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wikiangela · 1 year

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I'd marry you with paper rings

another silly corny fluff, with a dash of pining and possessive Eddie, and friends to fiances ❤️

words: 3.4k

[read on Ao3]

“If we’re not married by the time we’re, like, forty, we should just marry each other.” he chuckles, and downs the rest of his beer. And Eddie… Eddie knows it’s a joke. Obviously. It can’t be anything but. But still, it does something to him. He’s thought about it, fantasized about it, but hearing it from Buck, even jokingly… “Why wait?” his tone is also teasing. He can play it off as a joke, while still looking for Buck’s reaction, for any indication about how he feels. (...) “Let’s just do it now and get it over with.” Or, Buck makes a joke that leads to an unplanned marriage proposal.

It’s a late evening, the house is quiet, Christopher is fast asleep already, having been tucked in by them both, was out like a light as soon as his head hit the pillow. The kitchen is dark, only the small light over the stove illuminating the space, while Buck and Eddie sit at the table, bottles of beer in hands.

One of Buck’s hands is fiddling with the edges of a few pieces of paper tucked away in the corner of the table, drawings Buck and Chris did while waiting for dinner, that Eddie cooked – they take turns now, and Eddie’s getting so much better.

They had a late dinner today, because Buck was late – well, he wasn’t supposed to be here at all, to be honest. He had a date. Eddie tries to ignore the bitter, ugly feeling in his chest whenever he thinks about it. Similarly, he tries to fight the feeling of relief and satisfaction that Buck’s date apparently didn’t work out and he cut it short. To be with Eddie. With him and Chris. To come home to them. Well, he probably just didn’t like whoever he met and didn’t have anything else to do, but still. He’s here, and not with some random girl from a dating app. And Eddie’s happier than he should be that his best friend's dating isn’t going well.

To be fair, Eddie also had a date just last night, so who is he to talk. But it was awful. So now that’s what they’re talking about. How horrible they are at dating. While Eddie’s silently longing to be the one Buck takes out on a date, on many dates, that could lead to- he can’t hope. He can’t help that he does hope.

“So it didn’t go well?” Eddie sums up after Buck’s finished venting about how awful this date was. Another bad one. He’s been dating for a while now, and Eddie has tried to be supportive, but he feels like a piece of his heart is being ripped away with each date Buck tells him about.

“That’s an understatement.” Buck scoffs, taking another sip of his beer. “How about you? You didn’t tell me how your date went last night.” he asks, and Eddie cringes just thinking about it. He has no idea what he was thinking. It was just one date he reluctantly decided to go on when someone asked him out, because, well, he was tired. He’s still tired. He’s tired of feeling alone, of not having someone, and of Buck not realizing that he’s that someone Eddie wants. He was also very jealous, though he hates admitting that to himself.

“You know how I feel about dating.” Eddie responds, not looking at Buck, instead focusing on the beer in his hand, nail catching under the edge of the label. “It was weird and, uh, felt performative. I didn’t really feel like myself.” he shrugs, absentmindedly starting to peel the sticker away, it falls apart as he pulls at it, the condensation making it soggy. He focuses on that, it’s something to occupy his hands and eyes, and thoughts. “I don’t even know why I agreed to it.” he huffs, trying for a casual chuckle, but not quite getting it right.

“Yeah. I don’t know why I went back to dating, either.” Buck admits. “I just wanted to get back out there, you know? Maybe miraculously find someone I could maybe, eventually, settle down with.” he scoffs and shakes his head. “It’s so stupid.”

“It’s not stupid. We all just want-” he pauses and licks his lips nervously, averting his gaze again. “It’s okay to not want to be alone. To want to find a- a partner. Someone you can go through life with.” he muses quietly, trying to ignore the little voice in his head screaming that he already found his person. And that his partner is sitting right there, so close Eddie could just reach out and grab his hand and let him know… but he’s too scared. Not until he knows how Buck feels.

“I guess. I mean, that’s what I want. But it’s- it’s weird. The dates, I mean, they were all- None of them really felt right.” Buck continues talking, and Eddie wants to stop the topic of Buck’s dating life. He doesn’t want to hear another thing, or he won’t be able to contain his jealousy and heartbreak anymore, and he’ll do or say something stupid that he'll regret. But they’re friends first, and friends talk about this stuff, right? He kind of hates it. “It kinda- it kinda made me feel like Buck 1.0 sometimes.” Buck adds, quietly and almost forcibly, like he doesn’t want to actually say it, a blush coloring his cheeks.

