got themselves into yet another predicament, one that both Munsons knew they’d get out of scott-free. Sometimes Eddie wished life was like that, where every problem could be wrapped up in thirty minutes or left. But even if that wasn’t true, he was grateful he had people he could count on. Over the next few days, things went back to normal. Eddie’s uncle helped scrub the van clean, and it stayed that way. The rumor mills moved on to their next target, and within a week nobody even bothered a second glance at Eddie the Freak. His sales bounced back, and he even received a few phone numbers hidden between the bills. Once in a while he caught Billy’s eye across the hall or the cafeteria but the blond never looked for more than a moment, and Eddie was more than okay with that.

It had been a hell of a mistake, that was for damn sure. But it had been a hell of a ride. Not one he’d want to repeat any time soon, but he didn’t exactly regret it either. Largely because now his uncle and him had a new understanding. It wasn’t like he’d thought his uncle would reject him, but it had still hung over his head, a secret between family that didn’t keep secrets. But now that it (and he) was out, it was like a weight was lifted off his chest.

He still pitied Billy, in a way. Maybe if things had gone different they could’ve been friends. Maybe if Billy’d had someone like his uncle, someone to tell him it was okay. He hoped Billy found someone like that, before that rage destroyed him. Because he could see it coming, and he was pretty sure Billy could too.

But that wasn’t his problem; it hadn’t been before, and it definitely wasn’t his problem now. He had bigger problems, like trying to finally graduate high school, and getting out of this shithole of a town. He had a whole lifetime ahead of him, with plenty of big dreams to fulfill. This was the year it was gonna happen, he could feel it. 1986 was gonna be his year.

#stranger things #eddie munson #billy hargrove #billy hargrove x eddie munson

25 notes · View notes

seidenbros · 2 years

Text

I See Your True Colours Ch. 3

Requests are open | prompt lists for inspiration | Stranger Things Masterlist

Summary:“You know, it’s not just what we’ve been through together, seeing you there in your own blood… the demobat attacks…” Steve licked his lips, because his own scars would always remind him of that. “There were already nightmares before that. I dream about the Russians all the time, ‘cause I don’t even know how we made it out of there.” --- Spending the first night at home with the Hendersons - Eddie's and Wayne's ne home after the trailer had been destroyed - is different than anything Eddie had expected. Sitting around the dinner table with them made him feel so welcome, but he'd still afraid of the nightmares that will probably come back that night. And the there's Steve, who simply has to check up on Eddie, make sure that he is alright. But it's not just that, because Steve tells Eddie things, he hadn't talked about yet and one thing even Robin doesn't know. Pairing: Eddie Munson x Steve Harrington - Steddie Word count: 3676 Warning/Tags: fluff, angst, canon divergence, everybody lives, nightmares,bisexual Steve Harrington, gay Eddie Munson, supportive Wayne Munson, end of and after S4, there was only one bed?, eating disorders, trauma, ptsd (let me know if I missed anything) Author’s note: Maybe, I'll make Sunday my day to update this fic, which gives me time to finish the last two chapters until I have to post them. Comments, critique and suggestions are always welcome 💚 Read on AO3 Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7

The doctors were really happy with Eddie’s examinations. Everything looked good, but like they’d said before, he’d have to come back to get his bandages changed until he could take them off completely, which would probably be in a couple of days.

“I actually have someone who knows how to do that, who’d help me with that,” Eddie told them, remembering what Steve had told him. Wayne’s curious look made him elaborate on that. “Harrington has kinda the same injuries and he said he’d help.”

Eddie picked up on the smile on his uncle’s lips, the twinkle in his eyes. Oh, Eddie knew what he was thinking, but Eddie himself didn’t want to get his hopes up. They’d become friends after all, and friends helped each other, right? Sometimes, he felt like he was fourteen again and not a twenty-year-old.

They told him that it was okay, but if there were any problems, he needed to come back here. Hopefully, that wouldn’t happen, because even though he’d only been awake for what? Two days? He really didn’t want to come back that soon. His belongings were already packed so that he could get in the car with Wayne and go home. Well, his home for now, because they couldn’t keep living with Dustin and his Mum forever.

Seeing Hawkins as it was now for the first time was… heartbreaking. Even though he’d been treated like a criminal, like shit by so many people here, this town was still the only home he knew, and there were also a lot of people here that were dear to his heart. There was probably not a lot they could do about it, but his mind still started racing. At least until they reached the Henderson house.

Claudia was already waiting at the door for them, opening her arms to welcome Eddie with a hug, careful not to hurt him with all the wounds that were still healing.

“Welcome home, love!” A warm smile was levelled at him, and Eddie felta blush creep up his neck. This was not what he’d expected at all, after pretty much the whole town had been after him. But Wayne had told him how welcome they were here.

“Thank you,” he said with a shy smile before Dustin barged in and told Eddie to follow him, leaving the adults behind. He was always so full of energy, even with the cast on his leg, but he was just happy to have Eddie home, in their home.“We turned this into your room.” Dustin opened the door and let Eddie walk in first, but he stopped even before he was in the middle of the room. His stuff was here, some posters, his music, his guitar… They’d done a great job in making it Eddie’s room instead of just making it a room where he could stay.

“You’re incredible, Henderson.”

“Oh, that wasn’t just me. The others helped as well. Robin and Nancy took care of your clothes, Will arranged your music, Robin and Steve put up the posters and everything else.” Dustin smiled to himself, thinking back on that. All of them had needed something to do, to distract themselves. They’d helped get clothes and food to other people who’d lost their homes, but they’d also made this room as much Eddie’s as they’d been able to.

“You’re spoiling me…” He smiled, trying to swallow all the emotions down that were welling up.

“We just wanted you to have a place that feels like home.”

“And you certainly achieved that.” Eddie still had his back turned towards Dustin, and didn’t dare to look, because he knew that his emotions would get the best of him then. So instead, he walked up to his guitar. “Hello sweetheart…” He let his fingers glide over the strings. The last time he’d played her had been in the Upside Down, and that brought back memories. But then again, this wasn’t the same guitar, it had been a duplicate of the one he was holding right now, which made a difference for him.

“I’ll leave you two alone. Get some rest and I’ll get you for dinner, alright?”

“Sure… thanks Dustin.”

The moment he looked up at Dustin, both of them started smiling. This really meant a lot to Eddie, but Dustin also realised that it was a little overwhelming, a little too much, so he gave Eddie some time to adjust, to settle in. And Eddie definitely needed it. So much had happened for him in such a short time, that it was good to lay on top of his bed, his guitar next to him, and the sounds of people he loved from downstairs in his ears. Dustin’s laughter filled the air, leaving a blissful smile on Eddie’s lips. Yeah, this already felt like a home to him.

—

Eddie sat up when he heard a knock on the door, surprised that Dustin had knocked at all. He was usually so intrusive, but Eddie still loved him. He never meant anything with it, he was just more than excited to have Eddie back in his life, to see him up and walking. Dustin cared for the people in his life, he just sometimes had a strange way of showing it, overstepping boundaries. Not today, though.

“Coming,” Eddie called out and got up from the bed. By now, he felt his injuries more than he’d felt them in the hospital, because the meds were wearing off, but it was okay. He knew that he’d looked a lot worse, and that a lot of healing had already happened, so he was okay to move around. His body quickly told him when it was too much.

When Eddie came down the stairs and approached the table, he was greeted by happy faces, but one of them caught his attention. Steve was sitting there, still in Eddie’s shirt, even though he’d gone home in the time being and could have changed into something else, but he hadn’t. Oh, Eddie didn’t want the shirt back, he enjoyed seeing it on Steve and that was the whole problem. Seeing Steve like this made his heart pick up its pace, and Eddie wasn’t sure whether he wanted that or not. It made him fall even harder for Steve Harrington, the guy he’d probably never have. Still, he remembered what Wayne had told him, that Steve had been by his side pretty much the whole time, and that had to mean something, right?

“I hope you’re hungry,” Claudia said to him, already loading up Eddie’s plate with the most delicious food. To be fair, to him probably everything smelled and looked delicious right now, but he was just so grateful to her, to Dustin, everyone.

“Starving,” Eddie said with a smile, before he sat down next to Steve.

Conversation flowed easily between the others, mainly Wayne and Claudia, while Dustin chipped in here and there. Eddie still had to get used to this situation, to a meal with so many people - yes, five weren’t exactly many, but for him it was, since it was usually just him, and sometimes Wayne and him, if they were home at the same time.

“You okay?” Eddie asked Steve quietly, after he’d pushed his food from one side of the plate to the other instead of eating it.

“Mh?” Steve looked up at Eddie, looking like he’d been caught doing something illegal which almost made Eddie chuckle. “Yeah, just not that hungry.”

“Now, why are you lying to me, Harrington?” While Eddie wasn’t sure if it was really a lie, he couldn’t imagine that Steve wasn’t hungry. He probably hadn’t had anything proper the whole day, and the food was just divine. Steve had spent so much time with Eddie at the hospital that he hadn’t eaten properly the whole time. Eddie had realised that Steve had lost weight, but in three weeks time, a lot could happen. “Tell you what… I’ll finish my plate if you eat up. Otherwise I’m stopping right now.” Yes, Eddie was still hungry, but he figured it was the only way to get Steve to eat.

It looked like Steve wanted to protest, but then he simply nodded and got back to eating. For the rest of the meal, he didn’t look at Eddie, focused on his food instead, and managed to eat up. Eddie was proud of him, though he didn’t say it out loud.

They avoided talking about what had happened, they simply enjoyed the evening, talking over dinner, and Eddie felt himself relax in the presence of the people who loved him. Once they were finished, Eddie wanted to help clean the table, but Claudia told him that she would do that with Wayne, that the kids should just watch a movie or something. And they did. At least they tried to, but Eddie’s eyes landed on Wayne and Claudia in the kitchen. He picked up on the way Wayne looked at her, the way his lips curled up into a smile whenever she looked up at him. Maybe, they’d bonded even more over this whole situation than they’d like to admit.

“Come on, Eddie, you need to watch this!” Dustin drew his attention back to the living room where they’d already started the movie. While Dustin was hogging the armchair, there was only room left for him on the sofa, right next to Steve. Normally, he didn’t mind, and didn't shy away from body contact, but with Steve, with what he felt for Harrington, it would be difficult for Eddie to concentrate.

He wasn’t the only one. Steve felt his skin tingle the moment Eddie sat down next to him and their arms brushed up against each other. They’d held hands the night before, Steve had fallen asleep with his head on Eddie’s thigh, so this shouldn’t be a problem. It wouldn’t be if Steve hadn’t fallen asleep with a goofy smile on his lips the night before and woken up only to have his heart stutter at the sight of Eddie. He knew what this was, knew what was happening, but it felt so strange, because so far, he’d only been with girls. That he was feeling this way towards Eddie was… new, and he had no idea what to make of it, whether he wanted to pursue it or not. But the fact remained, that he felt calmer in Eddie’s presence, so he dreaded the following night, where he wouldn’t be able to sit by Eddie’s bed and watch over him, until he couldn’t keep his eyes open anymore.

They made it through the movie, and Eddie even managed to enjoy himself, but he was still more than aware of Steve right next to him. Steve, who stood up as soon as the movie was over, and looked back at the other two.

“I should probably get going so that you can get some rest.” He’d been here long enough already, and Eddie should get as much rest as he could.

“Your parents home?” Dustin knew about the nightmares, because he’d pestered Steve so long until he’d confided in Dustin. In addition, he knew that Steve had spent a lot of time with Eddie, by his side to watch over him.

“I don’t think so.” They hadn’t been home much, and even if they were, they didn’t pay a lot of attention to him. Steve was all grown up after all, so he could take care of himself, right? Right. But after all the trauma he’d experienced, not only lately, but in the last couple of years, even he needed someone to just hold him for a moment. His parents weren’t those people, but he’d found comfort among his friends and even Wayne and Claudia. Claudia who’d picked up on the fact that Steve’s hearing wasn’t the best anymore. Yes, he’d realised that as well, but he’d simply pushed it aside.

“Why don’t you stay here? You can sleep in the guest room down the hall.” It wasn’t the first time Dustin had offered him that opportunity, and not the first time he would stay here. But this time, he agreed without Dustin having to talk him into it.

“Yeah, alright. Thanks.”

While Claudia and Wayne stayed in the kitchen, chatting probably halfway into the night, the other three went to their respective rooms, though Dustin immediately took out his walkie talkie to fill at least Lucas, Will and Mike in on what was happening, and when Mike knew, he’d tell El as well. Yes, he’d told them that Eddie was back home, and they were allowed to visit the next day, but for today… Eddie really needed his rest.

Eddie felt it, felt the weariness take over his body as soon as he was in his room. He stripped out of his jeans, pulled up his shirt and stepped in front of the mirror. Most of his injuries were covered by the bandages, but not the ones on his jaw and neck. He’d seen them before, but now he had the chance to examine them. They’d heal over time, leaving scars behind. But he was here, he was alive, and that’s what counted, right?

Eddie dropped the hem of his shirt again and walked over to the bed, switched the big light for the bedside lamp so that it wasn’t that bright anymore. He wasn’t sure whether or not he’d be able to stay here in complete darkness, but he didn’t want to find out right now, so the light stayed on. And even though he was tired, he wasn’t able to fall asleep, so he reached for the book next to his bed. His necklace marked the page where Steve had stopped reading to him. Eddie couldn’t help but smile. The book landed on the bed face down so that he wouldn’t lose the page - though he’d be able to pick up wherever he wanted, because he knew the books so well, not really sure how often he’d read them - and put his necklace on. He’d been without it long enough, and he’d wondered where it had gotten to, but Steve had taken care of it.

When he heard a knock at the door, even before he’d picked up the book again, his head whipped around. Probably Dustin, who wanted to check up on him, but when he said come in none other than Steve Harrington walked in his room. He’d also taken off his jeans, was now dressed in his boxers and the Iron Maiden shirt he didn’t want to take off.

“Harrington? You alright?” Eddie sat up in his bed, a crease appearing on his forehead as he looked at Steve still lurking near the door.

“Yeah, I just…” Steve rubbed a hand over the nape of his neck, before he let out a sigh. “Needed to make sure that you’re alright.” He sounded defeated and he knew it, but he wasn’t here to tell Eddie some lies, tell him that he wanted to borrow a book or something, even though he’d gotten used to reading a little before bed. But he needed this, needed to know that Eddie was well and alive and awake.

“Yeah, Wayne told me that you stayed a couple of nights.”

“A couple…” Steve had to smile at that. “Pretty much every night.”

While Eddie knew that Steve had stayed with him, had read to him, he hadn’t known up until now just how often, how long Steve had stayed. It caught him by surprise, but it also made his heart swell at the thought of Steve watching over him. Last night, he’d experienced it consciously, and he’d slept a lot better with Steve around.

“Come on, sit!” Eddie pulled up his feet to sit cross-legged on top of the bed, to make some room for Steve, because he really didn’t have to stay by the door.

Steve hesitated just for a moment, but then he stepped closer and flopped down on the bed, leaning his back against the wall. Eddie wanted to ask, wanted to know what was going on inside that pretty head, but he also didn’t want to push Steve.

“I think I always had to make sure that you were really there, that you were breathing and not just…” He threw his hands up with a sigh, before he dropped them into his lap again. “Just vanish or stop breathing.”

Eddie watched him intently, saw the fear in his eyes when Steve glanced at him just for a second.

“We thought you were dead down there.” Steve shook his head, taking a deep breath.

“But you saved me, and for that I’ll always be grateful.” Eddie reached out his hand to take one of Steve’s in his. The simple hand-holding was enough to calm Steve down a bit, his breathing evening out.

“It’s the nightmares, right?” Eddie asked now, still holding Steve’s hand, feeling him tense up a little, so he did what he’d done before and rubbed his thumb in circles over the back of Steve’s hand. “You mentioned yesterday that you have them as well.”

“Right.” Yes, Steve remembered. He remembered everything that had happened the night before. The way he’d held Eddie after he’d woken up, the way their hands had fit perfectly together - just like they did now - when he’d read to Eddie, and how he’d fallen asleep like this.

“You know, it’s not just what we’ve been through together, seeing you there in your own blood… the demobat attacks…” Steve licked his lips, because his own scars would always remind him of that. “There were already nightmares before that. I dream about the Russians all the time, ‘cause I don’t even know how we made it out of there.”

“Russians?” They’d mentioned something, Eddie remembered, but so far, there hadn’t been time for them to tell him the whole story.

“Dustin overheard a Russian radio message and we figured it out. Turns out they were operating beneath the Starcourt Mall, and me and Robin were captured by them… tortured because they wanted information.” Steve shook his head at the memory. He still had scars from that incident, and the blows to his head had messed with his hearing. “Since then I think I can’t hear properly in my left ear.”

“Fuck, Stevie,” Eddie said with a sigh, glad that Steve was opening up to him. It was such an intimate moment, so full of buried emotions, that he didn’t want to push Steve any further. If he wanted to keep talking, he’d be here to listen, but right now, he just wanted to scoop Steve up and take care of him for a change.

“It’s just… a lot.”

“That’s an understatement.” Eddie had heard from Dustin that Steve had been pretty much involved since the start of this whole… mess. That he’d been there since the girl with the superpowers had arrived, and there was probably a lot more that Eddie hadn’t heard so far. “No wonder you have nightmares.”

“Most of them are about not being able to save the people I love.” Steve pinched the bridge of his nose with the hand that wasn’t held by Eddie. He was exhausted, completely worn-out, and that brought the headache on.

“Come on… you watched over me last night, so let me return the favour.”

“You really don’t have to!” Though just the thought of it warmed Steve’s heart, because that meant that he’d be able to stay in Eddie’s presence.

“I could read the Lord of the Rings to you, pick up where we left off last night.”

“Only if you tell me right now that Pippin gets home safe!” Peregrine Took had won his heart straight away, maybe because he reminded him of Dustin sometimes, so he had to be sure that nothing would happen to the fool of a Took.

“I don’t want to spoil the story, Steve,” Eddie said with a teasing smile, but then he nodded. “Yeah, nothing happens to him.”

“Good, because otherwise I would have to burn all these books.” There was finally a small smile playing on Steve’s lips, which was quickly followed by a yawn. When he wanted to get up from the bed to find a chair to sit and fall asleep in, Eddie stopped him.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Steve simply pointed at the armchair that was standing in one corner.

“Oh no, definitely not.” Eddie shook his head and moved to the edge of the bed. “It’s not a huge bed, but there’s still room for both of us. I won’t let you sleep in a chair for another night. Lie down and get comfortable.”

Steve hesitated for a moment, but he could already feel the pain in his back, when he looked at the chair. He stretched his body out between Eddie and the wall and sighed. While being so close to Eddie made his heart beat faster, it also made him feel all warm and fuzzy - and relaxed. To take the book in his hands, Eddie had to let go of Steve’s hand, but that was alright now.

“I’m here, alright?” Eddie saw Steve’s lips curl up into a smile upon his words, which made himself smile in turn. He opened the book to the last page he remembered Steve reading to him and picked up where they’d left off the night before.

“The Lord Faramir was walking alone in the garden of the Houses of Healing, and the sunlight warmed him, and he felt life run new in his veins.” Eddie cast a look at Steve, who was breathing evenly, eyes closed. He turned towards Eddie, lying on his side now. He looked so content that it made Eddie smile. He kept on reading until he was sure that Steve was fast asleep, then he turned off the light and stretched out next to Eddie, falling into a deep sleep himself, and the both slept through the night, no nightmares to be found anywhere.