“What do you mean?” Eddie frowns.

“I mean, some of them see what I look like and only want to hook up.” he grumbles a bit, blushing, as if embarrassed. And, well, Buck knows what he looks like, and Eddie would be lying if he said he's not the hottest person he's ever seen. And on one hand, Eddie understands those girls, because what wouldn’t he do to have Buck like this, all to himself – but there’s so much more to him, and Eddie can’t comprehend how someone can take one look at that bright smile and those blue shining eyes, that hide so much sadness and hurt too – how someone can see that, and talk to him for a second, with his passion and facts and excitement, and so much kindness and compassion, and not want to get to know him better. “But it’s not like anyone would stay once they got to know me better anyway. No one ever does.” he adds bitterly, and it takes everything in Eddie not to grab him by the shoulders and shake him and scream that there is at least one person who will never leave him, who wants him just the way he is, while knowing him better than anyone. A person that sees all of him, the good, the bad and the ugly, and loves and wants it all, despite and because.

“Buck.” Eddie doesn’t know what to say without spilling his whole heart.

“No, I know, I know. The right person will come along, right?” he shakes his head. “I don’t know. Dating is just hard. It’s hard to find someone you might even consider to want to spend your life with.” he sighs again, taking another sip of his beer. “It never goes far enough for that anyway.”

“Yeah. Dating is really not for me.” Eddie chuckles, because, yeah, he sucks at dating – not that he puts in much effort anyway, especially since his heart is already taken. “I wish I could just find a partner-” here’s that word again, and he sneaks a look at Buck to see if he picks up on it, on the connotation of it not only being a gender-neutral term, but also of Buck being his literal partner. At work, but still. “And settle down. Skip the whole dating part altogether.”

“Yeah.” they fall silent for a moment, before Eddie sees Buck smirk, and he knows he’s about to say something silly. “You know, we should make a pact.” he says, his tone clearly joking, and still a little bit bitter. “If we’re not married by the time we’re, like, forty, we should just marry each other.” he chuckles, and downs the rest of his beer. And Eddie… Eddie knows it’s a joke. Obviously. It can’t be anything but. But still, it does something to him. He’s thought about it, fantasized about it, but hearing it from Buck, even jokingly…

Before he knows it, his lips are moving and he says:

“Why wait?” his tone is also teasing. He can play it off as a joke, while still looking for Buck’s reaction, for any indication about how he feels. And if he doesn’t feel the same, well, at least Eddie will know and he’ll stop torturing himself with hoping and wishful thinking and daydreaming about his best friend. Or he’ll try to stop, anyway. “Let’s just do it now and get it over with.”

“What?” Buck looks at him with a confused frown and a nervous chuckle.

“I mean, we’re almost there, anyway, just a few years away.” he shrugs, clearly leaning into the joke. Nothing more. Just a joke. It’s fine. It’s not like his heart is pounding a thousand miles a minute, and his face is hot – he’s pretty sure he’s blushing, and he can’t let himself think about Buck seeing that. If he asks, Eddie will claim it’s from the alcohol. No big deal. It’s plausible.

“Uh.” is all Buck says for probably just a few seconds, but the silence feels like it stretches into minutes, or hours, and Eddie’s hands are starting to sweat. Almost the entire sticker is in little pieces on the table right now. Buck doesn’t say anything more until Eddie looks at him, immediately meeting his piercing eyes. He wonders how long Buck’s been staring at him when he wasn’t looking. And tries to read his expression, that looks suspiciously like a hopeful and excited smile. “Okay.” he whispers, licking his lips and clearing his throat, the only indication of any nerves.

“What?” it’s Eddie’s turn to ask. His heart is hammering so hard, he’s almost scared it’s going to rip through his chest and fall onto the table in front of him.

“I mean,” Buck swallows audibly and licks his lips again, eyes not leaving Eddie’s. Eddie can’t even avert his gaze anymore, he feels pinned, frozen in place, sinking in the blue of Buck’s eyes. “Why not, right? We’re single, we know each other better than anyone else will ever know us. We work well together. We get along.” he shrugs, smile turning sheepish, tone turning to more teasing again. “I'm sure we’d make a good couple, too.”