Tag-list: @dreamsoffilm

Let me know if you want to be tagged for the Promises-series, Eddie x Reader stuff in general or Steddie-fics 💚

#steddie #steddie fanfic #steddie imagine #steve harrington x eddie munson #eddie munson x steve harrington #eddie x steve #steve x eddie #stranger things imagine #stranger things fanfic #steveddie #staffi writes #i see your true colours

19 notes · View notes

alwaysahiccupandastrid · 2 years

Text

Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 2 - REACTION + THOUGHTS

Holy fucking shit, everyone 😭 it was only two episodes and yet I feel drained, it took like 4+ hours to get through two damn episodes but I did it!

My reaction to Episodes 1-7 are HERE!

I wrote my thoughts in a notebook as I watched and I’ve elaborated more on those thoughts in this post below. Mostly it’s a lot of freaking out and fangirling though 😂

⚠️ There are HUGE spoilers below the read more so please read at your own risk! ⚠️

Episode 8 - Papa

Awww mini Eleven is so cute

She was so exhausted after sending Vecna to the beyond that she straight up passed out after

Not me getting triggered by showing 001 being tattooed again 🤧

The gang panicking to find music is so funny but also FIND THE MUSIC FFS

“I want you to tell Eleven… I want you to tell her everything you’ve seen… tell her everything” - oh shit, he didn’t kill Nancy 😮‍💨 but also yikes

Not the Russian demogorgan still alive???

Awww, Joyce patching Hopper up :3

“You’re the hero of Hawkins” - IM NOT CRYING, NOT YET 🤧

Hop asking after El and Joyce saying “she misses her dad” ❤️

“Umm I hate to interrupt” LMAO “but apparently they (the demogorgons) can climb too” … shit

WHY IS THERE ANOTHER ONE STRAPPED TO A TABLE BEING DISSECTED

Tell me the Russians have NOT been experimenting on the demo-creatures 😭💀 and what the hell is that swirling dust stuff???

Eleven’s powers are BACK! 😀

To be quite brutally honest, I forgot what the Cali crew were up to because they were just… there. Not really doing that much. :/

I’m not really digging Mike’s whole “what if she doesn’t need me anymore???”, let alone Will having to reassure him “of course she’ll need you” like… ?? Boys, hello???

OHHHH THE PAINTING

Awww is it based on DND?? Apparently El commissioned it, and Mike in the painting’s coat of arms is a heart because he’s the heart of the group or some shit?

Honestly not really here for Will’s painting/feelings being used to further the Mileven pairing :/

The way Jonathan was looking at Will and Mike, I thought he was thinking “yeah my brother’s got it bad”

“When you’re different, you feel like a mistake” - WILL BABY??? Again, it’s so obvious he’s gay and hiding it???

NOT WILL LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW AND CRYING, POOR BOY IS HEARTBROKEN (and at this point I’m starting to think that yes, in love with Mike)

Did sending Vecna through the portal cause Eleven’s speech and language to regress too??? Because I’m S1 she can barely speak and needs to be taught common words, whilst in flashbacks in S4 in the lab, she seems quite fluent?

Has this motherfucker Brenner been searching for 001 this whole time??? Is that what this is about???

Oh god not the autopsy photos 😭

“Your friends are in danger” - yeah but what else is new??? They’re in danger like every 6-12 months 💀

The clock has 4 chimes… which means 4 gates, 4 victims??? Shit, he’s one away???

Eleven using her powers to watch the Hawkins gang :’(

Nancy: We have to go back // Eddie: 🤦 NO

Robin calling him “Henry-slash-Vecna-slash-One” 😂

Because El is watching them, she’s in on their plan too now… interesting

Max: I draw his focus next to me - ABSOLUTELY FUCKING NOT I CANNOT GO THROUGH THIS AGAIN

If Max fucking dies, I will be SO ANGRY

Yayyy Jopper + Murray + Dmitri made it out of the Russian base!

LMFAO at the van just smashing through the gate

Hopper protecting Joyce by wrapping his arms around her :3

Joyce saying “That plane crashed” and Hopper’s concerned “… crashed?!?”

Dmitri threatening Yuri lol

I like that at this point Steve is still not wearing a proper shirt 🥵

Eddie calling Max “red”

“You got a ski mask or a bandana?” - cut to Eddie wearing Max’s Michael Myers mask that she wore at Halloween in S2 😂

Eddie hot wiring a van

HE CALLED STEVE “big boy”, I’M-

Also Steve is STILL barefoot 😂

“Your friends are not prepared for this fight” - right, so maybe go and fucking help them????

Owens at least tried to let Eleven make a choice, Brenner is a dick

No but Steve talking about his dreams and saying in his dreams for his life, he wants 6 kids and to travel America on road trips with them 😭🤧 he would be such a great dad, I’m-

Nancy calling 6 kids “a nightmare” LMFAO SAME

“If only I had some practice” *gestures to the kids he’s always babysitting* 💀

Lucas making the Ms Kelly link and also wanting to find someone else - anyone else - so Max won’t be in danger

Max’s happiest memory involves Lucas, which makes me think it’s probably the Snow Ball dance when they got together?

Is that a helicopter?!! There’s no way that thing is carrying five adults from Russia to America???

“For me, she is still a virgin” - PLEASE DO NOT SAY THAT ABOUT THE HELICOPTER YURI

The War Zone store is like the size of an entire shopping mall :/

Ah, America… no one is questioning young teenagers like Erica, Max, etc buying guns and explosives

IS THAT VICKIE IN THE STORE 💀

WHAT DO YOU MEAN VICKIE HAS A BOYFRIEND AND SHE MADE OUT WITH HIM RIGHT THERE, FOR FUCK SAKE

Robin being heartbroken 😭

NAHHH WHY THE FUCK IS JASON AT THE GUN STORE, why are ALL OF THE BASKETBALL BROS THERE

Jason really needs to back the fuck off, and the scene where he’s talking to Nancy and putting his hands on her gun really proved that

Argyll saying Nina sounds like a “small woman” 😭 he ain’t wrong, “nina” is Spanish for little girl I think

Nahhh is Argyll STILL fucking high 💀

Getting REAL sick and tired of seeing military and army assholes

DID BRENNER CALL THEM, FUCKING DICK

“If my men hear you coming, they’ll kill him (Owens)” - BRENNER IS LITERALLY BLACKMAILING HER WHAT THE FUCK FUCK HIM

Eleven called him OUT and I love it

“You could not let him (001) go” “you are the monster” — SO TRUE

He injected her what the hell 💀

She should have just killed him tbh

“Is this legal?” “Actually, I think it’s a felony” — LMFAO

Eddie and Dustin play fighting and Eddie making Dustin promise “never change, promise me”… why do I feel like Eddie’s imparting some wisdom and is about to be killed…

“Even though you’re a bench riding loser, you’re still my brother” - awww Erica :3

Wait did Steve say Vickie’s boyfriend is a full ass college man 💀

“Not everyone has a happy ending” - ST writers are definitely trying to tell the fans to lower their expectations of happy endings for everyone 😭

“It might not work out for us this time” - FUCK. NO. NOPE.

Oh god did he put one of those collars on Eleven?!?

Not the shootout 🤦

Omg they shot Brenner and he dropped Eleven. Not gonna be sad if he dies tho, he low-key deserves it lmao

Owens saying he could put El in a coma and then if the killings stop they’ll know it’s her, but the gang is planning on taking down Vecna do the killings will stop??? And they’ll think it’s El???

Never mind, asshole army guy ordered them to kill Eleven anyway

EYYYY Cali gang FINALLY pulling their weight and going to the rescue!

Go on, Eleven! Bring it down! Knock the aircraft out the air!

I’m confused tho because I thought he collar subdued her powers but she’s still wearing it in this scene and straight up knocking a helicopter out of the sky???

The Mike and Eleven reunion was sweet but idk Will still feels like a third wheel even when he’s happy to see Eleven and he hugs her

Will crying with happiness at seeing El again and giving her a hug 😭❤️ love the brother-sister relationship

Brenner has a remote control to make the collar fall off???

“I’m proud of you” “you are my family” “my child” — yeah? Funny way of fucking showing it, mate

“Please tell me you understand” - and then she doesn’t say anything, just gets up and says “goodbye papa” 😅

Soooo… is he actually dead this time?

I’m so anxious for this plan, holy shit

THE MUSIC IS PHENOMONAL!!! (It’s Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) by Journey and Steve Perry, and it was in one of the trailers)

The chills I got at them approaching the Creel house again… ooh

Episode 9 - The Piggyback

Strap in, folks, this one is a whopping 2hrs and 20 minutes!

YURI JUST SABOTAGED THE HELICOPTER FUCK SAKE

Hopper and Joyce’s sexual tension is getting VERY obvious Jesus Christ

THEM CHANGING NEAR EACH OTHER AND JOYCE LOOKS OVER AND HE’S SHIRTLESS IM-

Lmao at her Hulk Hogan t shirt though

Hopper’s been dreaming about their Enzo date and starts listing the food, and then… “been dreaming about something else too”

IS IT HAPPENING

HOLY FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK I LITERALLY SCREAMED THEY KISSED HOLY FUCKING CHRIST

NOT THE PHONE INTERRUPTING THEM GETTING DOWN AND DIRTY

“You can be the hero, Steve” - yes but only if he survives 😇

I’ve got a horrible feeling about both Steve and Eddie, and I hope I’m wrong

To be fair to him, Jonathan is trying very hard to get plane tickets to Hawkins and I appreciate the effort

Soooo Eleven is going to go inside Max’s mind and protect her there? 🤔

*talking about how El needs a “bathtub”* Argyll: Yeah, gotta be clean to enter the mind — I FUCKING DIED LAUGHING

Hell yeah for the Kate Bush reappearing

Them writing notes so they won’t be overheard by Vecna on the other side is super smart actually

Not that dude seeing Erica and tipping the basketball team off 😤

Not Jason target practicing smh

Murray: “I see the mood here is bleak, and understandably so” LMFAO NO KIDDING

So those particles moving… means there’s a gate open?

Part of the hive mind is in Russia… where they’ve just escaped from 💀

Of course there’s another Surfer Boy Pizza shop, of course it’s a franchise

The amount of “dudes” in this one conversation LMFAO Even Jonathan was doing it 💀

Love that their prep involves cooking a pizza in the oven 😂

Also the sensory tank is in the newly emptied pizza freezer???

Robin panicking about getting lost is a whole ass mood frankly

“She’s a super klutz” - bless

Apparently Steve used to crawl backwards as a baby? “Always in reverse” (no joke I actually read a book about a boy who crawled backwards and did everything backwards because his mother and father met on a train that was travelling backwards???) (I looked it up; it’s called “Back To Front Benjy” by Dick King Smith)

He also apparently thumped his head as a baby o_o (Nancy: “explains so much” lol)

Steve calling himself confident but an idiot made me kinda sad, all this self reflection made me think he was gonna die 😭

Him thanking her for giving him “the biggest thump” of his life and discussing their relationship

I can’t believe he really said NANCY was the most important part of his dream… I am really not here for Steve/Nancy :/

LMAO at Robin ruining their moment 😂

Wait, where are the Russian guards?

… ohhh I think I know based on the sounds coming off that radio, my god

Ooh did Dmitri break through with Yuri and convince him to do the right thing? :O

Max writing “hi” and Lucas writing “hi :D” back

“I’m glad you’re here” - AWWWW

He asked her to a movie on Friday and she drew him a cute picture 🤧

Okay but WILL Vecna take the bait or not is the question?

Max taking her headphones off… Here we go.

I had a fleeting thought of what if he decides to take Lucas instead??? They’re expecting him to go for Max but Lucas is there too?!?

Mike made goggles out of pizza boxes, I’m-

Argyll interrupting Mileven to give them pizza!

Ewww okay so Eleven: she’s an 11 but she likes pineapple on pizza 🤢

“Do you remember that time you told me you had Lego stuck up your nose?” - I SPAT OUT MY COFFEE WHAT THE FUCK JONATHAN

“You used to come to me more for help” — aww :(

“I’ve been distanced-“ “Stoned.” - LOL

Aww Byers brothers sharing a hug :3 and Will getting emotional 🥹

“I love you: there is nothing in this world that will change that” - TELL ME THIS WOULD NOT BE JONATHAN’S REACTION TO WILL COMING OUT??? This should have at LEAST been a prompt for Will to come out to him maybe???

Eleven found Max!

… oh no. No, it’s not working??? Vecna isn’t taking the bait???

Max saying Vecna was right, Billy made her life hell, she would pray for something awful to happen to him… “I didn’t know if he deserved to be saved” OOF

“So now when I lie in bed at night, I pray something terrible will happen to me.” - MAX SWEETIE NO 😭

I KNEW AS SOON AS LUCAS STARTED SAYING BAD STUFF THAT IT WAS ACTUALLY VECNA

Oh gosh come on Eleven, save the day

We get to see a little Max memory of her skating

WHOOOO EDDIE SHREDDING THE ELECTRIC GUITAR

“Chrissy, this is for you” - I’M NOT OKAY

Demobats!!!!!

“Where are you going, Maxine?” Oh fuck no I’m out

NOT THE BILLY SAUNA DOOR THING

NOT THE BASKETBALL CREW HITTING AND HURTING ERICA FUCK THEM

Let me say it again, Eddie shred the FUCK outta that guitar solo

Max’s memory is the snow ball dance…

Dustin: “Most. Metal. EVERRRRR!” Bless

NOOOO the Russian glass cage things are broken?!?!

Sooo… monster got in, guards tried to stop it, gunfire shattered the tanks, others came alive :O Particles = The Shadow, which went into the monster(s)?

By the way, this whole plan of “hey, while Max distracts Vecna and probably gets herself killed, let’s sneak up into the attic in the upside down and stab/burn him while he’s in a trance” is fucking stupid 💀

Ohhhh that’s a LOT of vines on the floor

Robin worrying because she’s clumsy, she’ll tread on them, and Nancy holds her hand and says it’s okay??? RONANCY FANS RISE UP

“Shouldn’t you be playing with dolls?” “Should you bag your face?” YOUNG MAX IS A SAVAGE

Wait, the song from the Snow Ball (Every breath you take)?

I was singing along to that song and then I let out a scream because the balloon popped 💀

Speaking of balloons popping, what is this, Stephen King’s IT??? 🤡

Ohhh now the music’s changed to Dream a Little Dream of Me, which was playing in the Creel house and was what Victor was listening to

Well this took a sharp turn… the flowers are withering, blood is everywhere…

LET ERICA GO, FUCK 😤

Oh NO NOT JASON IN THE ATTIC

He thinks Lucas is doing some cult shit to Max (a la Hellfire Club)

JASON PUT THE FUCKIN GUN AWAY MAN

He wants Lucas to wake Max up or he’ll shoot???

“Or are we supposed to read your mind” lmao Murray

Nooo why does Hopper need to he demo-bait 😬

Not Joyce remembering Bob because Bob did exactly the same thing and she watched him die in front of her 😭

“I still got a date to make, remember?” “I am not having another funeral” - I CAN’T DEAL WITH THIS I WANT TO CRY

Awww now there’s a tender Jopper kiss in addition to the down and dirty one

The demobats are on the roof… they can’t get in, right?

OH WAIT YEP THEY CAN 🤧

Watching Steve/Robin/Nancy dodge the vines made me extremely anxious to be honest

NOOOOOOOO NOT ROBIN

NOT STEVE FUCK FUCK FUCK

AND ALSO NANCY TOO WHAT THE FUCK

(They’re not dead, just being strangled by vines inside the house)

I can’t do this, I’m not strong enough for this show 💀

Not the demodog chasing Hopper 😭 meanwhile the demobats are coming through the vent

Dustin climbed back through the portal and then Eddie cUT THE ROPE NOOOOOO

Eddie trying to buy more time 😭 don’t do it, Eddie, the town don’t deserve it

Somehow I don’t think barricading the door with fold up chairs is going to stop Vecna, Max lmao

Oh god that chiming is going to haunt my fucking nightmares

Vecna appearing behind Max definitely scared me, Jesus Christ

Nooooo leave Max alone!!!

Lucas trying to convince Jason but of course Jason is a toolbag and too far gone

“I never should have let you in the door” “and I never should have knocked” OH SHIT

Lucas called Jason a raging psychopath, which is quite accurate to be honest

Sinclair siblings once again kicking ass at the same time, we love to see it

WAIT DID JASON JUST BREAK THE MUSIC PLAYER

COME ON ELEVEN HELP MAX PLEASE

“Much braver than your brother” OOF OKAY VECNA JESUS

Oh no no no no he’s gonna do the thing-

ELEVEN YESSSSSS SHE SAVED MAX THANK GOD

V: You. // E: Hi. *throws him through a wall*

Dustin trying to jump back up into the ceiling portal using furniture and then he hurt his leg falling though :(

NOOO EDDIE NOW IS THE PERFECT TIME TO RUN AWAY! RUN AWAY!

Jason needs to leave everyone alone smh what an ass

ElMax checking on each other :3

“Are you real? Did I make you?” “I’m real.” “How?” “I piggy-backed from a pizza freezer.” “… what?” — LMFAO

Oh of course Vecna is up again 😭

“If you touch her again, I’ll kill you again” — OOF GO OFF

Vecna is right though, technically she didn’t kill him before, just sent him through that portal 🤷🏻

Max really tried to run up behind Vecna and stab him when she was being noisy as fuck

Yeah no Eleven’s getting her ass beat in this fight I won’t lie

Goddammit now he’s attached El to the door with vines

NOT CHRISSY’S DEAD BODY IN THE BACKGROUND JUST CHILLING

Vecna has Max 😥😓😰

She told him Papa is dead and Vecna paused

“He is the monster, Henry. Not you.” OOF.

“He was just a man. An ordinary mediocre man.” - DAMN TRUE THO

“He did not make me into this. You did.” - … Vecna is telling the truth technically 😬

The flashback showing him exploring this “realm unspoilt by mankind” and it looks like a barren shit hole to me 😫

So the particle cloud… helped him become a predator???

THE MIND FLAYER??? And young Henry/Vecna’s drawing IDENTICAL to Will’s???

So has this all always been Vecna or…?

“Sought a means to open my own doors” (showing S3) - so was THAT Vecna????

I love the contrast of the red lighting in the Eleven/Vecna scene vs the blue in literally all the others but especially Lucas/Jason’s fight

NOOO NOT HOPPER IN THE SAME POSITION AS BOB IN S2

NO NO NO NO NO NO NONONONONONONONONO NOT EDDIE NOT EDDIE

Erica, come on girl! Jason is literally about to strangle Lucas to death!

“But now I just want you to watch” - oh shit

NOT MAX, LEAVE HER ALONE

Mike/Will/Jonathan/Argyll trying to wake Eleven up…

Will telling Mike he’s “the heart” and Mike saying “I love you” to El… I’m so tired. I’m so tired of Will’s obvious sexuality/crush being used to further a straight couple

Not Mike claiming his life was only meaningful after meeting Eleven 💀 and the flashbacks to the very first episode when they met, I’m so done with this

Wait, are the vines uncurling from around Eleven???

COME ON LUCAS PULL THROUGH

Noooo MAX’S ARMS AND LEG ARE DOING THE SNAPPY THING I CANNOT WATCH

Joyce rescuing Hopper by electrocuting that demodog 😥

OH SHIT THATS A DEMOGORGAN

TELL ME MAX IS OKAY NOW, RIGHT?!?

Murray kicking ass with the flamethrower!!!