“You think?” Eddie tries to smirk, but he’s not sure he’s succeeding.

“Yeah. Plus, there’s another thing.” he bites his lip and looks over Eddie’s face, as if analyzing, gauging his reaction so far, wondering if he should say whatever he wants to say. Eddie lets himself hope that he knows what.

“What's that?” Eddie thinks he’s leaning closer to Buck now. It’s involuntary, like he’s being pulled by some invisible force. He leans his elbow on the table, facing Buck.

“You know, I can’t say I never- I mean, the way I feel-” he pauses, closes his eyes and shakes his head. “Fuck, I am bad at this.” he mutters, and Eddie chuckles. He thinks he knows where Buck is going with this, and he relaxes a little bit.

“Let me, then.” he puts his beer on the table, and then takes one of Buck’s hands. He’s not very good at it, either, but it’s Buck. Everything is easier with Buck, even the hard parts. Buck always makes him feel lighter, unburdened, like he can do anything. So he can do this. He takes a deep breath, and Buck’s wonderful eyes are back locked with his, shining with hope and uncertainty, and, well, what Eddie thinks and wants to be love, finally allowed to shine through, not hidden and concealed. Eddie allows himself to look at Buck the way he always does when Buck’s not looking, too, not bothering to school his expression. “I love you.” is what gets out of his mouth on an exhale, not evening meaning to say it. Buck’s eyes widen and fill with tears.

“Eddie.” he whispers, breath catching.

“I love you.” Eddie repeats with conviction. “I fell for you a long time ago, and I just keep falling deeper and deeper, and hearing about your dates is slowly killing me.” he admits, and Buck winces, looks like he’s about to apologize, but Eddie continues, “I don’t know where we go from here, but my heart belongs to you. I gave it to you with my son, years ago, and you can keep it forever if you want to. I love every little part of you, and I want you, I want it all. Forever. You’re my person. My partner. And-” his smile widens, turns more teasing, but still genuine, “I know we haven’t even gone on a date, but I would marry you tomorrow. Just say a word.” he finishes. He wishes he’d known this would happen, he could prepare, and now he had to wing it, and he hasn’t even scratched the surface of what he wants to say to Buck. But if this conversation goes where he thinks it’s going, he’ll have time. They’ll have all the time in the world.

“Who cares about dates.” is what Buck says with a watery laugh, his free hand comes up to cup Eddie’s cheek. “I love you so much, Eddie. I’m so in love with you, it physically hurts, knowing that I can’t have this- well, I guess I can now.” he chuckles again, a tone of disbelief in his voice. “For so long I was just trying to get over you, and here you are, saying you feel the same.” he shakes his head. “You and Chris are my whole world, and- and what we have- we don’t need to date, Eddie, I think we’re way past that. Let’s get married.”

“Seriously? Are you sure?” Eddie asks, feeling his cheeks starting to hurt from how wide his smile is. He feels himself leaning closer. Buck’s right, they don’t need dating, they’re far from a regular couple. They’ve been best friends, partners, even basically co-parents, for years. They’re so far ahead, it’s almost silly they’re not married already.

“Never been more serious or more sure about anything in my life. Please marry me?” he adds quietly but decisively. He’s closer now, too, their faces inches apart. Eddie’s gaze drifts between Buck’s eyes and lips.

“Yes.” Eddie answers, not quite believing that it’s happening yet. If this is a dream, he never wants to wake up. “Like I said, I’ll marry you tomorrow, or, hell, even tonight.”

“I’d love that.” Buck responds, his lips even closer, and Eddie’s aching to close the distance. “But Bobby would never forgive us if he didn’t get to officiate our wedding, we’ll have to hold off on that.” he adds, and they both laugh, as their lips finally meet for the first time.

Eddie imagined their first kiss many times over the years, in many different ways. He imagined it heated and desperate after a close call on a job, or drunken and sloppy after having one too many drinks when they’re out with the team. Or passionate and impatient, once he finally snaps and walks over and kisses Buck after he does something sweet and domestic, like cook dinner for them. And so many others – he’s fantasized about it way too much.