Oh thank fuck Steve/Nancy/Robin are released and okay

Ewww not the squelchy noises when they all walk around 🤢

Well, Hopper, looks like shooting a demogorgan didn’t work…

IS THAT A FUCKING SWORD?!? HE GONNA FIGHT IT WITH A SWORD?!?

RoStAncy found Vecna - come on, guys, prove this plan wasn’t shit

“The beginning of the end” - eyyy it’s the season 4 tagline!

Not them playing Running Up That Hill again, I’m already a mess 💀

OH SHIT THEY’RE BURNING HIM

Oh wait no he’s up again, ROBIN THROW ANOTHER MOLOTOV PLEASE

NANCY SHOOT HIM OH MY GOD

HOPPER SLICED THAT DEMOGORGAN’S ARM CLEAN OFF

Oh sHIT NANCY ANNIHILATED HIM

Wait… what do you mean there’s still 40 FUCKING MINUTES TO GO?!?!

IS Max okay??? And Eddie???

NOPE EDDIE’S DYING FOR FUCK SAKE I’m so upset he was my favourite newbie 😭😭😭

“I didn’t run away this time, right?“ STOP IT RIGHT NOW

Eddie didn’t even get to graduate 😭🤧 this was supposed to be his year, I’m so upset-

NAH FUCK THIS SHOW FUCK IT

CALL AN AMBULANCE FOR MAX PLEASE I CAN’T LOSE HER AS WELL

No no no no I hate this, this is awful, she’s blind and can’t see and she’s so scared and she’s crying 😭

Max crying and panicking because “I can’t see, I’m so scared, I’m not ready to go, I want to go on” I’M SOBBING, NO, NO, NO, FUCK OFF RIGHT NOW

Lucas sobbing as she dies I can’t fucking STAND THIS FUCKING SHOW FUCK THIS

Four chimes… oh no. Oh no no no no NO.

AFTER ALL THAT, VECNA STILL WINS BECAUSE IT’S OPENING THE BIG GATE ANYWAY???

Karen and Little Holly 😭

Holy FUCK, Hawkins is actually well and truly FUCKED this time

… Is Eleven trying to bring Max back to life??? Is that even possible???

Not the ElMax flashbacks making me tear up again 😭

Don’t get my hopes up, I can’t take it if my hopes are raised and smashed down again

Cut to black and… two days later??? Excuse me??? WHt the fuck happened???

Ohhh that’s a lot of cars leaving Hawkins

Oh shit the smoke coming off of Hawkins?!?!

So they’re saying it was this ridiculously traumatic earthquake???

Not them all believing it’s Hellfire’s fault still :/ and that Eddie is still guilty, fuck this town-

“Doorway into hell” - oof, that’s one way to put it I guess

Eyyy Mike finally reuniting with his family and Will reuniting with his friends, and Jancy seeing each other too!!

“You can forget about college” - LMFAO

Okay, now why is Lucas at the hospital??? Again, do NOT get my hopes up!

Wait, is Max in a coma????

Lucas reading to Max 😭

I can’t get over Lucas and Eleven hugging?!! They’ve come so far since S1 when he hated her 😭

They don’t know if Max will wake up or why she hasn’t yet :( they’re saying she died for like a minute but then a miracle (Eleven) happened

Eleven holding Max’s hand and telling her “I’m here” :’(

Nancy and the others are donating their stuff because of the disaster, that makes sense

I love how ready Steve and Robin are to help 🤧❤️

Vickie?!?! Oh that’s awkward… I love Amybeth tho

“Was my boyfriend” — ohhh aye? 👀

Her saying she should have dumped him for disliking “fast times” lmfao

“It’s like my mouth is running faster than my brain” - oh her and Robin are so suited to each other

Listen… Vickie could still be bisexual, okay, just because she dated a guy it doesn’t mean she can’t date girls 🤷🏻

I hate that people have been graffiti-ing Eddie’s missing poster 😭

Dustin has Eddie’s guitar pick neck chain 🥺

I feel so bad for Eddie’s uncle 😢

When Dustin started crying over Eddie and telling Eddie’s uncle that Eddie was a hero, I lost it

“He fought and died to protect this town that hated him” - I CAN’T 😭 Eddie deserved so much fucking better

Hopper’s cabin???

Jonathan: *pointing to massive gaping hole in ceiling* Well, that’s a bit of a problem — 😂😂😂😂

Aww they’re fixing up the cabin :3

Argyll gathering mushrooms 🤣

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there.” “I’m actually kinda glad you weren’t… I mean, that you were with Mike” - suuure, Nancy -_-

Why did I feel like they were about to go on a break during this scene 💀

Nancy saying Steve’s grown quite a bit as a person… true but girl seriously

“Are we okay?” “… yeah.” — Nancy, you did NOT sound very sure

Oof Jonathan had the perfect opportunity to tell Nancy about his plans for college but he didn’t :/

Will knowing 001 isn’t dead because he can feel him hurting… o_0

So will Vecna be in S5, and if so will his first target be Will because lord knows that boy has a LOT of trauma to feed off of

Is that coke bottle from when El and Max played spin the bottle in S3? That feels like so long ago now 😭

So apparently Eleven couldn’t find Max in that mindscape/black area thing? (I don’t know what to call it, I’m sorry 😭)

IT’S HOPPER, A FATHER DAUGHTER REUNION IM CRYING ALL OVER AGAIN OH MY GOD

She kept the door open 3 inches always and never stopped believing 😭😭😭😭

“Your hair…” “My hair? Your hair!” - THEY BOTH LOST THEIR HAIR IM SO-

“I kinda stole your look, kid, what you think?” “Bitching” - 😭❤️

JOYCE AND EL REUNITING ❤️

I do wonder if the Hoppers and Byers will be one big family now because Jopper is a thing 🤔🙂

Oh no… no, not the Will Neck Tingle™️

Oh damn, it went from sunny to overcast VERY quickly

It’s snowing??? It’s spring break so it shouldn’t be snowing???

Plants rotting/dying… ash in the sky I think? (So is it ash or is it snow?)

Joyce and Hopper holding hands 🥺

SHIT, THAT’S WHERE THEY END THIS SEASON, ON THAT CLIFFHANGER

SEASON 5 WHEN?!?!?

21 notes · View notes

tuffluuhv · 2 years

Text

VOLUME 2 SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

STRANGER THINHS SEASON 4 SPOILERS!!!, STRANGER THINGS SEASON 4 SPOILERS!!!!, I REPEAT, STRANGER THINGS SEASON 4 SPOILERS!!! DO NOT CONTINUE IF YOU HAVENT WATCHTED VOLUME 2!!!

What will probably be part one of my thoughts and feelings (very strong feelings) on Stranger things season 4. Thank you :)

TW: Use of word "queer" (I know some people don't like that word and that's absolutely cool but it's the word that I use because it's easiest. I am referring to the LGBTQ+ community when I say queer), death obvi, trauma, swearing

It's 5:55am, I just finished VOLUME 2. I struggle with sleeping so it's normal for me to stay up until like 3am, however I decided to watch Volume 2 and now I kinda regret it bc I'm sad.

Sooooooo,,,, thoughts?

I know they did not give me Eddie Munson just to take him away. Fuck that. Fuck you Duffer Brothers. That hurts. My eyes are teary. I fucking cried with Dustin, the amount of trauma that kid has now on top of everything else. Like wtf. Also Max?? Max wake up, Max I don't like this, Max wake up!!! Also Lucas fighting Jason? Should have already happened but I can't imagine having your signifcant other die in your arms, like, along with Dustin, the amount of trauma this kid has on top of everything else. Except, Max might still live, Eddie is dead.

I can't stop thinking about how Dustin had to leave Eddie's body in the upside down. That emotionally fucks with me because if I were in that position I don't think I'd be able to pull myself away. The amount of guilt Dustin must carry now is insane. I just wanna give him a hug a kiss on the forhead.

I miss Eddie already so I stg I better find some fan fics where he lives or I will write them myself God dammit.

Look I know Will isn't confirmed "queer/gay" but- (or at least I don't think he is)

Wll and Jonathan's talk while stirring the salt bath? Actually made me tear up. It's so emotional and like heart-warming and I just- look anybody can relate to it but as a queer person, I wish somebody had talked to me the way that Jonathan talked to Will cause that would have made shit so much easier.

WILL CRYNG WHILE TELLING MIKE THAT EL LOVES HIM AND HIS RELATIONSHIP WIL WORK OUT😭😭 (I, a fellow queer, have also consoled a straight friend I was crushing on/liked a lot about their relationship/crush) (I'm also not saying that straight people can't pine for their friends, they absoloutely can, but it's different when you're queer)

Yeah no Eddie will be a theme in ths bc what the fuck. I love him so much?? He is so soft, and caring, and a attentive, and funnh, and loving, and BRAVE!!!! He deserved to graduate😭 it was supposed to be his year😭 YOU HEAR ME DUFFER BROTHERS!! '86 WAS SUPPOSED TO BE HIS FUCKING YEAR😭😭

I will probs post more ab this when I'm not so tired and hungry. I'm gonna try sleep now. Gn love youuss :)

#stranger things #eddie munson #eddie stranger things #stranger things s4 #stranger things season 4 #stranger things s4 v2 #stranger things spoilers #dustin henderson #lucas sinclair #will byers #mike wheeler #steve harrington

6 notes · View notes

hoffmannwrites · 1 year

Text

On My List

1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 + 1 Masterlist

Author’s Note: I'm gonna just post part 2 now because the response has been overwhelming and also I need to ride this train until it runs outta steam, yfm?

Pairing: Steve Harrington x Eddie Munson

Description: 5 Times Steve and Eddie kiss as friends, and one time they don't.

Warnings/Tags: Everyone lives, Nobody dies, 5+1, Kissing, Fluff, Idiots to Lovers, Friends to Lovers, some pretty brief mentions for drinking, smoking, being inebriated (the gang is drunk here but nothing too bad, just in a fun way), uhhh they're gay your honor, no beta we die like Barb, vague medical issue, fainting, let me know if I missed anything?

Every Breath You Take

Two

The second time Eddie and Steve kiss it’s not really a kiss at all. Robin and Steve are working a shift at Family Video - well, trying to work at least, because Eddie’s there which means everyone’s just sort of dicking around. Steve is processing some returns while Robin and Eddie argue about some sort of incomprehensible music shit. They’re both such fucking nerds about it that it makes Steve’s head hurt hearing them discuss the rhythm vs the beat and the symbolism of the song's accompanying music videos. Steve doesn’t understand why they have to analyze everything, why they can’t just like shit.

He’s not really paying attention until he registers the panic in Robin’s voice as she suddenly pushes off the counter and says Eddie’s voice just a little too frantically. Eddie has slumped slightly forward over the counter, eyes rolled a little too far back, and not responding to her calls for him. Steve immediately jumps into action, thinking about seeing Max in an eerily similar situation, about the fits Will had when he came back. Steve grabs Eddie and lays him gently in the ground, immediately crouching over him to do CPR, not bothering to check for a pulse or breathing. Just starting compressions, counting the way he learned how while hanging out at the hospital waiting for Max and Eddie to wake up. He couldn’t just sit there, and the hospital offered free training courses in shit like this, so he went. And he’s so glad he did as he starts doing rescue breaths on Eddie, ignoring Robin’s “ohmygodohmygodohmy-“ as she struggles to remember Hopper’s number when she finally stops freaking out enough to grab the phone. It doesn’t matter though, because by the time Steve is halfway through his second set of 30, Eddie’s eyes are fluttering open and he’s breathing heavily, but just fine on his own.

“Oh thank fuc-“ Robin starts as she drops to the ground on the other side of Eddie. “Are you okay? What happened? You just-“ Robin starts rambling, panicking that this meant the worst wasn’t over.

“Robs. Give him a minute. Go grab a water bottle,” Steve softly commands, his instinct to protect and help and heal outweighing his ability to do anything else. She does as he asks, and Steve starts to help Eddie move to a sitting position. “Easy does it, man. You can keep laying on the floor for a little if you need.”

“No, no. I’m okay. Sorry. I just, uh, had a minute. It happens sometimes. Happened a lot more when I was little. Stress, ya know? Was real bad right around the time I started living with Wayne. Had a really bad couple of weeks after Bonham died, too. But since, ya know- everything, it’s been happening again.” Eddie explains, rubbing the middle of his chest where Steve had previously been pressing. Steve just nods as Robin hands him the water bottle, watching, waiting for everyone’s adrenaline to slow.

“Jesus, dude. I think you almost cracked a rib. Way to put those muscles to use,” Eddie jokes, in between sips. Steve cracks a smile, but his eyes are still filled with worry. “Thank you for trying to save my ass, but in the future, I’m just fainting. No CPR required. Just make sure I don’t hit my head on the way down,” Eddie explains.

“Sorry,” now it’s Steve’s turn to ramble. “I just went into panic mode and I didn’t even check for a pulse or-“

“Don’t sweat it.” Eddie cuts him off. “I appreciate you wanting to save my life. Again.” He adds that last part a little quieter, knocking shoulders with Harrington. As Steve helps him to his feet, he adds even quieter “You sure you didn’t just wanna plant one on me again, Big Boy?” And Robin is too busy fussing over Eddie and asking questions about his fainting and yelling at him for not warning anybody that they’re both too busy to notice the blush that creeps up Steve’s neck and the way he flexes his hands like touching Eddie hurt.

A/N: Not so fun fact! John Bonham, drummer for Led Zeppelin died in 1980 after a heavy drinking binge. This would have been absolutely devastating to a young Eddie Munson, as it was for everyone else with ears and a soul at the time.

Also, Steve does the Pride and Prejudice hand flex every time he touches Eddie. Convince me otherwise. I dare you.

#Steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #Steve x eddie #Steve Harrington x Eddie munson #stranger things #fluff #hoffmannwrites #5 + 1 #5 + 1 fic #everyone lives/nobody dies #they're gay your honor #idiots to lovers #friends to lovers #stranger things au #stranger things fanfiction #Steve Harrington saves the day #kinda #on my list

28 notes · View notes

space-and-galaxies · 2 years

Text

So I’m kinda torn on Vol 2 actually.

(Long Post!)

So obviously I’m upset with how the Byler and El storylines turned out. All three of them deserve better honestly. But I’m still cautiously hopeful for Byler endgame, not as much as I was yesterday but it’s still there. And honestly I like El’s storyline in Vol 1 but when the thing that gave her strength was Mike’s speech is when it lost me. It had such good potential to be familial love with Hopper or even platonic love with Max but they wasted it.

Speaking of Max, also LOVED most of her arc, she definitely stole the show this season. But she’s in a coma now? I hate that. That’s just a shitty message to send, Duffer brothers.

This didn’t feel like the Eleven show the way season three did, because everyone had more of a part to play this time but I would’ve liked someone else to have the spotlight for once. Someone like Will.

AND OH MY GOD DID MY BOY GET DONE DIRTY THIS SEASON. Like what the fuck was that? He was used a prop for m*leven and Mike’s not even a good person in that ship! What was the point? The sad gay kid thing is done, Duffer Brothers, we’ve moved past that. I’ve actually lost a lot of respect for them.

And Mike, Mike, my son, my child, I’m so sorry they’ve done this to you. Literally took all of his progression in Vol1 and threw it out the window. Like he’s such a good character and the Duffer Brothers completely fucked him up!

Here’s hoping season five does these characters right.

Also Eddie shouldn’t have died and Jancy needs to sort their shit out.

But the rest I liked. I loved Willel’s reunion and the Byers brothers talk, and the rest of the main characters were incredible. Lumax and Jopper were amazing and I am definitely a shipper of them once again (Hate Lumax’s ending though).

Lucas especially shined this season, I really loved his arc and it was very much overdue. Hopper got some great development as well.

Most of the character moments/interactions were very sweet and I found myself enjoying them very much. I feel like the Duffer’s are very hit or miss with this. They are very good at emotional stuff, I’ll give them that.

I’m excited to see where the story goes after the cliffhanger, I thought the whole upside-down-bleeding-into-Hawkins thing was done really well. As for the Vecna/Mindflayer thing kinda confused honestly, like I don’t know what exactly is happening there. I think I need more clarity before I decide how I feel about it. But overall I thought the story was done well, I had my problems with it ofc but I will be tuning in for season five.

Also the Byers/Hopper’s reunion was so sweet and I really need them to become a family already.

So yeah, I don’t know, I’m very mixed right now. Maybe as my emotions simmer I’ll decide how I feel. I guess we’ll just have to see. (But is it just me or does something seem off about this whole thing?)

#stranger things 4 #stranger things #el hopper #max mayfield #will byers #mike wheeler

6 notes · View notes

losersclublol · 3 years

Text

today’s thought is stan with tics/tourette’s bc i have them too and my favorite hobby is projecting

(also i’m making this fem losers bc fuck you)

has bird call tics 200%

no bc they’d be spot on, they’d come out whenever she sees the bird the call belongs to

losers: “hey stan what bird is that one?” stan: “*aggressive whistling* nightingale”

i feel like she’d have coprolalia and it would pop out at the worst times

“miss uris, billie can do her own work but thank you for offering to help” “fuck off bitch, she’s stupid, sorry”

she’s get really frustrated bc of them, sometimes they mess up her work or knock something over a lot or make her hit herself. shits really annoying

losers would be great at comforting, they’d help clean up whatever fell over, get her ice packs and plasters(bandaids) y’know good friend stuff

h u g s

every time she hugs someone her tics hold on for dear life, the losers love it and always treasure it cause she’s not normally a hugger

they try and get to play games like uno as much as possible cause she always tics what cards she has or is going to put down

beep beep tic

richie hates it

i want her to have a hand chop tic from eddie, so she does

eddie will be ranting about richie or something dumb idk and she’ll do the wee hand chop

causing stan do also do it

“no because that was stupid and dangerous !*hand choppy* do you know how hurt you could’ve- stan stop mocking me”

“i’m not trying to dickwad *hits hand too hard* ow, that’s your fault”

“how is it my fault??”

richie unintentionally gives her soooo many tics. like they’ll be having lunch or something,

bill: “what have you got today, stan”

stan: “eddies mom *aggressive wink*. a sandwich”

when she has tic attacks richie knows how to get her calm the best

(shit is exhausting honestly they suck)

“you fucking bastard man *flips richie off*. sorry” “no it’s cool, there’s nothing to apologize for. you’re right”

every single time she has a drink that’s open at the top/not got a lid she spills it

the losers have to either hold her drinks for her or she needs a water bottle to put her drink into

they got her a sippy cup as a joke but it’s genuinely helpful jsjsjs

mike is on ‘she might fall so catch her lol’ and ‘she’s gonna hit bill in the legs again, god bills gonna eat shit, miiiiike help’ duty at all times

biting tic

not a full bite that will hurt but it’s a big enough bite to scare eddie

“SHE FUCKING BIT ME” “1. I OBVIOUSLY DIDNT MEAN TO AND 2. YOU WELL FUCKING DESERVED IT”

she has a wee kissing tic too, like a wee smooch, to the air mostly. but one time she kissed mike by accident, they both kinda stoped and malfunctioned for a while, then just went back to what they were originally doing

(the both of them were gay panicking for days on end tho bc stanlon rights)

has punched richie on multiple occasions

actually it’s every time they see each other

it never ends fjjdjdjd

but this post does !

154 notes · View notes

himbo-buckley · 4 years

Text

The Big Buddie for Dummies Guide

Hello party people and welcome to whatever this was supposed to be!

Quite a while ago I got an ask by someone about doing a guide on all the canon indicators for Buddie to explain the ship to non-shippers and about 5 anxiety attacks and four weeks later, I finally did it!

So read, enjoy, reblog, validate, disagree!

Also here are some notes before we get started:

Buddie has been around a while now and there are some incredibly people writing about them and doing meta posts for them, some of which I asked for their opinion which I will link at the end and some of which I am quoting in a way / have been inspired by (Also feel free to send me all and every post related and I will link it in the text as I will try to do the same)

This Guide is organised by the following themes we find in the show with Buddie: trust - coparenting - connection and love life - subtext

I’m not gonna lie, this is incomplete af because tbh? There is so much stuff that can be interpreted as evidence for Buddie but this is too long already so I left some stuff out, I hope ya’ll don’t mind … (also the reblog option exists for reason, just add on what I missed, I’m not gonna bite!)

I’m gonna assume the person who reads this has a general understanding of the show and its scenes because I cannot explain every scene down to it’s very detail (I mean I can but that’s another 20000 words worth of meta and not sure anyone wants to read that … again) but I will try and link fitting gifsets (again, send them my way if you feel I should include sth.)

I should also add a warning for the fact that I, personally, think I am hilarious but others might not but fellas, Idc! (Also I cuss, some people don’t like that?)

So let’s get this show on the road then, shall we? I call this meta : „We might end up real close.“

(alternate title: „Buddie stans ship hard but canon ships harder“ or „This is Timbo’s story (of becoming more famous than Joss Whedon) and I’m just it’s vessel“)

Trust

We’re gonna start this off strong (I mean all of them are strong themes) by talking about the biggest theme with Buddie which is trust. It goes all the way back to 2.01 and the gym scene and Buck basically telling Eddie he doesn’t trust him (complaining about Eddie’s comfort level, anyone?) and that he needs to earn that - which rude but also I get it.

In fact there are two main themes which I combined into Trust which begin in 2.01:

„You’re my problem“ and „You can have my back any day“ both of which sort of sum up Buddie, because from the get go Buck decides hey, this guy is my problem and then he proceeds to make everything about Eddie his business. Eddie meanwhile tells Buck he’d love to have him watching his back - meaning Eddie trusts him and wants Buck to be his partner.

(Side note: isn’t it beautiful how that is a complete reverse of their usual attitudes? Usually Buck trusts way to easy and Eddie never does but with each other it’s the opposite!)

Let’s look at the episodes in order, okay?

2.01: „I think I’ve seen this happen in porn before“

- „You’re my problem“: I’m gonna talk about the gym scene later a bit more but this sort of establishes the dynamic Buddie has? Because both are fascinated by and focused on each other from the get go. I mean: Eddie got to the 118 and everyone seemed to be nice to him except this one guy and instead of giving him a few days, thinking he’ll come around , Eddie is like: nah, I’ll confront him! Why? Maybe it’s gay, maybe it’s Maybelline, maybe Eddie „I am not enough“ Diaz was just sick and tired of everyone putting trust in him because soldier and craved the vibe check?

- „You can have my back“: Basically what happened was, they got the bomb out (being partners and in sync even when they didn’t like each other yet) and they stood outside and Eddie tries a new approach cause for some reason Eddie decided out of everyone at the 118 he needed Buck to like him specifically and so he pays the guy - who was nothing but rude to him so far but who is also very competent - a compliment and Buck gets all flustered and thankful - and „You’re my problem!“ gets rephrased into „Or you know, you could have mine!“

(Also the look of pure elation on Buck’s face when Eddie compliments him, you know the person Hen has basically said is so awesome and pretty it transcends sexualities? And he picks Buck of all people to have his back? Buck has no choice but to stan!)

- In terms of Trust we also get the pool scene which is our second instance of them being in sync and partners by both jumping into the pool and getting the guy out basically at the same time

2.02 / 2.03: „Why Edmundo Diaz hates earthquakes part 1 and part 2 (of 2)“

- „Where do you want us, Cap?“: Now looking at the timeline of 2.01 they’ve known each other for approximately four days as this is their fourth shift together (we see) and yet Eddie is already comfortable enough to answer for himself and Buck several times. He’s the one who decides they will go in and he answers the roll call later for the both of them. This is our first real instance of them being in sync and just their whole interaction, from Eddie going along with Buck’s plan about the elevator to everything else just shows how much they already trust each other.

- „I, uh, I love kids“: Also Buck in this episode, why was it so important that Eddie knows you like kids? Please share!

- “Eddie, you’re kid is in the safest place he can be.“: Connected to this is a sub-theme I like to call: ‚They know each other better than anyone else does‘ which is established here with Buck realising that Eddie is full of shit when he pretends not to worry about Chris so Buck spends some time trying to assure Eddie Chris is safe at school.

- „Is everything okay?“: Of course, the fact that Buck was the only one to check in with Eddie’s mental state from the truck scene onwards is very telling, because everyone else likes and trusts him but they don’t really care (yet)

- And the episodes end with everyone reuniting with their families, including Eddie - while Buck watches from the car because Buck drove him there because he has his back (also see Subtext)

2.04: „Hearteyes, motherforker“

This whole episode is what made several people ship Buddie and well, I can see it and I will talk about a lot of it with the other themes but for now:

- „I just feel bad for him. (…) Eddie’s working on it“: This episode really leans into the whole „You’re my problem“ with Buck apparently driving Eddie to the hospital (or at least coming along) to Buck clearing Chris coming to the station with Bobby to worrying about them at home until finally he introduces him to Carla.

Mind you, they haven’t known each other that long, yet Buck feels the need to meddle in Eddie’s life and fix his problems for him which, yes, is very Buck thing to do but still: Considering Eddie was introduced to us as this super capable guy, it’s interesting that Buck immediately saw through him and decided: yeah, that guy needs me to take care of him.

Or you know, to have his back.

2.07: „*Tommy Wiseau voice* Oh, hi Shannon!“

- „I needed someone to have my back“: This episode establishes the significance of „You can have my back“ even more because in this episode Shannon comes back and you know what they fight about? Eddie not having her back. Shannon quite literally says „I needed someone to have my back“ which is almost the same exact Eddie tells Buck in 2.01 and with that wording as well ...

In the same scene Shannon also says how Eddie always knows best and is the one to make the decisions which is another parallel you can draw to Buddie where Eddie began like that in 2.01 (the scene at the mechanic’s) and then began to follow Buck’s lead (the elevator shaft) / let Buck help him (Carla))

2.10: „It’s all about ‚figured it was none of my business‘“

I love this episode very much because there are several Buddie hints in there.

- “I think it’s none of our business.“: Connected to the topic of Trust is the scene between Chimney and Buck when they buy the Christmas tree and Buck keeps talking about Shannon coming to the station and the fact that Shannon and Eddie hooked up while Chim seems exasperated by this and frankly doesn’t care and he tells Buck as much, saying it’s none of their business. Except it is because Eddie is Buck’s problem, remember?

- „So … not gonna say anything?“: And then the „None of your / my business“ gets repeated in the scene when Buddie sits at the fountain talking about Chris and Shannon and they both say it’s none of Buck’s business. Yet Eddie then still tells Buck all about it sounding all defensive.

- It’s also the first instance of Eddie willingly searching out Buck’s advice about Christopher.

- And related to the topic of knowing each other well, considering how surprised Buck is by all of this, one sort of has to wonder how often they hang out outside of work. Because the way Buck acts makes one assume it’s quite a lot, which is why Buck is so hurt he doesn’t know about it.

- Also the fact that they so casually go somewhere with Christopher and the way Buck talks about him making it clear they have done this before.

- „Trying to protect your kid.“: On the topic of Trust I also wanna mention the fact that Eddie doesn’t trust Shannon with Christopher. Which is a direct parallel to 3.03 when Eddie tells Buck there is no one he trusts more with his son. And also 3.09 when Buck gets to be back in Chris’s life after the lawsuit as soon as Buddie made up yet Shannon needs to really beg for it? I mean, yeah.

2.13: „ Evan *I colour coordinate with bae while my sister is abducted and my brother is dying* Buckley“

- „Oh, no, I know what you were thinking.“: The scene at the hospital between Buck and Eddie does have a bit of subtextual relevance but I do think we should note the fact that this scene was in the show at all like this because wouldn’t Bobby have made a bit more sense? After all they spent one and a half Season before that making him the guy Buck goes to for advice and he has sisters as well, yet here we get Eddie being the one to talk to Buck.

We get Eddie basically telling Buck exactly what he needed to hear and while not exactly condoning his actions, he is also not judging them. Instead Eddie is telling Buck he might have done the same, because Eddie and Buck know each other and see each other.

So I wouldn’t necessarily call that scene Buddie-hinting but it does definitely play into the whole ‚having each other’s backs‘ and ‚knowing each other well‘ thing they got going on.

Also compare it to 3.06 in the way that both times Buck did something wrong and it was Eddie who actually took the time to listen to Buck’s reasoning and be the one to understand him, which is a very important part of their dynamic.

And the line „I wasn’t worried about that.“ in response to how Buck thought he would get away with all of this might be one of the top 10 heartbreaking lines of this show for me and that is saying a lot with 911!

2.14: „‚It’s a miracle… bro #nohomo’“

I am not fully sure if the scene of Buck freaking out about Eddie going back in to save the kid really fits in here, but I’m also very unsure were else to put it, so Trust it is!

- „Eddie, what are you doing?”: It does fit into the whole having each other’s back thing with Buck immediately jumping into action to try and help Eddie

- But in all honesty prior to 3.14 this would have not made the cut as I would have been like: eh, that’s just who Buck is as a person - but as 3.14 will proof / has proven, he can be calm and collected even when his sister, his ACTUAL family is in danger and while I would argue it was in part because there was less he could do to actively help in 3.14, it still deserves to be mentioned now

- Side note: considering 2.13 / 2.14 and 3.14 / 3.15 this marks two occasions were Buck being worried for Maddie’s life was followed by an episode of Buck being worried for Eddie’s life and that too deserves mentioning

2.18: „insert *Jane Austen film*-gif: It’s about the hands!“

- I’m not really sure if this is really connected to Trust but Eddie holds Buck’s hand the whole time, even after he has dragged him out from under the firetruck until they disappear in the ambulance.

- Also the fact that Eddie, who is probably stronger than Chimney, is the one helping Hen drag Buck out from under the fire truck while Chimney helps lift it is … worth a mention.

- Definitely connected to Trust is Buck’s insistence to going to Eddie’s ceremony because this is Eddie and he has his back

3.01: „How you know he no sleep naked?“

Yes, this scene has a lot to unpack. In terms of *trust* / how well they know each other:

- „He’s just sulking, Cap“: Eddie says about Buck. In my opinion the phrasing combined with how before that they were talking about how Maddie can’t get Buck to leave the house and he won’t answer any of Bobby’s calls implies that either a) Eddie too has tried to contact Buck with no success or b) is actually in contact with Buck, has talked to him and has concluded based on what he saw that Buck is sulking - and yes, I am leaning toward b).

- “Maybe you’ll learn something.“: Which brings me to the fact that it’s Eddie who makes the plan to get Buck out of his funk and prove to him that he still has stuff to live for, despite how dismissive he had been about Buck’s feelings before, calling it sulking and saying Buck should just brush it off. Because Eddie has Buck’s back despite it all and is there for him and trusts him.

- „He’s hanging out with his Buck today“: In terms of actual Trust there is the fact that Buck is very much depressed in this episode - and what does Eddie do? Puts his son in his care, you know, the most important person in Eddie’s life, convinced that Buck will be able to take care of him despite how low and bad he is feeling about himself. One) because it has been the case for Eddie probably. Two) because this is who Buck is as a person even while depressed and Eddie trusts that. And three) because even before the Tsunami Eddie was very sure about how much Buck loved Chris.

- „Honestly I don’t know how to help him.“: This also parallels Maddie with Eddie in an interesting way because Maddie spends the whole episode worried about Buck and thinking he cannot take care of himself, while Eddie trusts in Buck to not only take care of himself but also his son. Which yeah, interesting.

3.02 „Eddie hates earthquakes - the remix“

- The episode sort of proves that while the others may have known what Eddie was gonna do, Operation „Buck up Buck“ was his plan because he is the one who has Buck’s back. (Considering for example Maddie doesn’t know about it as she thinks Buck is home and had Chim been involved he would have told her beforehand meaning this was Eddie’s plan and he executed it and then told the others about it while at work.)

- Also in terms of literal Trust: LA is hit by a Tsunami and Eddie doesn’t worry about his son once because Buck said they are going to the movies next and also because Eddie trusts Buck to protect Chris like he would.

3.03 „‚Do it for the trauma!‘ - Buck-edition“

Once again a subtext-mill but there is some textual evidence as well:

- “How do you tell your best friend that you lost his son?“: At the VA hospital Buck calls Eddie his best friend when he talks to Maddie which I always found weird in this context? Because it should always be hard to tell another person about how you got their child killed (which is not my opinion but the way Buck sees it here, okay?), yet the writers choose to put in a reference to how much Eddie means to Buck.

- Which connects to another subtext and text thing which is the voiceover which has Buck say the lines: „To be seen. To be found. Isn’t that what we’re all looking for?“ after talking to Eddie, which no longer just implies this is about Eddie but actually straight up says it - and it connects to the sub-topic of how well they know each other, cause Buck says in this episode: Eddie is my best friend and he sees me for who I really am. Which, yeah, is stuff one usually finds in connection to a love interest. (Will talk about it more with Subtext though)

- Also before that the voiceover has Buck say „Sometimes being lost is not knowing how to get from where we are to where we wanna be, where we need to be.“ right as Eddie knocks on the door, which basically states that Eddie and Chris might be where Buck wants to be but also how Eddie apparently knows how to get Buck there. Because he knows him so well. (He literally calls Eddie his life raft in the voiceover!)

- „Buck, there is nobody in this world I trust with my son more than you”: Now the Trust theme in regards to the loft scene is interesting in how it compares Buck to two people in Eddie’s eyes / life: Shannon and himself. Shannon, as I already said, we have with 2.07 and 2.10, both of which talked about how she left Chris (and Eddie) and how Eddie no longer trusts her because of this and refuses to let her back into Chris’s life. Which is different to how he always lets Buck back into Chris’s life, even after the lawsuit with virtually no hesitation once they made up as far as we can see. Meaning he trusts Buck more than he trusts Shannon. Who is, you know, his wife?

As for Eddie himself, I’m gonna flashforward a bit to 3.08 and the conversation between Eddie and Bobby. Because in 3.03 Eddie talks about messing up with Chris, yet how he never stops trying and how he knows Buck is the same way - which is interesting considering 3.08 has Eddie basically say that he has not forgiven himself for all those mistakes. Yet he forgives Buck both for the Tsunami and abandoning them during the lawsuit.

And now I wanna say something very controversial and hurtful but also connected to how I read Buddie and Trust which is that in my opinion? Eddie includes himself here. Eddie tells Buck here he trusts him more or at the very least just as much as he trusts himself with his son. Which is pretty big, considering he barely trusted his wife, the mother of said son, who he has known for at the very least about 11 years during Season 2? Someone he himself said he loves? Someone he at one point planned his future with? (Meaning he most definitely plans his future with Buck in it now…)

3.04 „discount!Buck in the house“

- Two things are in this episode, both of which are very much not about Trust in the literal sense but how much time Buddie spends together outside of work:

“Can’t fight city hall.“ Eddie being the only one on board with the fire drill Buck’s leading because he is a boy scout who follows all the rules but also because Buck probably talked to him about his job as fire marshal beforehand and so Eddie knows how important what is happening here is to Buck.

„You don’t know math.“: now, you can think this is another dig at Buck’s intelligence but you also have to acknowledge that at one point Eddie might have either heard someone reference Buck’s math knowledge in front of Eddie or Eddie has seen Buck try doing math and has remembered that well enough to immediately be able to pull out that dig. (Which brings us to a parallel I will talk about later!)

- “Uh, who - who’s that?“: I also firmly believe that Buck would have not been as willing to go along with the lawsuit, despite Bobby’s betrayal, had Eddie not immediately rushed off toward Lena at the firehouse, making Buck think Eddie (his partner) has replaced him. Does no longer need him to have his back.

3.05: „What if we fight like a married couple in a grocery store downtown LA, bro?“

Ah, yes, that episode! Filled with Buddie signs!

- “And if Cap says he’s not ready, he’s not ready.“: What I find interesting in terms of Buddie and Trust is the fact that Eddie apparently trusts Bobby’s judgement more than he trusts Buck’s. Which I find OOC. Or not because Eddie is a soldier and Eddie grew up fairly authoritarian it seems his first instinct will be to follow the chain of command / do as the person in charge tells him to.

- Now everything else that happens after including and specifically the street fighting storyline? That was a direct result of the lawsuit and the deposition in which Buck betrayed Eddie’s trust by revealing the info about Shannon. Which Buck is aware of because up until this point we see him still looking up, yet after this he drops his eyes and doesn’t really look at anyone again during the deposition.

- “And I’m not allowed to talk to Buck.“: Yet. YET despite this massive betrayal in Eddie’s eyes what stops him from calling Buck later is the fact that he wasn’t allowed to do so! Nothing else. Also the phrasing is very interesting as it gives us three entities Eddie considered to call: his abuela, Buck and the 118, meaning Hen, Chim and Bobby - the people he will call his family about 6 episodes later - are an uniformed mass but Buck is his own person - because up to this point Buck always had Eddie’s back. And we all know he still would have had! (Sidenote: this line is what made me an actual shipper and why ya’ll can read posts like this, so maybe say thank you to Lyndsey Beaulieu? Or fuck you, depending on your opinion of me ;P)

- „And now I can’t even talk to you.“: This whole scene gives huge character exposition and I’ve talked a shit ton about the fight in the grocery store before as have a lot of other people, but basically what it boils down to is that Eddie is mad at Buck because he revealed things about them to his lawyer but mostly because Eddie thought they had each others back and trusted each other and apparently Buck doesn’t trust and care about him the same way Eddie does for him because he didn’t even consult Eddie about the lawsuit? And Eddie misses Buck a lot. And Chris misses Buck a lot. And Eddie is already mad because Shannon wanted a divorce despite how hard he tried and then she died, meaning she left him again and now Buck left him as well and why is Eddie never enough for anyone?

And of course, as always, Eddie is mad at himself the most because he wasn’t enough for Shannon and he wasn’t enough for Buck and he’s probably not enough for Chris who is struggling so much and Eddie just feels angry and lost all the time!

I think this is the moment Buck finally understands how much he means to Eddie truly. How Eddie meant every word in 3.03. How for once someone actually trusted him, depended on him - and he let them down. Which was never his intention because Buck never understood that he could (which is not the topic of this post though).

- “Why can’t you see my side of things?“: On Buck’s side, while he isn’t nearly as mad as Eddie, he does raise the question of why Eddie didn’t have his back - which is a very fair question but Eddie is still too mad at Buck here to hear it.

- What is also very interesting about this scene is that no one, not even Bobby who was actually sued by Buck, is as mad at him as Eddie is and no one dares steps between them. Probably because everyone recognises they are closest with each other, so the conversation hits a bit different and also is about a lot more than the „stupid lawsuit“. Yeah.

(Real talk I have been very mad at friends before and I am known to make scenes but damn, this scene does not read platonic at all, it reads ‘married couple fights in grocery store in LA - what happens next will surprise you. News at 11.’)

- In other news, Eddie didn’t come to the rage room in the end and Buck was very very sad about it.

3.06: „*cries about the framing*“

(Sidenote: I feel Eddie so much in this episode, I too would be too embarrassed to talk to Buck had I just screamed at him in a grocery store in full view of all our coworkers. I too would avoid everyone like the plague and maybe join a fight club just so I would not have to deal with those feelings. I get it, my dude!)

- “Whew, dude, are you okay?“: We’ll talk about it with 3.08 as well, but it is very significant and pointed that Buck immediately knows something is wrong with Eddie when no one else at the station had seemed to be aware of that.

- “I don’t know what you want from me, Buck“: The apology scene is very subtext heavy but what it comes down to in the whole having each other’s back / knowing each other well / Trust - column is the fact that after being mad and avoiding him all day Eddie still sticks around and more importantly actually listens to Buck - which, as shitty as that sounds, but considering how he acted before if Eddie hadn’t wanted to still be Buck's friend he could have said something shitty and left or stayed and not actually listened to what Buck had to say - but he didn’t because as hurt as Eddie had been by Buck’s betrayal he still trust him and he wants to understand, which I do think sets Eddie apart from everyone else because Hen and Chim forgive Buck but they don’t ever try to figure out where he is coming from while Bobby is … being Bobby about all of. Eddie meanwhile, who has the most or maybe the only right to actually be mad about the lawsuit, still trusts Buck enough to know that he had his reasons and actually takes the time to listen to them. Even if he is being sassy.

- And on Buck’s side we do have his need to reconnect with Eddie the whole episode and we have him notice stuff about Eddie no one else did and we also have the really beautiful and mature line of Buck saying: „I just want you to talk to me. Even if it’s just to say you’re still mad.“ Which I love very much and tells us a lot about Buck and communication, because Buck values openness so much.

- “And I just wanted to…“ - „Punch someone?“: Also while it was important for Buck to explain himself to someone - it was especially important for him to explain himself to Eddie, both because he considers Eddie his best friend and also because the grocery store scene showed him how much he means to Eddie which probably floored Buck because as we learned before and also after: Buck is not used to people needing him as much as he needs them.

3.08: „XOXO gossip (fire)fighters“

- “Whoo. Nice truck.“: One thing about 911 is that it’s a very plot and action driven show, meaning sometimes it will lack the time to actually show us certain things, especially when it comes to relationships, so it relies a lot on telling us things about characters and their relationships and as these scenes here show us they do a good job at it. Buddie talking about Eddie buying a new truck is very casual and banter-y / flirty (this is a Buddie post so I call it like I see it) and light and shows us: hey, they are friends again and close again and they know each other very well - while also showing us: Eddie still keeps stuff from Buck but Buck knows something is off.

- “Eddie too.“: Which brings me to my next point and the thing I love most about this episode aside from Heidi which is Buck running around and going: ‚something is wrong with Eddie‘ while everyone else is like: ‚Eddie? Are you sure? I haven’t noticed anything‘

Which leaves two ways to read this:

Eddie and the rest of the 118 aren’t as close as it seems and they do not care about Eddie that much - which considering all the deep talk between Eddie and Chimney in 3b especially and the fact that he calls them his family would be fucked up and also doesn’t seem like the vibe they are going for OR

BUDDIE! I mean, look at what has been going on with the street fighting storyline, essentially the writers went: okay, so Eddie can't talk to Buck so he goes completely off the rails but no one will know because Eddie hides it so well - EXCEPT Buck will realise sth is wrong the second he looks at Eddie and once the lawsuit is done he will spend two episodes running after Eddie and trying to figure out what is going on

3.09: „#tw: mild adult themes & implied sexual content / #pwp - porn without porn“

- “He’s kind of obsessed with natural disasters.“: Honest question: Is Buck really obsessed with natural disasters or does Eddie have earthquake related trauma and Buck has been googling stuff and telling him facts to calm Eddie down every time the earth vibrates a little because a train or something passes them by?

In any case it’s a very cute scene with Eddie once more revealing how well he knows Buck and the writers confirming to us that yes, these boys spent a lot of time with each other and talking to each other - without needing to show the scenes

- “I could still take you“: AFTER ALL they needed the runtime to do this other little scene this fandom has not talked about at all ever mainly because it is so very straight basically people stopped shipping after.

I’m just kidding, obviously the whole scene was very queer both in subtext but especially in text, I mean, what even was that line about still taking him, Buck? There is a child not even 15 feet away, where is your sense for decency and decorum? DO YOU WANT TO TRAUMATISE HIM EVEN MORE???

A few notes on this scene:

- It’s been pointed out to me that Maddie complains about how everything around there gets shared with the 118 and how Buck … turns around and shares everything about his sister with Eddie, which I love because it seems so normal and comfortable between them like they do that all the time, which is way cute and domestic!

Added to that considering the conversation Eddie had the week before with Bobby about Shannon and the throwaway reference about thinking his marriage having been complicated, I wonder: Did Eddie talk to everyone about the street fighting and Shannon after his talk with Bobby in 3.08? Did he just talk to Buck about it? Did Buck know about Shannon wanting a divorce all along? (Yeah, you know were I am leaning, right?)

- “Especially if you aren’t around to see that they need saving“: As for the apology in and off itself, I’m not gonna talk about the character implications again cause been there done that, send an ask if you wanna know more, but what it comes down to is: Buck acknowledging that he should have been there for Eddie and he didn’t consider the Eddie of it all when he sued Bobby, which is interesting because OFFICIALLY Eddie really is just his best friend and coworker at this point so did he really have to consider his feelings all that much?

Also Buck is saying - and Eddie is not contradicting this - that Eddie street fighting would not have happened if Buck had been around, which, to quote a good friend of mine: Uff!

I think we can admit that while Eddie was mad at Buck, his anger was not primarily about Buck but it was amplified by Buck abandoning him. We can admit that Buck was what ultimately caused Eddie to lose his control and considering everything that Eddie went through in the past year with Shannon and considering everything Buck went through in the past two years: this is as close to unconditional love as these two can manage at the time and that is very beautiful and does support Buddie 100%. They are each other’s anchor and person the one they turn to in a crisis.

Or well, Buck is for Eddie. Buck does have more people like that in his life with his sister there and I do think before the lawsuit he wasn’t fully aware that he could depend on Eddie so fully because Buck always doubts how committed other people are to him because abandonment issues.

3.11: „Bist du single? Nein, eher Album!“

- „This is Eddie’s house. I’m not really a guest.“: Incredibly strong indicator / implications toward how much time these two boys spent with each other, considering how comfortable both of them are in each other’s space (and I don’t mean physical but material space). Eddie has a key to Buck’s apartment and just let’s himself in willy-nilly, while Buck is around in Eddie’s place often enough to not think of himself as a guest there. (And while that might be normal best friend behaviour to some of us, Maddie’s words imply that it is not for her / the Buckleys.)

3.14: „Frank says ‚Thank you, this paid for my new house!‘“ / 3.15: „MY therapist also says ‚Thank you!‘“

I’m gonna group these two together, since 3.14 in itself doesn’t have any relevance considering Eddie isn’t even in the episode but it does become relevant in regards to 3.15!

- Basically what it all comes down to is the contrast between Buck’s reaction to Maddie being in danger and his reaction to Eddie nearly dying!

Now I already said while talking about 2.14 part of it was that Buck was aware he was in no position to help Maddie and might actually make stuff worse if he intervenes while with Eddie he was HIS ACTUAL LIFELINE! He was actually responsible for getting Eddie out of the well and home to his family. BUT (!) it’s still very pointed, especially remembering they apparently changed the order of episodes around? Meaning we are really hit with the contrast and we have to consider the implications of it all!

- Also just Buck’s reaction in general, even with Chimney and Maddie in Season 2 he wasn’t this frantic, he wasn’t freaking out like that! This really seems like all those scene’s shows like that usually do to confirm one person is in love with the other by having them completely loose it at the prospect of the other dying.

And damn, does 911 delivers here, not just with Buck literally trying to dig down to Eddie with his bare hands but also with his conviction for the rest of the episode before going sort of catatonic near the end. Basically Buck was going through the 5 stages of grief over Eddie during the course of this episode and we just? Let him?

- Of course we should mention Buck has Eddie’s back always, so he doesn’t give up on him and doesn’t entertain the notion of Eddie possibly being dead for even a microsecond because this is Eddie and Buck needs him!

- And to add to the list of heartbreaking lines we have Hen saying: „Why? So we have two cut lines?“ because yes, Buck would choose to stay down there rather than let himself be saved if Eddie was already dead - and if Eddie wasn’t he would force Eddie to trade lines with him so Buck could be the one to die because Buck thinks Eddie’s life is more valuable than his and also he is a selfless idiot who loves Eddie more than himself - which frankly is a mutual thing if we look at 3.03

Option #3 btw would be that Hen knows Eddie has a legitimate reason to cut his line and he would explain that to Buck and - considering who they are - Buck would immediately agree and cut his line as well.

Anyways, no matter which option the writers were thinking off this line is heartbreaking and the implication interesting!

To sum it all up, the episode basically said: Buck would die for Eddie and he loves him more than anything else

- The Eddie implications of this episode are mostly Subtext, so we’ll get to them later in case you thought I forgot!

3.16: „The rope was a metaphor after all“

Tbh I do not think that this episode was really about how no person can be happy / live without regrets / not be lonely unless they are in a relationship with someone or they would not have put that much focus on the relationship between Maddie and Buck and the fact that his abandonment issues stem from her leaving.

- “He’s not gonna do it alone“: As for Buddie, the episode goes back to them being partners and in sync with the roof thing and yay, it has a different ending then the reversed situation the episode before but also it features a metaphor we will talk about later

- “Hey, you’re more than welcome to come and celebrate with a bunch of 9 year olds.“: Just like we will talk later about Eddie inviting Buck to the sleepover! Because while I don’t think the invite was all that serious and I don’t think even considering everyone else, Buck would have taken him up on it because celebrating with a bunch of 9 year olds around isn’t what Buck had in mind, it’s very interesting that the first person taken out of the equation is the guy Buck is closest to and probably spends the most time with.

- And now let’s talk about the playing pool scene because it once again shows that 1) Buck and Eddie are very alike, 2) they know each other very well and 3) they care about each other the most!

Because for 1) I do wanna point everyone to the fact that Eddie doesn’t have anyone outside his family and the 911 either or they would have mentioned him staying in contact with his army buddies or something.

2) Eddie is the only one who actually listens to what Buck says and gets what Buck is really asking, while Bobby, Hen and Chim are all too focused on their own experiences to get that the reason Buck tries so hard to help Red is because he thinks he is Red (I mean they do get it, but they don’t really realise how serious this is for Buck - yet)

3) There is also a lot of focus on Eddie in this scene which we will talk about later as well but it picks up the whole ambiguous „us“ from the grocery store which technically refers to the whole firefam but the way it’s said still implies that it is about the two of them especially.

To anticipate a bit: every time the word „Us“ is used in this scene Buddie only looks at each other. When Buck says „I mean that would never happen … to us.“ he looks at everyone else but turns to look at Eddie as he very pointedly says „to us“ and keeps his focus there for a moment. Eddie meanwhile technically turns to the pool table while he says the word „us“ but he only focuses on Buck before this and doesn’t look at anyone else because to him: Buck is the important aspect here. And no one else!

Not to mention the intense look Buck gives Eddie (and only Eddie) when he says „Better not.“. Like damn, in 3 Seasons Buck has never sounded this threatening before!

Basically the way this scene is acted combined with the words that were written it sort of reads like them going: We’re all family here but you and me will most definitely never leave each other!

I mean there is a reason why Buddie used the ambiguous „us“ while everyone else talked about the firefam being friends or being family.

(And yes, that might be a bit of a reach but this is a Buddie guide after all, so we are going with the buddie-est interpretation!)

3.17: „‚Don’t say her name‘-challenge“

- “Uh no, someone else.“: More of a subtext scene but it does seem pointed that Buck refuses to admit that he was thinking about Abby here, considering Bobby most definitely knew that Buck was talking about Abby because he was there for the hot-air balloon date, so even if he did not remember right away he knew the second Buck said he didn’t know from Maddie and since Hen and Chimney weren’t there in the truck (and also, they probably would have known who Buck was talking about as well) the only one Buck was hiding from was Eddie.

Which makes sense, even if you only look at them as best friends, because Eddie only saw the aftermath and what we canonically know that he heard about Abby were things like Buck’s speech in 2.08, so … even as just Buck’s friend he must really dislike her

(Also there is that whole parallel one can draw between Abby and Shannon which I talked about here)

- „Buck invites Eddie“: So I’ve been going back and forth on what to write here for a few hours now and what it comes down to is this: despite being 6500 words deep into a meta on Buddie and knowing full well the writers so far have no intention of actively doing Buddie, I would not accuse 911 of queerbaiting. HOWEVER, if the show ends and Buddie doesn’t happen I will consider this scene queerbaiting because there would have been ways to write this that did not leave the implications it did because the way it has been written the text is:

„If I bring my romantic life-partner to dinner with my best friend he will bring his romantic life-partner who will invite her brother who will invite his best friend and then we have to invite this other couple we are all close with.“ and well, one of them is not like the others, right?

(Well, technically two but Maddie and Buck are most definitely siblings despite that scene in 2.01)

Because essentially what that scene did here was say: If I bring my wife the evening turns into this couples night with all our friends - except Buck and Eddie aren’t a couple.

And sure, just like all great queerbaits there is a reasonable explanation as well as a completely platonic way to read this because of course Buck would not wanna be all alone with two couple so he would bring his best friend and the we’d have to invite the other couple we know as well so they don’t feel left out.

EXCEPT - and this is why it feel pointed and queerbait-ey: We have already seen the 118 hang out without Athena and Bobby at Chimney’s birthday and it was never mentioned to us whether they were invited and didn’t come - or Chimney didn’t invite them. Both explanations sort of make Hen’s point moot because it does proof that they can hang out without their boss slash friend and his wife slash her best friend without it being a big deal meaning especially if this was a make-up dinner for Chimney’s birthday they wouldn’t have needed to be there.

There is also the fact that supposably Alfred is still in town? You know, Chimney’s brother? So if they wanted to avoid the Buddie implication they could have also thrown in how Chim might bring his brother like:

„I invite you, so he invites Maddie, Maddie invites Buck, Buck invites Eddie, Chim might invite Alfred, and now we gotta invite Athena and Bobby“ - see how that has a completely different feel? Now there are three single guys and two of which are siblings of someone else in the group while the third is friends with the rest of the group, making this sound less like couples night out and more like a group of friends hanging out.

But they didn’t do it like that so now it feels like they are pointedly equating Buddie with the canon couples of the show which is quite queerbait-ey.

3.18: „TrainCRASH? More like train WRECK? *cries*“

Okay, so this episode is a little hard to do because there is so much going on and a lot of it is very hard to categorise! As for the topic of Trust and having each other’s back:

- I do think that a lot of Eddie here come down to having Buck’s back - even when Buck might not think that’s what Eddie’s doing like in the train car, but he probably realised later which is why we see Buck talk about it with Bobby but not with Eddie because they are at this point where you no longer need to have clarifying talks (about stuff like that, once romantic!Buddie hits they’ll have to do all the talking).

And that’s basically it when it comes to Trust because most of what is happening in the episode when it comes to Buddie is Subtext!

Coparenting

I think this theme needs less of an explanation - though I do wanna point out that while I think Buck has fatherly feelings for Chris and Chris loves Buck a lot, Buck is not actually his parent / father. He is slowly getting there and if or when Buddie happens he might become Chris’s other parent but right now he is not. So this theme is about Buck being a honorary member of the Diaz family in general and Eddie’s treatment of him most of all.

Because the way I see Eddie him dating anyone would always be tied to his son. Eddie has been shown to be someone who would do anything for family and his son in particular, so the fact that Buck is tied into this family is important. It also shows how much they are already a family without actually dating and proofs they spent more time with each other than we see and more than with anyone else.

I should also say that there is a very heavy overlap between this and the category of Subtext so some things will be repeated but all of them deserve to be repeated so there is that.

2.02 / 2.03: „Why Edmundo Diaz hates earthquakes part 1 and part 2 (of 2)“

- Like I already said when I discussed Trust Buck is the only one asking who Eddie is trying to reach, he is the only one trying to reassure Eddie and he does so even though Eddie is being sarcastic and pretending he doesn’t need to be comforted - also a staple in their relationship

And I think this is also were their dynamic of Buck being Eddie’s go to person when it came to Chris came from. Buck told Eddie he liked kids and then he proceeded to actually show Eddie he means it and he cares and considering Eddie says the mother isn’t in the picture and Chris has no one else (which as we learn throughout the show is not 100% true because technically Eddie's parents are there, even if they have no idea how to properly raise Chris, but in LA Eddie doesn’t really have anyone (yet) he feels comfortable burdening with his fears about Chris), so that must mean one hell of a lot.

- “Hey. Service.“: There is also the moment at the end of 2.03 when Buck immediately tells Eddie: hey, service is back! and then he drives Eddie to pick up Chris which is a scene that has so much subtext so we’ll talk about it later! It does however give us our first‚ Diazs plus Buck‘-family moment because while we see everyone reuniting with their loved ones, we see Buck with Eddie and Chris and yeah.

2.04: „Hearteyes, motherforker“

- One of my favourite things about Buddie is how they manage to be exactly what the other person needs - or in case of this episode figure out exactly what the other person needs and giving it to them. It’s happening here and again in 3.01 and 3.03 and some other smaller moments as well (see 2.01 honestly).

It’s also interesting that Buck is the one to drive Eddie again because we saw he has a car! So why is that? Maybe because he knows the way better?

As for the coparenting happening here, aside from Buck introducing Eddie to Carla because he knows she is what Eddie needs, we also have Buck clearing Chris coming to the station with Bobby which is something Eddie apparently hadn’t considered but Buck had and instead of telling Eddie he needs to do that - he does it for him! Because that’s who Buck is but also because Buck realised in this episode how much Eddie really needs someone to have his back and just do stuff for him.

2.07: „*Tommy Wiseau voice* Hi Shannon“

- And in terms of having each other’s back this episode really shows the significance of this phrase with Shannon pointing out, like I said before, that from her point of view Eddie didn’t have her back. She needed him to be her husband and her coparent and he wasn’t.

Now we can argue whether that is true or not but it’s still an important parallel and puts Eddie turning toward Buck for advice into a new light.

Because as Shannon points out Eddie was never good at letting other people make decisions for him or with him before yet we continuously see him turning toward Buck for exactly that: sharing the load with him. And to put that even more into perspective: Buck is the youngest from their friend group, he is the one considered immature and he is the one without kids or younger siblings, yet he is the one Eddie choose for helping.

2.10: „It’s all about ‚figured it was none of my business‘“

- The interesting thing here is that Buck as Eddie’s friend really doesn’t have any right to know about what was happening between Shannon and Eddie if Eddie didn’t want him to, but Buck as Eddie’s family does (a little).

But either way this episode gives us another instance of Eddie confiding in Buck about his family problems - problems he again is the one most inexperienced with. In other words Eddie talking to Buck about it was really about Eddie wanting Buck’s opinion specifically.

There is also the fact that Buck came to see Santa with Eddie in the first place which is most definitely a family affair as far as I know US customs? (We don’t do this in Germany / Bavaria, okay? We have the Child of Christ and around the 6th we gather in the town square and shoot at it.)

It’s even brought up in text with the Elf telling Buck they make a beautiful family - and Buck not disagreeing because honestly it’s just easier and he probably knows how they looked. But yeah. That!

- Also not to repeat myself but the topic of trust is important here! Eddie not trusting Shannon in 2.07 / 2.10 with Chris vs. trusting Buck in 3.03 / 3.09 / 3.10 is important!

Yes, sure Shannon is his actual mother so Chris has stronger feelings for her and the potential to get hurt is way bigger. Yes, Buck was only gone from their life for a few weeks while Shannon was gone for about 2 years. Yes, Buck apologised twice while Shannon just played the victim card tbh (even though she did have a point with some of the stuff she said). But still:

Eddie is very hesitant to let Shannon back into his son’s life (and really his as well) while he does have no such qualms about Buck once Buck apologises to him in 3.06. In fact their relationship returns to normal with Eddie asking Buck for help with Chris numerous times while say 2.15 makes it clear Eddie still keeps Shannon at arms’ length and out of a lot of aspects of raising Chris.

Of course, giving advice to Eddie is not the same level of involved as actually parenting the child and part of it is probably growth on Eddie’s side when it comes to Season 3 but right here: it’s a stark contrast and it deserves a mention!

2.17: „*fridges female character for man pain* Haha, we’re so random!“

- „Ice cream? Oh, I do not envy you putting him to sleep tonight!“: There is the scene here where Eddie facetimes with Shannon and she is out and about with Chris and Abuela and they are getting ice cream and Eddie is all like: damn you’ll regret that later - which is the same thing he says about Buck in 3.02

3.01: „How you know he no sleep naked?“

- Buck gets a card from Chris which is a child thing to do but also should be mentioned because Buck does not get a card from Danny or Harry. And considering how much Buck likes children and how good he is with them we do have to mention that we only see Buck interact with Danny once and never with Harry while it’s been implied several times before the tsunami already that Buck does spend a lot of time with Chris. (Of course, in part this is due to how much closer Buck is with Eddie than Hen and especially Athena but still)

After all the season ends with Chris giving a card to his literal father, tying these two scenes together. And pointing out once again how important Buck is for Chris and the Diaz family.

- Also as I mentioned during Trust there is that parallel / contrast between how Maddie and how Eddie see Buck with Maddie sort of treating him like a child who needs to be dealt with while Eddie is basically like: let’s give him something to do so he feels less useless! (Guess who had the right idea! Just guess! And you have one try!)

- „Are we the only one’s without kids?“: There is also the cut from Madney talking about being the only one’s without kids and then remembering Buck to Buck getting woken up by Eddie so he can babysit Chris which I won’t say confirms Buck being a father to Chris but does accentuate everything he does for Chris after and gives the vibe that Buck does indeed have some fatherly feelings for Chris. It does at least place the idea of the Diazs WITH Buck being a family firmly into our heads.

3.02 „Eddie hates earthquakes - the remix“

- „How’s operation Buck up Buck going?“: Buck sending Eddie updates and pictures of Chris and himself hanging out is just really cute

- Also Eddie isn’t worried about his son at all!

- And we do have that tweet from Oliver Stark about jumping into the receding water at the end of 3.02 being basically suicide but Buck still doing it because the director told him, he’d do it for his own kids.

3.03 „Do it for the trauma - Buck-edition“

- I talked about it before with Trust but basically Eddie, who has parents who are still alive and physically able and love his son very much, even if they have different ideas of how to raise his son, and a sister with at least one child not that much older than Chris and a grandma and an aunt and probably some more family in LA AND Carla who he literally pays to take care of his son, literally tells his best friend he is the one he trusts the most with said son. That is fucking meaningful!

3.05: „What if we fight like a married couple in a grocery store downtown LA, bro?“

- „You know how much Chris misses you?“: The fact that Eddie brings Chris up at all and to hurt Buck specifically is - in part about Eddie deflecting from himself but also about Christopher actually missing Buck, which says a lot about the relationship Chris and Buck have and how much time they spent together if that is something Eddie would bring up here.

3.09: „#tw: mild adult themes & implied sexual content / #pwp - porn without porn“

- „I’d rather be at home with my kid, enjoying the one good thing I got going on.“: Eddie says these words during therapy and where do him and his son spent the following evening or at least an evening that same week? With Buck at his loft. Because even though Buck wasn’t mentioned here as part of the family time Eddie would much rather have, apparently he is part of it.

3.10: „Parenttrapping for Beginners“

- „Well, I thought it would be nice to bring the boys together for a playdate.“ - „All three of `em.“: this speaks for itself, Buck being invited in the first place was … an interesting choice? A dig at Buck’s mental age? Exposition? What exactly, Tim? Like what was the vibe in the writers room here?

- „Hey, Buck? (…) Can I spent Christmas with you?”: The fact that Chris would rather spent Christmas with Buck than with his grandma and the rest of their family is interesting as well and again points toward Buck being an integral part of the Diaz family.

- The way Eddie looks at Buck here and the little head shake implied to me that Buck and Eddie had the same conversation Eddie and Hen have right then already.

3.11: „Bist du single? Nein, eher Album!“

- “Well, that’s what the 118 is. The family we chose.“: Again maybe more subtext than text but when Eddie talks about the 118 being his family the camera pans to *drumroll* Chris, his actual blood family, Albert, Chim’s actual blood family - and Buck, who is basically Chim’s little brother and Eddie’s, well, best friend? Coparent? Partner in work and life? SOULMATE?

Yes, it’s a little subtext, but it’s interesting that this scene shows only one character neither of them are related to and it’s Buck, emphasising once more that these two and especially Eddie (because he’s the one talking here) think of Buck as their family.

3.12: „There’s a horse loose in a hos… school“

- “(…) we should try it together”: Again with the emphatic inclusion of Buck in family scenes! (But this time Carla gets to be there as well - though only to record them?)

This episode introduces Ana Flores as a potential love interest for Eddie and then spends the whole episode contrasting and paralleling her with Buck, as one does …

In this episode as well Eddie gets advice about Chris from several people and it’s interesting that the one person whose advice he follows without disagreeing or trying something else first is once again Buck.

The episode also maybe implies that Buck was the one to built or buy or find out about the skateboard.

But really what matters here is Eddie reaffirming that there is no one he trusts more with his son (because he refused to take Carla’s advice right away but he did listen and think about what Buck had to say right away - despite his joking) and Buck being included in the family scene.

3.15: „MY therapist also says ‚Thank you!‘“

- „I’m always gonna fight to come home to my family.“: I’m not gonna comment on the lack of Shannon in the montage because I do believe part of it was that they didn’t really have scenes that fit and would have had to film them specifically which would then have to fit into the timeline / storyline before and also mostly it was about Shannon already being dead meaning she is no longer part of the family Eddie can come home to, so it makes a hell of a lot of sense for her not to be included, guys!

That being said I do believe Buck being in it quite a lot means something about how much of a part in Eddie’s family he is! Which is a big part and something I love about them a lot!

- Also Buck was so very happy Chris came to visit and then immediately walked over, which doesn’t really have any relevance except I thought it was cute and this is my guide.

3.16: „The rope was a metaphor after all“

- Obviously it was meant jokingly, but Eddie would have loved if Buck came and not just because being alone with a bunch of 9 year olds is no one’s idea of a fun evening and Eddie could probably use the help (still hoping Carla was there with him and still surprised Eddie was in such a good mood during the pool scene after), but because he likes to spend time with Buck and he did wanna celebrate with him - but he was also very aware that spending the evening with 9 year olds was not what Buck envisioned so he said it jokingly.

3.18: „Traincrash? More like train WRECK? *cries*“

- “Whoa! Whoa! Two weeks from home? Isn’t Chris kinda young for that?��: I don’t think I need to say more about that scene really, I think everyone who saw it understood that it confirmed the 118 but especially Buck being fairly involved in Christopher’s life and how that confirms: Buck = part of the Diaz family.

- Also all the interactions between Buck and Chris at the party both with and without Eddie around I mean, yeah, again, meaningful!

- In conclusion: Eddie, Chris and Buck are family and dems the facts!

Connection and love life

Now, this is where we are slowly going subtext and also really interpretation heavy!

The title might be a bit missleading but I didn’t really know how else to sum all aspects up. Basically this theme is about their love live but also about the parallels between their storylines - especially when it comes to their love life!

Also this theme isn’t organised by episode but by subtopics because I summed up so many different aspects here.

Parallels in their storylines:

- 3.15 / 3.16 and the rope metaphor as a metaphor for their dating life:

Technically the rope is a metaphor for their lives and them letting go of things in general but especially about their dating life because for Eddie in my opinion this is when he really fully comes to terms with Shannon’s death while Buck finally admits to his abandonment issues, in part caused by Abby leaving.

(Side note: the fact that Eddie choose to cut his line just like he choose to actually do therapy to deal with his issues for Christopher’s sake while Buck’s burns away and he is literally forced to deal with his issues through being confronted with Red and running into Abby at the train crash is … something.)

Their dating life is being paralleled:

This really isn’t technically something that explains why you should ship them but I do think it’s interesting that from the get go their love lives have been happening in parallels / contrasts to each other? As if they were connected? Magnets?

So yeah, that and also it goes like this:

- 2.01: Eddie references Buck being single

- 2.02 / 2.03: Eddie first mentions Shannon but indicates a break-up / Buck meets Ali and seems to bond with her

- 2.04: both refuse to hook up with any of the girls at the bar and don’t want to date because they consider themselves taken (I know Eddie says it’s about Chris but Buck called bullshit here and text told us to trust Buck on what he says about Eddie)

- 2.06: Buck flirts with Taylor and Eddie acts a bit jealous

- 2.07: While Buck finally comes to term with his break up with Abby in her absence, Shannon returns and we learn that Eddie has sort of been holding out hope so far (they kiss in the end) (Also Eddie and Shannon and Buck and Taylor both happen in parking lots which probably only means they ran out of location money but still!)

- 2.08: Buck hooks up with Taylor, then meets with Ali and begins dating her

- 2.10: it’s revealed that Eddie has been sleeping with Shannon and Buck is miffed

- 2.11 - 2.16: we get a few mentions of Ali and some scenes between Eddie and Shannon reminding us both these relationships are happening and they are growing closer

- 2.17: Shannon thinks she is pregnant, Eddie wonders about their relationship, Shannon wants a divorce but dies before they can go through with it

- 2.18: Buck gets a new apartment because of Ali, their relationship seems ready to become more serious, then Buck gets hurt and Ali is traumatised by this and tells Buck she needs to rethink the relationship

- 3.01: it is revealed that Ali and Buck broke up

- 3a: both of them work through the trauma of the past few months, no references to either of them dating are made, romantic and / or domestic scenes happen between them instead, the ambiguous „us“ happens

- 3.11: they are asked about their relationship-status to remind us about them being single (AND THEY LOOK AT EACH OTHER? Wow.)

- 3.12: It’s pointed out again that Buck is single but he says he prefers it that way while Eddie meets Ana and shows some interest in her, then during a call Buck indicates that he might not be as happy being single as he told Madney and Josh while also seeming a bit happy Eddie won’t be dating Ana (probably)

- 3.15: Eddie finally fully comes to terms with his past, including his relationship with Shannon and her dying

- 3.16: Buck reveals he might still be hung up on what happened with Abby and he realises he needs to move on, the ambiguous „Us“ is brought back

- 3.18: Buck runs into Abby and actually moves on

- Side note: considering 2.08 and 2.10 and 3.09 and some remarks made throughout the show, Buck and Eddie are somewhat aware of the relationship struggles the other had which isn’t really relevant but also sort of is

Parallels with canon couples

This is TV and TV and especially shipping lives through tropes and parallels inside the story to subtext tell you something you need to know without actually having to say the words, but just to plant the idea in the viewers head.

For example, and please I am just spitballing here, you are writing a show about Lifeguards. And there are these two characters who are named … Paddie and Tucker. They have amazing chemistry and they are best friends and love each other a lot. Now, you, as the showrunner, are considering making them a romantic item but you need to do it slow cause while you do have queer characters and a queer following this show is fairly mainstream and also the characters have presented as straight in text so far. So you need to do crumbs, right?

Okay, so how do you best do that? Well, Tucker is known as this really caring guy and very open with his feelings and he freaks out when someone he loves is in danger - so you put Paddie in danger, right? Proofs he loves him, right?

But then you want it to have some deeper queer implications, right, in case you do decide on making them romantic? So how do you best do that? Well, lucky for you, Tucker has a sister. And you were planning on putting her in danger as well this season anyways, so you just have Tucker react a bit more subdued here, right?

But then you really want it to hit people, like you need people who are more casual and mainstream and might not have noticed the romantic undertones Tuddie has had to notice that, right? So you put these two episodes back to back.

Except „Paddie Begins“ is set to air first and well, Tucker IS known to lose his shit about people he cares about being in danger, so they might not actually notice anything more. Or they will just consider Tucker not reacting as hard about his sister, Sadie, being in danger bad writing. And you can’t have that!

So how do you fix that? Well, you just change the episode order! Now the episode with Sadie in danger airs first and people will spent a week complaining about how out of character Tucker was and it will be still on their minds when „Paddie Begins“ happens and Tucker goes feral and it will hit EVERYONE! Like damn, apparently Tucker cares more about Paddie than Sadie? Why? What makes Paddie so much more important?

Anyways, this is how you test out an idea in TV and why tropes and parallels are important…

Moving on:

- 2.14: „‚It’s a miracle… bro #nohomo’“: Now I have already written a bit about Buck’s reaction to Eddie potentially dying to safe the kid and while it is fairly tame for Buck it’s still something you usually see a guy do for a love interest (Any of ya’ll watch „Chicago Fire“? Because I watched like the first two Seasons and the main „Will they / won’t they“ - couple had a scene like that about once every three episodes. Cause it’s a trope!)

- 3.02 „Eddie hates earthquakes - the remix“: This is a teeny tiny bit of a stretch and there wasn’t even any nice cuts to anyone in the firefam to indicate they were referenced (which I found odd, considering this would have also fit for Bobby) but the guy who got impaled with his son in law said: „She‘s the love of my life but he‘s her‘s.“ which considering this episode has Buck doing everything to protect Christopher means a lot and I think about it once a day, okay?

- 3.14 vs 3.15 vs. 3.16 vs. 3.17 vs. 3.18 - Losing the love of your life and how to deal with that:

This may be the biggest parallel of all, and maybe I could have included 2.14 as well but I didn’t because it’s a whole season removed. It also seems meaningful that this episodes happen one after the other, making us naturally compare the scenes and see / look for patterns.

But to explain real quick:

In 3.14 Maddie is in danger and Chimney, who is her boyfriend and told her he loves her just one episode earlier, freaks out completely

In 3.15 Eddie might die / is considered dead by several of his friends already and Buck utterly looses it! We are talking frantic screaming and trying to dig Eddie out by hand and running around trying to figure out ways to save Eddie only to turn full on catatonic when none of that works. I mean, his mood turns faster than mine when I am hangry while on my period and that is saying sth!

3.16 could be considered a bit of a stretch but we do see Red lash out a lot when he realises that Cindy, the woman he considered the love of his life and someone he pined after for quite a while doesn’t exist like that anymore.

In 3.17 Athena is put in great danger and Bobby is forced / able to listen to it and while I am not sure if the blank look on Bobby’s face is bad acting, a deliberate but accidental acting choice OR done consciously in a way that mirrors Oliver’s acting in 3.15 - it’s there and it’s a parallel and we can watch it and compare it and see it.

To bring this whole thing home for us they contracted another outside player in the form of Connie Britton playing Buck’s ex-girlfriend Abby, who similarly to Red and Buck, turns frantic upon possibly loosing her fiancé and starts panic and lash out a little, which is fair and also part of a motherforking pattern, ya’ll!

- Another fairly obvious parallel between 3.14 and 3.15 is Buck telling Sue - as the watch Maddie and Chimney hug - that Maddie already has everything she needs when Sue asks him why he didn’t immediately rush toward his sister. Which can be compared to 3.15 were he does immediately rush to Eddie’s side and support and hug him!

- I’ve already written about 700 words on 3.17 and the line „Buck invites Eddie“ so I’ll just point you back toward that part of the guide where I pointed out that Buddie was actively compared to the three main canon pairings here. Which is a lot and also could have been avoided and probably queerbaiting.

- Again, teeny tiny bit of a stretch maybe but like, we’re here to talk about anything in canon pointing toward Buddie and also this is my guide and I do what I want but in 3.18 we learn that Abby is now engaged to a single father and considering she was only gone for about two years (Season 2 takes place over the course of one year and in 3.13 we learn that Madney has been dating for just under 11 months so unless there was a time jump somewhere in the last 5 episodes we weren’t really told about, we clock in at about 2 years and maybe one or two months, tops, at the end of Season 3), they have been together for less than that time, even if we think Abby already knew him when she was still dating Buck. Which timeline wise puts them meeting maybe around the time Buck met Eddie, maybe a bit after, meaning Abby met and began dating and fell in love with and decided to marry a single father in the same timespan Buddie did … whatever it is they are doing! Which is meaningful because for the viewing of the Abby/Buck relationship which I am glad more and more people are realising was very unbalanced and provides an interesting parallel to Buddie because this means Abby and Buck met and developed feelings for a single father around the same time. Idk, I understand that the whole father thing was to make Buck care even more but damn, it’s a parallel so I mention it!

- Michael and Doctor Hale vs Eddie and Ana (3.17/3.18 vs. 3.12ff.)

Now, of course we need to realise that Eddie and Michael are fairly different characters and Michael has way less relationship related baggage than Eddie has which is why he goes after what he wants way faster (also, carpe diem, he just found out he won’t die). Also of course, there is no moral component to address in Michael dating some doctor vs. Eddie dating his son’s teacher, but still:

Michael and Dr. Hale had one scene together and it wasn’t even overly flirty and yet, we knew where it was heading, we felt the chemistry and everyone ended the episode saying: I ship it, more of that - which they did give us, just one episode later. They had some awkward moments, yet the show never left a single doubt in your mind where this is heading.

Now look at Eddie and Ana:

First of all we learned more about Doctor Hale in the two short scenes than we did about Ana in four scenes. That seems deliberate.

Second, while we do realise Eddie thinks Ana is attractive from the get go she repeatedly shuts him down by pointedly saying „Mr. Diaz“.

Third, every scene between Michael and Doctor Hale was romantically coded and we know where this was heading while aside from the initial scene between Ana and Eddie and maybe the second scene there were no hints of romance between the two. In fact in 3.15, an episode that is about Eddie moving forward in his life and letting go of the past she is both mentioned and actually appears, yet there are no hints of romance and romantic interest, not from Eddie and not in form of teasing from Buck and especially Carla, who pointed out Eddie’s interest in her previously. Soooooo…

Parallels with Love Interests

Now, obviously we also cannot talk Buddie without talking about them dating in general and then relating this to each other. In other news: there are parallels between each and every love interest Eddie ever had and Buck and also between Eddie and Abby.

(Side note: I could probably also find parallels between Eddie and Taylor and Eddie and Ali but tbh both of these barely qualify as love interests, especially Ali, who despite actually being in a relationship with Buck we know nothing about (hi, original Ana! You did good and I am sorry people hate you for having boundaries!))

Eddie paralleling Abby

I mean the truth is we don’t even need Eddie paralleling any other girlfriend of Buck cause there are so many between Abby and Eddie!

- Abby and Carla vs. Eddie and Carla:

The biggest one might be parallel that both employ Carla and why. Which is in part because Buck brought Carla to Eddie but goes deeper than that.

There is that conversation between Bobby and Buck about Abby and her mother in 1.09 when Buck wanted to break up with Abby and Bobby basically said: if you wanna date someone you have to love them baggage and all and should be there for them as well - and while Buck did try doing that with Abby, well, Patricia died before he could fully step into the ring and then Abby left, BUT he showed no hesitation after that to step right into Eddie’s life, into his issues, with him. And he even brought in Carla as a baggage carrier, isn’t that nice?

Also the whole reason why they need Carla around in the first place as both of them are taking care of a family member (plus the fact that Christopher is a literal child so even without CP Eddie would need help taking care of him working the hours he has).

Also tía Pepa quite literally calls Eddie a saint and I am pretty sure Abby was called sth similar by Carla and Bobby in Season 1 though I don’t care enough to check mainly because the implication was there all through the first ten episodes about how Abby was such a great person for taking care of her ailing mother.

But really it comes down to the parallels between Bobby telling Buck that a real relationship is about sharing the load and the conversation between Maddie and Buck as well as anything else in 2.04 where Buck is so desperate to be there for Eddie and help him.

- There is also a definite parallel to be drawn between the conversation Abby and Buck had in the Jeep while looking for her mom about how Abby hasn’t had sex in a year and Buck asking Eddie about dating in 2.04. It’s a little subtextual, but between the expression on his face and the topic and the teasing and the walking shoulder to shoulder it does feel alike to me so I mentioned it.

- street fighting vs. the apology: losing yourself

Now this one I love a lot because while it does happen half a season apart and isn’t explicitly expressed on the show: Eddie’s whole ark in Season 3a is about losing control and by extent losing himself because Buck wasn’t around. Abby meanwhile talks about how she found herself after she left LA and how she would have lost herself again if she returned to Buck (which is absolute bullcrap but not the point).

- There are also some parallels to be drawn between Buck, Eddie, Abby and Shannon (and technically also Maddie) and the whole leaving each other thing, with Eddie leaving Shannon for the army without consulting her about it while Abby left Buck for Ireland and then also the lawsuit where in a way Buck left Eddie like Shannon did, being so caught up in his own feelings he didn’t consider what Eddie (and Christopher) were going through.

But we can also acknowledge how it must have felt to Buck with Lena / Eddie taking Bobby’s side like he was once again replaced / left for someone else, much like Abby left him for Ireland and Maddie left him for Doug.

Buck paralleling Ana, Lena and Shannon

Buck on the other hand side parallels Eddie’s love interest a lot sometimes down to the clothes (and yes, technically Lena isn’t a love interest but Ryan Guzman thought she was and aside from the fact that he’s into women that could beat him up (which for once, not judging you, bro) and considering the parallels with Buck … that means if Buck was a woman, well, ya know?) so let’s talk about that

- Buck and Shannon:

I’ve already talked about that one a lot so I will only mention it here real quick but the whole Eddie not trusting Shannon vs. trusting Buck despite his betrayal again like right away once he apologised (which yes, what Buck did was not as bad and far more justified) and letting him back into Christopher’s life IS a parallel, considering for example how Shannon asks about Chris missing her (though it’s been over two years, at one point children just stop asking as we know Chris did) and Eddie telling Buck Chris misses him in the grocery store scene.

Also Eddie not trusting his wife and Chris’ mother with him fully even after they reconciled and him telling Buck he was the one he trusted most in the world when it came to his son is … something.

There is also a little parallel to be drawn between 2.17 when Shannon goes for ice cream with Christopher and Abuela and Eddie is all like, well, don’t come crying to me when he won’t sleep because sugar high and saying basically the same thing to Hen and Chimney in 3.02 when they ask about „Operation: Buck up Buck“ because Chris ate loads of pancakes.

Also Shannon in 2.07 said she needed Eddie to have her back and Eddie says he always did but Shannon disagrees (which might be a little how Buck felt with the lawsuit) and you know, Buck and him agreed to have each other’s backs just six episodes earlier.

- Buck and Lena:

Now, with Lena, despite her being most connected to Eddie, the first (and second) time we actually see her is in 3.01/3.02 through Buck, which connects the two from the get go.

Eddie then finds out she was at the pier in 3.02 (before meeting her) just like Buck (though he doesn’t know that) and then meets her in 3.03 and she spends the whole episode running around LA trying to find her Captain while injured, much like Buck is doing in the same episode.

I also mentioned in my meta-series how I think one of the reasons why Eddie likes Buck so much was that Buck wasn’t impressed by his military background like everyone else (or his looks, I mean, it was probably more about his looks tbh) and how when Buck started liking him it was really about Eddie and not whatever he had heard about him - yet Buck was / is still never afraid to call him out bullshit, much like Lena from moment one.

There is also the fact that Eddie goes to her for advice and she literally uses Buck’s locker (and will I ever stop laughing about the tape? Probably not, I think it was hilarious, okay?)?

Then of course we have Buck in 3.04 reacting quite similar to seeing her for the first time as he did with Eddie in 2.01, even saying basically the same thing.

- Buck and Ana

Now, Ana is an interesting case because we see her a total of four times and she is mentioned two more times throughout the show and each and every single moment is connected to Buck somehow and sometimes so very unsubtle to.

In „Fools“ we cut from Buck saying he likes being single to Eddie doing parent-teacher conference and yes, meeting some other teachers first but also Ana, showing us that while Buck is fine with being single - Eddie might not be. And then Eddie introduces himself as Eddie and Ana knows immediately this is short for Edmundo - unlike Buck in 2.01 who guessed Eduardo? Also, Carla’s „big blue eyes“ line which is a little clown-y, so take it with a grain of salt that it could connect us to Buck.

Then of course her next scene is Eddie getting in her face about Christopher being hurt. Later in the episode we see Buck reference this on a call, meaning either Carla or Eddie told Buck about it (I am leaning a little toward Carla making fun of Eddie in front of Buck and Eddie then having to come clean about all of it, because I cannot wrap my head about the idea of Eddie telling Buck about having a crush, I’m sorry.) (And will I ever be over Buck being so gleeful that Eddie will now be dating the teacher after all? Because boy was close to cackling which even if he was in love with Eddie at the time and therefore happy he wasn’t off the market - still quite rude for a best friend if you ask me! Like, sure, do that but in front of strangers?)

Her next scene is Eddie coming to apologise to her and she gives her speech about limitations - which we can of course connect to Buck and Eddie talking about Christopher and his limitations before that and then afterwards going skateboarding with them. (It does feel a little deliberate.)

And then of course we have „Eddie Begins“ and you guys, they could have very very easily have either Carla or Buck make a joke about Mrs. Flores and Eddie’s crush in the firehouse scene, but they didn’t! And then we do get to see her at the end where she has one whole line and Eddie barely looks at her and you know what happens? They have a child ask the same question Buck asked at the beginning about ever just wearing the medal (which sounded very not straight in its delivery, Mr Stark, what were you thinking about?), making us think of Buck. Like, it would have been enough to establish Eddie doesn’t feel like a hero if the question was asked only once - twice in the span of 45 minutes constitutes a callback, meaning we are supposed to think of the other scene and that means thinking about the other person that asked, which was Buck.

Is this … flirting

Now, some of these are quite ambiguous but there are several scenes that imply they consider each other attractive or feel like flirting and here they are:

- 2.01: „I think I’ve seen this in porn before“

Now, we all know Buck’s initial dislike of Eddie was about Eddie being to good at the job and Buck being afraid of being replaced, but considering one of the first things we hear about Eddie is Hen saying that boy is so fine it transcends sexualities and considering they talked about the calendar which chooses them based on hotness just before and then all the references to the calendar throughout, it stands to reason that Buck considers Eddie attractive.

Also their whole conversation during the gym scene, what was any of that? I mean, Buck thinks the pictures of Eddie are professionally done which means he thinks they are good which means, yes, Buck thinks Eddie looks good in those!

Plus the whole scene is riddled with (sexual) tension. From Buck constantly increasing the weight he is lifting, while throwing looks at Eddie as if double checking that he sees he could bench press him and the way he gets in Eddie’s face to Eddie’s veiled barbs about the girlfriend breaking up with him and doing the same thing as a firefighter but he was getting shot at. I mean, what was that if not the beginning of a porno? (And here we have our first parallel between Buck and Eddie as we find out later because Eddie, too, has been left by a woman. Now the real question would be does he consider them broken up?

Not to mention that when Bobby tells him at the end of the episode that he wasn’t chosen Buck immediately assumes Eddie was and also is so very happy for his new friend, because he thinks he’s hot (right?).

- 2.04: „Hearteyes, motherforker“

In 2.08 Buck has a conversation with Chimney about his pick up technique and well, did anyone in production watch this episode because when Buddie walks away from tailpipe-girl-emergency he literally does everything he described.

Also Maddie says the words „Does this man crush on Eddie mean you are finally over Abby?“ to Buck and his only reaction is „Cute.“ meaning one) Maddie has teased him about his Eddie gushing before and two) maybe Buck does have a bit of a crush?

- 2.06: „Bucky Barnes murder strut - 911 edition“

Again with the Maddie and Buck scenes!

Basically what happened was Maddie talked about how cute Chimney was but Buck assumed she meant Eddie because apparently if someone says cute, Buck thinks Eddie. This is just a fact, okay?

- 2.14: „‚It’s a miracle… bro #nohomo’“

Like my name for the episode already says, there is this scene were Buck and Eddie stand next to each other and Eddie says „That was incredible!“ and Buck who is already standing in Eddie’s space leans in further to basically whisper the words „It’s a miracle.“ into Eddie’s ears and then lean back a little and I am not sure if that wouldn’t fit better with Subtext but also Buck looks at Eddie like he wants to eat him alive and Eddie looks like he would let him and say thank you after while still embarrassed because he cries during sex.

You know, acting.

- 3.04 „discount!Buck in the house!“

Listen, I am convinced this is all Ryan considering the reaction of Kenny / Chimney and Aisha / Hen but that doesn’t change the fact that they used a take which had Eddie stare at Oliver / Buck’s butt the whole time and I mean, what horrible things happened in the other takes that made production choose this one unless they want us to see Eddie looking at Buck’s butt while Chimney and Hen stand around looking amused?

- 3.09: „#tw: mild adult themes & implied sexual content / #pwp - porn without porn“

Listen, from the moment Buck says „Cause you would prefer working it out in the ring?“ and then does this dorky thing with his arms while Eddie smirks into his beer about how he fought in a cage not fenced in (which, I’m a little unclear on the distinction I think, but I am nitpicky af so who am I to judge? Probably just stuff getting lost in translation) that whole scene changes vibes, going from apologising to teasing. And I think it’s very interesting that this is when Buck chooses to come closer (and then keep coming closer until he is right in Eddie’s personal space while touching his belt which we all learned by now means he is thinking about sex) and they have this whole conversation about who could take who which happens in sort of half sentences and does not feel like they are talking about fighting each other at all.

I mean, Buck keep coming closer, while Eddie stands there rooted to his spot, leaning against the bar, smirking, like every hot guy in a bar ever who knows one smile and a bit of smolder and they will come to him (which Buck does, playing right into it, I mean, come on, bro, weren’t you once a serial dater? How do you not know how to play hard to get?) and holding the beer (you know, phallic shaped obj- okay, I’ll stop here, it’s a reach), occasionally drinking, like maybe he tries to draw attention to somewhere or he has a very dry throat and honestly: this is how porn starts!

I don’t think my writing (or anyone’s writing really, not that ya’ll aren’t talented af) can properly express how very not platonic and innuendo-heavy this scene felt.

- 3.13: „‚Bro, what if I flirted with you in a bowling alley while out on a call?‘ - ‚Bro, what if I invited you out to lunch after telling a friend to say I love you before it’s too late?‘ - ‚BRO 😍‘“

Again, the title gives everything away but like so many scenes between these boys that moment at the bowling alley when Buck channels Arnie and Eddie is all: you’re a dork and also wrong! and then later when Eddie invites Buck to get lunch (which is sort of Eddie’s thing, remember 2.01?) after earlier telling Chimney to tell Maddie he loves her if he has a chance because he might regret it. And to really drive the point home or maybe make it in the first place, after Eddie asks Buck - and only Buck - to have lunch with him, Buck then declines because of a little blood (Evan, come one, you’ve seen worse! I know I have!) - only for Chimney to consider this the push he needed to invite Maddie for dinner so he can tell her he loves her.

So, you know, platonic.

- 3.16: „The rope was a metaphor after all“

I mean, what was that scene in the locker even with Eddie leaning against the doorway all cheeky and grinning like: yeah, come hang out with me! - obviously it was about Buck never saying yes to babysit a group of nine-year olds when he could be out drinking (as someone who works with kids, I approve), but yeah, that’s not what it felt like? So unless ya’ll cannot act anymore this was deliberately a bit over the top and ambiguous.

Jealousy

Now, no good ship works without jealousy and neither does Buddie so here are some examples of Buddie being jealous.

- 2.06: „Bucky Barnes murder strut - 911 edition“

Now, your probably saying: Bucky Barnes murder strut? That’s a tall order! But damn, Ryan nailed that, okay? Listen, we’ve seen Eddie walk out of uniform several times at this point and NEVER before and never after has he struted this predatory. Eddie walks tall and military, you know, the way he stands, Eddie doesn’t strut!

Yet, here he does! And what I love about this scene is that we see him in the background while Bobby talks to Taylor, working out with no care in the world - and then Buck comes over and flirts with her, suddenly Eddie feels the need to be part of the conversation?

And he doesn’t even wait until he is standing next to them to talk, he calls over while still sitting on the lifting things.

So yeah, that one is him being jealous.

- 2.10: „It’s all about ‚not my business‘“

- Now 2.10 is a great episode for Buddie and in part it is due to Buck’s facial expressions in the background and out of focus of the camera when Shannon comes to the station.

I mean, Oliver always plays Buck very intense and expressive and with his whole face but that was a bit much, you’d think he just found out Eddie broke a vow of chastity or had an affair while being married (which technically is what Buck compares it to later so kinda makes sense he looks like that but also doesn’t, Buckeroo, what’s the big deal? Did Eddie show up at your doorstep a week earlier telling you what a punk ass bitch his wife was, or…?)

- 2.17: „*fridges female character for man pain* Haha, we’re so random!“

„Talk to Bobby. Maybe he can get you guys a discount.“: There is a point to be made about Buck just not liking Shannon considering everything he knows about her and has heard about her, the same way Eddie doesn’t Abby, but still. This scene and this line, Buck does not sound happy for Eddie or truly interested and yeah, it’s off and it seems jealous.

- 3.04 „discount!Buck in the house!“

It’s actually not just my interpretation, it’s actually - between the similarities to 2.01 and everything that happens after with the lawsuit and how Buck explains himself - literal text that Buck was jealous here with Lena. So there!

- 3.09: „#tw: mild adult themes & implied sexual content / #pwp - porn without porn“

Tim Minear please send me over some scripts or have someone call me and explain what they were going for with the „You had sex with your therapist?“-scene because Eddie was so huffy and offended and I need to know!

- 3.12: „There’s a horse loose in a hos… school“

Buck sounds awfully gleeful Eddie will probably not date Christopher’s teacher and while that might just be him making fun of his best friend being so very overprotective and short tempered when it comes to his son (Mr. Control has left the building!), still, it reads a little like jealousy over some unknown pretty woman Chris might have mentioned some time and Carla probably described in great detail when she told Buck all about Eddie losing his cool!

- 3.17: „LegsTM“

It’s technically not really a jealous moment because it’s not Eddie being jealous but Buck simply refusing to mention his ex-girlfriend here, but considering 3.18 and also and most importantly the fact that there are only two other people in the truck, one being an unknown firefighter driving the truck and the other Bobby, who very much knows how Buck was supposed to take a hot air balloon ride with Abby, for who but Eddie was Buck concealing her identity for because Bobby already knows?

There really is only Eddie left, who probably figures out what Buck was about as well because bro may not be Buck and his out of the box thinking smart but he is fucking smart and he can figure shit out as well! Yet Buck refuses to mention Abby’s name and for what? So he can pretend Bobby and Eddie don’t know he is still bitter about her? I mean, fucking hell, send over the motherforking scripts, Minear, I am done with you!

- 3.18: „Traincrash? More like train WRECK? *cries*“

While I think Eddie is being more protective than jealous here, he is awfully involved and he is uncharacteristically out of control and emotional here and I wanna know why? Does Abby being back remind you of Shannon? Is it jealousy? WHAT IS GOING ON??? WHY YOU SO MAD, ARMY BOY???

Subtext

Now, I am first gonna talk about Subtext things in general like clothing choices, music and cuts between scenes and I am gonna be honest, I probably missed quite a few!

- One of my favourite is that while Buck wears the same colours in 3.03 as Shannon does in 2.07, Eddie wears the same exact shirt - and considering the fact that Ryan got buff between Season 2 and 3 that was deliberate, someone bought that shirt again because we are supposed to connect these scenes with each other!

- As I wrote before in 2.10 we can see Buck and his reaction out of focus when Shannon comes to the firehouse to talk to Eddie and ya know, why?

- Tim Minear himself said the elf in 2.10 was an easter egg for us Buddie shippers and he also said we can make out of the fountain in the background what we want, so there, Buddie is talking about Shannon and Eddie having sex and how much that messes shit up while a fountain shoots water in the background and yes, that is an innuendo and subtext and I hate it a little.

- 2.13 has this hospital scene I love a lot and you know what? Buddie is basically dressed the same, because the subtext of this scene is these two are alike and connected and they GET EACH OTHER.

- Another scene I really love is in 3.01 when Buck comes in for the surprise party because not only does he not hug his sister or Athene but runs up to Eddie first, Bobby actually shoves Eddie at Buck so he is the first person Buck hugs (and then the hug itself, what was that? The way they hold onto each other for a moment just looking while their hips are still touching?! Is that how you two hug because I want in!).

- Also they are dressed basically the same, should we discuss this as well?

- And still in 3.01 when Buck thanks Bobby and they talk and Bobby tells Buck he’ll find someone better and then asks him if he is doing okay, the first person the show cuts to is - nope, not Evan Buckley’s sister who is also there but his best friend, Eddie! Jup!

- And still in 3.01 when the firefam talks about helping Buck in the firehouse, Eddie first acts dismissive but the scene ends with Bobby saying Buck has them even though he may not believe that right now and half of that is said while the camera is on Eddie’s face who looks thoughtful - only to cut from them to Maddie and Josh discussing the same thing and mainly how Maddie doesn’t know how to help Buck and what he needs from her. Which you know, the episode ends with Eddie basically giving Buck a swift kick in the butt like she though he might need (and then 3.03 has Eddie basically telling Buck everything is gonna be okay, so we see Maddie talking about helping Buck but never see her doing it and instead we get two scenes of Eddie being there for Buck and also no Maddie in relation to the lawsuit but an extreme focus on Eddie? Writers, I see you and you aren’t wrong!)

- Also worth another mention is the cut between Madney talking about children, saying Buck didn’t have any either - to Eddie waking up Buck so he can babysit Christopher and specifically calling Buck „his Buck“ to make us think on their relationship and let us know how close they are and also to tell us to not trusts everything Maddie says about her brother because she gets shit wrong.

- In 3.03 after Buck tells Eddie he lost Christopher and then Eddie sees Christopher and rushes over and and Buck collapses and while Eddie holds Chris after he checked for injuries and Chim and Hen and Bobby hold Buck and Bobby asks Buck if he is okay, well, this whole time Buck is staring at Chris and Eddie and Eddie is staring back at him and Bobby, if you wanna know about me, gotta tell you, I am not okay?!

- And then we have the loft scene and yeah, okay, this deserves 5000 words of his own, from the fact that they played „Photograph“ by Ed Sheeran which includes lyrics about how they will never be alone and how loving can heal and mend your soul and the fucking song ends on the words „Wait for me to come home“ just as Eddie knocks and brings Christopher over and tells Buck there is no one he trusts more with Christopher than Buck and I am sorry, what are we supposed to think here? This show is from the US, these people speak english, it’s not like these lyrics leave much room for interpretation!

Not to mention the whole monologue Buck did about being lost and not knowing how to get from where you want to be to where you need to be before Eddie showed up and then talking about how a few choice words can sometimes be the life raft one needs to get home and how we are all just searching for someone to see us? I love Maddie and I love the Buckley siblings, but damn, she’s not the one he has been searching for!

(And I keep bringing up Maddie here because as his sister she is the person Buck could feel closest to and should care about the most and be cared about the most by and yet all canon evidence points to Eddie being that person! Also she is the person next to Eddie Buck has the most scenes outside the firehouse with.)

- This one is a bit of a stretch but Buck looks very uncomfortable during the whole deposition in 3.05 but he looks everyone in the eyes until the lawyer mentions Shannon and suddenly his lap is so much more interesting and yes, after is when all of them get asked the really hurtful question but still, this is when Buck stops being despondent and realises, fuck, I went a bit to far

- Someone please find for me where the director talked about purposely framing them as romantic in the apology scene because I cannot find the post for the life of me, but never the less: In 3.06 during the apology, in the beginning of the scene we see Buddie from quite a distance and Eddie has his back turned toward Buck and there is a column in the shot to visually indicate the divide and yeah, the whole framing is quite something and the way the camera angle goes from far away making it seem like unbridgeable distance cutting to closer shots and how we slowly see alongside the words hey, they aren’t actually that far apart, like yeah, this scene was something else!

- Not a direct cut but during therapy Eddie talks about how he wants to be at home with Chris because he is the one good thing he has going for him and the one thing he gets enjoyment out of (because he is so fucking depressed and I cry), yet when we later see Chris and Eddie together it is neither in Eddie’s house nor are they alone, nope Buck is there as well, meaning Buck is considered a part of that one thing even if he wasn’t explicitly mentioned!

- During 3.10 when they take the photo with all of them Buck is grouped between Madney and the Diaz family, like right between and not just next to them. Also earlier when the eat Buck sits next to Christopher who sits next to Eddie and therefore on the opposite side of his sister and her boyfriend.

- Yes, they were probably amused by the meddling mom asking then „Are you boys single?“ in 3.11 but come on! They look at each other and smirk? For real? Hand over the script, Timbo!

- Also as mentioned before the fact that when Chim and Eddie talk about family and the 118 being the family they choose the camera is on Albert, Buck and Christopher, no one else is in the shot. And of course the song that is playing here, another song about home.

- The callback to Buck in 3.12 of Ana immediately guessing Eddie is short for Edmundo unlike Buck as well as Carla saying blue eyes (which Buck has) is also Subtext.

- Said it before but: the scene in 3.13 when they arrive at the hospital and Eddie asks Buck out to eat and then Buck changes his mind but Chimney runs off to call his girlfriend because he wants to have dinner so he can tell her he loves her like Eddie told him to do at the beginning of the episode is … interesting.

- I already explained why I think Shannon wasn’t in that many scenes in the video in 3.15 yet Buck was in most of them but it bears repeating. Also again it’s subtext that Buck is part of Eddie’s family and Buck is very important to Eddie and Eddie loves Buck.

- Also the question about the medal in 3.15 and the little boy at the end repeating the question, sorry, were we not supposed to think of Buck here, Tim???

- Also just in general 3.15 focuses very very heavily on Buck and Buck’s reaction - much like 3.18 later does with Eddie. All the non-Eddie scenes feature Buck and Buck freaking out about Eddie potentially dying and Buck making plans and being frantic and the driving force of hope cause homeboy cannot even for a second entertain any thoughts on Eddie’s passing.

- The rope metaphor in 3.15 / 3.16 is of course also subtext but I already explained that one and don’t have anything to add really.

- This one is a little bit of a stretch but I do think there is a reason Eddie was the first one to be taken out of the equation in 3.16 and because of his son and not a love interest.

- Also the pool playing scene in 3.16 there visually we see Eddie and Buck together in nearly all shots, there are two shots of Eddie without Buck in it but not a single one of Buck without Eddie in it and considering camera angles and actors literally being told were to stand it is deliberate that Buck is only seen with Eddie by his side here.

- I’m repeating a lot of things here but Buck refuses to say Abby’s name in 3.17 even though Bobby clearly knows who he is talking about.

- „No. He stopped waiting for me a long time ago.“ cuts to „Summer Camp?“ I mean sorry, what were we supposed to think here? Because this does imply he really did stop waiting because now he has Christopher and Eddie!

- Not to mention it sort of hammers home what I wrote before how Abby is dating a single father and Buck is sort of dating a single father.

- Also 3.18 puts a lot of focus in general on Eddie and his reaction to everything when say, Bobby, who actually knows Abby and was there for the relationship would have made more sense - unless they are pushing an agenda here!

The first person we have Abby interacting with at the traincrash is Eddie and then Buck joins them and the scene literally goes: Eddie *talking to Abby* > cut to Buck, coming closer > Buck: „Abby?“ > cut to both Abby and *Eddie* > Abby: „Buck?“ while the camera is still on her and Eddie > cut to just Eddie’s face having a realisation > cut to Buck

So sorry, why do we focus so much on Eddie here, Mrs. Lynch? Is there a particular reason, oh director, who art also directed 3.01 and which has also loads of Buddie subtext?

There is also Eddie coming to stand visually between Abby and Buck when Sam is loaded into the ambulance as if he is physically putting himself between them and then Buck running back toward the traincrash and Eddie following him after and all the shots of them and Christopher during the party together and once again having Bobby asking Buck if he is okay visually connected to Eddie, though in reverse this time because the scene goes from Eddie and Chris having fun to Buck and Bobby talking. (And should we talk about how this is the first time Buck actually answers the question because finally he has an answer or are we thinking about that right before sleep today when it’s easier to cry?)

- Also very interesting subtext is the fact that Buck and Eddie wear nearly the exact same colour and a similar cut pullover when Buck talks to Abby at the end and when Eddie says goodbye to Christopher and I mean, thematically both scenes are about saying good bye and letting someone go? But also it connects Buddie with each other and connects these scenes, which Idc, I probably wouldn’t have done without the clothes?

Not sold seperatly

- Also subtext / visual thing is the fact that Buddie is basically always with and next to each other at the firehouse and on calls (and before anyone says: well, they are partners, Hen and Chim aren’t as much), and that is a long list so I am just giving examples: in 2.05 they sit next to each other at the table while in 2.06 they sit next to each other on the couch and in 3.08 they sit next to each other at the table again and then we have 2.02 standing outside and 2.04 walking away from the scene together and Eddie handing Buck a weapon in 3.17 and walking toward the ambulance together in 3.13 and several other times, the point is there are a shit ton of scenes of them being right next to each other in case you thought that was a fanfic thing!

„The Buck lens“ / „The Eddie lens“

I’m pretty sure there is an actual technical term for what I am trying to describe here but basically there are several instances where we see Eddie the way Buck does, meaning while the scene shows us Eddie doing something the focus is on Buck watching this. Sort of POV but not quite I guess? Also the reverse is true as well, even if those scene aren’t as pronounced!

- Let’s talk about 2.01 once again as we have done for most of this meta and finally, finally look at Eddie’s first scene which we all know is sort of gay and the first time we see Ryan shirtless because Tim accidentally wrote a certain quota of shirtless scenes he needed to do into Ryan’s contract and he needed to get started on those right away.

Also please remember while we as well as the core four are watching Eddie get dressed „Watta man“ plays in the background, which, considering we are introduced to Eddie through Buck’s point of view might be the song playing in his head here? Anyways, back to the topic at hand and how we as the viewers don’t see Eddie until Buck turns around and sees him as well. Which is significant because several times through the conversation between Buck, Hen, Bobby and Chimney we see the locker room in the background so they could have filmed that differently.

Instead they had Chim, who stands off centre, noticing something while Buck banters with Bobby about how he will get to represent the 118 in the calendar, then the camera changes angle so we no longer stand between Bobby and Chimney but rather behind Buck, making him centre stage and putting a focus on his reaction to Eddie. In this scene we have Buck framed by two people commenting on Eddie’s attractiveness. Now we don’t get to see Eddie until we have gotten all reactions of the core four to him, with special attention to Buck, both in filming and text with everyone taking a jab at Buck before walking over to introduce themselves to Eddie which leaves Buck alone, watching.

(Now keep in mind this scene also has Hen basically say Eddie is so hot it transcends sexualities while „Whatta man“ plays as Buck slowly turns around and Idk, mate, that does seem shippy to me.)

- Another scene that focuses very heavily on Buck is when Eddie rushes and hugs Chris at the end of 2.03. In fact for most of the scene we see Buck in the car watching them.

- Also, the hospital scene in 2.04 and how once again we see Eddie interact with Chris while Eddie watches them because fuck knows why.

- Similar to the Buck lens we have 3.10 where Eddie talks to Hen about Chris while the two (or rather Eddie since he sits at the centre) watch Buck play with Chris and Danny. This is significant because Buck is also placed in the middle, putting him opposite Eddie and also making him the focus of the camera for most shots when the scene was about Christopher and Eddie feeling guilty. Huh, we say!

- Something similar happens in 3.11, which is the next episode several months removed when Eddie talks to Chimney about the 118 being their family and while this time Chris is the one sitting in the front, Buck once again is in the middle and also in focus in a scene shot from Eddie’s POV.

Other people reacting to them / commenting on them

Now, I am not sure if this is really Subtext but who knows where else it fits in? (This is a rhetorical question, only my opinion counts around here while I write!) So It goes here! And I think the title is self-explanatory enough.

- I’m a little on the fence on the Bobby looks because - no offence to Peter Krause - he doesn’t have that many facial expressions in general, but yeah, at the mechanics Buck watches Eddie and Bobby watches Buck.

- Our first real one of those scene is the truly savage tía Pepa who is a woman after my own heart because she says the mean shit to your face and the nice things behind your back because she loves you but she loves vibe checking egos more! And well, she is understandably confused by Buck’s being there at the hospital and asks Eddie who that is and why he is here and gives one of the best lines of the show by being so sarcastic, because oh, you work together? Damn, wouldn’t have guessed from the fact that both of you wear LAFD t-shirts! (I love her!)

- In the same episode Maddie comments on Buck’s boycrush on Eddie and while I am unsure whether that is supposed to make it sound less gay or it’s Maddie saying: Bro, you sound 12! but oh well! It’s a comment on them!

- I loath a little to include the elf in 2.10 because Tim has said that was an easter egg for Buddie shippers and a tongue in cheek thing but yeah.

- Also Bobby watches the whole „It’s a miracle“ exchange in 2.14 with that look.

- In 2.18 we get some text on the screen when they help instagram girl about how hot the both of them are and also how THEY should be dating which I’m putting into the same box as 2.10.

- The fact that Bobby shoves Eddie at Buck in 3.01, like sorry, why was it so relevant that this is the first hug?

- When Eddie / Ryan stared at Buck’s / Oliver’s ass in 3.04 we see Hen and Chimney grin about it.

- I know I have said myself that Maddie’s reaction in 3.08 was due to the fact that she just said: can ya’ll stop gossiping - and Chim and Buck were like: sure thing! and then started gossiping but still.

- There is Buddie flirting at the bowling alley in 3.13 and once again Bobby gives them the look and yeah.

- In 3.15 everyone seems very worried about Buck especially and they keep reassuring as if he were Eddie’s next of kin.

- Again a Bobby look I am unsure of but in 3.17 we see him giving them the look in the truck and yeah.

Other people’s heartache

Now, as I’ve said in the beginning, I didn’t wanna just include my perspective on Buddie, so I asked a few other people about this and while this isn’t a representative statistical number it’s still interesting, right?

(Also originally this Guide was organised by episode and I would have included the comments when the things came up but alas that didn’t work and I think I turned a little grey because of that)

@buckleysbabe:

When i first watched 9-1-1, I had no idea that Buddie existed (i hadn’t been on tumblr a lot at the time so I hadn’t seen gifs or anything) and when i started s2 I really thought they were just best friends, but then 2x10 and the ”you two have an adorable son” scene happened and Buck’s ”thank you” and the shy smile AND I WAS ON BOARD!! That was really the first moment, then I got the confirmation after 3x03 and the scene where Buck sees Eddie in the tsunami scenery, and then the whole Eddie saying theres nobody in this world....like in that moment I felt like they were seriously in love 😍❤️

About the 2x10: that scene has so many things. Like the water fountain in the back, Chris in the scene with them (like they are a family), then the elf saying what she said, Buck being for a second like ”huh?” and then you see the light bulb going on when he’s like ”ohhhhhhhh yeah” and then he says thank you 😍😍😍 saying HE IS CHRIS’S COPARENT. AND THEN THE SHY SMILE

@theleftboobgrabber

Right off the bat I thought they had chemistry but I think the entirety of 2×04 is when I genuinely started shipping it. Like.... the constant heart eyes, the support, Buck trying so hard to be there for Eddie and Eddie absolutely never questioning it, the look Buck gives Eddie at the fire house was absolute fire (when Bobby tells Eddie Buck asked for Chris to stay with them) like Eddie's like you did this for me??? And Buck has just this massive Big Buck Energy from where he's sitting like "get used to it" and I remember absolutely loosing my mind that Bobby got the hug and not Buck at the end of the scene like in what universe??? And yeah the rest of the episode is just the same but that feeling of 'that's the wrong man you're hugging' was the tipping point

@emotionalsupportfirefam

Okay so mine was kinda two moments?1) when Buck took Eddie to Chris' school after the earthquake and we see his reaction to Eddie's joy and relief as he holds Christopher and then spends the next episode trying to find ways to help Eddie with finding a suitable caregiver/ support for Chris and 2) the fact the took them whole of five minutes to go from 'rivals' to the 'dynamic duo' after the grenade call.

@evaneddie

Honestly? Literally every scene they have is romantically coded. The first scene of them, with Eddie being shirtless and us seeing it from Buck's perspective with „Whatta Man“ playing? That's subtext.

You can have my back any day? Yo.

The scene when the elf Blair(e) said they have an adorable son and Buck just said thank you instead of correcting her before he literally skipped away?

Eddie showing up at Buck's apartment and Buck not even questioning how he got in?

The way Buck is like a second father to Chris and protects him like one in the tsunami?

"THERE'S NOBODY IN THIS WORLD I TRUST WITH MY SON MORE THAN YOU"?! REALLY EDDIE? WHAT ABOUT LITERALLY ANY OF YOUR FAMILY? OR CARLA? Baby, that's love.

THE HALLOWEEN HUG?!

THE KITCHEN SCENE, THE WHOLE SEXUAL TENSION IN THAT SCENE?! BUCK'S HAND ON HIS BELT, THE GLANCES, "I'D STILL TAKE YOU", ON THE COUCH EDDIE LOOKS TO BUCK'S LAP, LIKE COME ON!

"You boys single?" *Looks at each other*

"This is Eddie's house, I'm not really a guest"

Buck's breakdown when he lost Eddie under 40 feet of mud. That was not the breakdown of losing a friend, that was the breakdown on losing someone you love. There's a meta I saw once literally just for this scene alone, the way Buck dug so desperately at the mud with his bare hands, the screams of heartbreak, the way he collapsed into Bobby, the pure dissociation as Bobby was giving instructions later on, Eddie's memories filled mostly with Christopher and Buck. Sure, the others were there, but, it was FILLED with Buck and Chris.

Then the ending scene of the season?! What was he trying to do with the necklaces? Thrusting his hips towards Eddie, hitting him in the face, then that soft touch on his face?

@adamngoodbuck

Hey! Nice question and for me really easy to answer. I started watching the show back in 2018 when it first aired but I was a casual viewer. Very casual. So casual I actually watched everything up to 2x10 and then I thought it was the season finale so I forgot about it. And then season 3 started. And nothing made sense. So I checked and welp, I had to catch up. And I did and something started brewing inside of me. I wasn't part of the fandom yet. And then. The THE SEARCHERS happened. And that scene. The there's nobody in this world I trust with my son more than you scene. My icon scene. And I was done. Hook, line and sinker.

@the-family-we-choose-118

My main ones were all the big ones: the kitchen scene, the end of 3x03, the Christmas episode one where Buck is helping Danny and Chris make gingerbread houses and then plans a whole party for the firefam, Buck clawing at the ground in 3x15, Eddie interrupting Taylor Kelly when she came to the station to do the documentary in Dosed, the fact that Eddie was introduced from Buck's POV with „Whatta Man“, the entire earthquake episode where Buck is reassuring Eddie his kid is okay and then drives him to get his kid later on, and the scene where Buck introduces Eddie to Carla in (I'm pretty sure it's) the same episode where Maddie asks him if his boy crush on Eddie means he's over Abby (that was my main one). And I was fully convinced when Eddie walked in Buck's apartment in the beginning of S3 and ripped his blankets off him and was so sure he doesn't sleep naked/wouldn't have anybody over.

And the „official“ part of the guide is done but I do wanna say something else real quick which is:

You have just read about 20.000 words I painstakingly wrote over the course of several weeks and while I get that meta is even more harrowing to reblog than gifsets or fics because meta involves so much opinion and interpretation and what if you disagree with parts of it?

Well, again, I invested a lot of time in this and also: IF YOU DISAGREE TELL ME!!! TELL ME IN THE REBLOG OR IN THE TAGS!!! Because different to fics and gifsets meta is a dialog and I can’t have a dialog unless people talk to me! I’m not here to lecture you on right or wrong, I am here to tell you: okay, this is how the scene looks from my point of view, what do you say? So honestly, please consider liking and reblogging and tagging and maybe talking a little about it with me, because screaming into the void is so very boring

(And also in general: reblog reblog reblog! All these funny posts you see on buzzfeed and instagram screenshoted from tumblr? Half of them were made great by reblogs and all of them were noticed by these sites because of reblogs)

Anyways, before I (REALLY) let you go it would be hypocritical now to not talk about some people who inspired some of this (but ya’ll have to understand I cannot talk about everyone)!

I can however say these four especially helped me write this:

- @diggorypuff , who I have never talked to but whose posts about interesting parallels actually sort of got me into thinking deeper about this show: (X)

- @ingu, who fairly recently did a series of gifsets on Buddie and how Buck is framed as Eddie’s love interest which gave me life: (X)

- @matan4il, who is such an amazing friend and does the most concice and well thought out metas on Buddie without having to watch the show a million times like other people we shall not name have to (me, I am talking about me). Find her buddie metas here: (X)

- And most importantly my girl, my babe, my love, @chimbuckleys who is the voice of reason between us and always lets me rant about stuff and was the sounding board for this and so much else I have written - I couldn’t do this without you! (ALSO I AM GOING TO BED NOW, BABE!!!)

AND DEAR READER, you made it! Now go have a blessed day and plant some trees because earth is dying and we with it!

#buddie #evan buckley #eddie diaz #buddie meta #eddie meta #buck meta #911 meta #911 #911 fox #textpost #meta #holy shit I made it but also I think this is actually quite literally too long to be posted at once and I cry?????#FUCK #my meta #the big buddie for dummies guide

260 notes · View notes