But this one is soft and gentle, and almost hesitant at the beginning, before Eddie deepens it. It’s unhurried, exploring, and tender, and full of so much emotion, and love. If Eddie was even sappier and cornier than he is, he’d say he can feel his heart sing and dance with happiness, and he feels simultaneously lighter than air, and more grounded than he’s felt in years. He’s almost dizzy, intoxicated with Buck’s taste on his tongue, Buck’s skin under his fingers, where one of his hands is on Buck’s waist, sneaking under the shirt, while the other he places on the back of his neck. Both of Buck’s hands are framing his face, and his skin feels tingly wherever Buck touches it. It’s the best damn kiss of his life, and he never wants it to stop. Though he also can’t wait to share all the other kinds of kisses with Buck at some point.

In the end, Buck pulls away first, and Eddie chases after him, leaving one, two, three more lingering kisses, until Buck’s laughing, gently grabbing Eddie’s arms to keep him in place.

“Wait a second, Eddie.” he runs his hand through Eddie’s hair, looking at him with such fondness, Eddie almost melts on the spot. “I just realized something.”

“What?” he tilts his head in curiosity, but he also feels every nerve of his body longing for Buck. He needs him all over himself. Now that he got a taste, he can never look back, he wants more, more, more.

“We just got engaged, and I don’t even have a ring.”

“Who cares about a ring?” he dismisses, wanting to get back to kissing. But Buck frowns.

“Eddie. We need a ring. I need people to know that you’re taken.” he says, tone serious, and Eddie’s heart flutters. He’s Buck’s.

“I’m yours.” he says out loud, tasting the words, almost in wonder. It feels right.

“Yeah. And we need to make it official.” he looks around the kitchen, and his gaze falls on the pieces of paper on the table. His face lights up. “Oh, I have an idea.”

Eddie watches, awed, as Buck goes through the drawings, finds one of his own, which consists of mostly multi-colored doodles, and rips two stripes away. Then, he folds it, a little awkwardly and hurriedly, and somehow makes them into two rings, measuring it against their fingers to get it right – Eddie’s amazed, because, for real, how does Buck know how to do everything? When he’s happy with it, he gets out of his chair and drops to one knee.

“Eddie Diaz, will you marry me?” he asks, beaming, and holding out one of the colorful rings.

“I already said yes.” Eddie chuckles.

“I know. But I have a ring now. I mean, it’ll have to do until I get an actual ring.” he says, as he slides the ring onto Eddie’s finger.

“Come here.” he hunches down and grabs Buck’s chin, bringing his face closer. “You’re ridiculous. I love you.” and he kisses Buck, this time hard and passionate. It’s brief, over way too quickly, but he pulls away to grab the other ring and put it on Buck’s finger, as well. “Now it’s official. We’re getting married.” he adds, not able to contain a grin. He’s going to marry his best friend. It’s not a dream, not a fantasy, not wishful thinking. This is happening. His best friend, with whom he’s head over heels in love, loves him back, and they’re getting married.

“We’re getting married.” Buck repeats, his happy, giddy expression surely mirroring Eddie’s.

“How did we get here from talking about our terrible dates?” Eddie asks with a laugh, now only feeling satisfaction at the thought of Buck’s dates. He wins. He has Buck, all of him, body, heart and soul, forever. He’s Buck’s and Buck is his.

“Stop.” Buck groans, leaning his forehead against Eddie’s. “I didn’t know that you- but you do. You’re my partner, that I want to spend the rest of my life with.” he grins. “Uh, this-” he pulls away to gesture between them and to the table, with the discarded pieces of paper and almost empty beer bottles. “This was actually a perfect date.”

“This wasn’t even a date, sweetheart.” Eddie leans in to kiss his lips again. “I know we said we don’t need to date before getting engaged, but now that we are, of course I'll take you out. I’ll wine and dine you, and woo the shit out of you.” he says, and Buck laughs. Eddie wants to listen to that laugh for the rest of his life. And he can. He will. “Dates with you will be the only ones that won’t be awful.”

“First of all, you don’t need to woo me, I’m already yours. And second, prepare for a lifetime of awesome dates with me. It’s gonna be so fun.” he smirks, and then kisses Eddie again. Eddie pulls at his arm, to get him back on the chair, because the angle is making his back hurt. But of course Buck has a better idea, and he climbs into Eddie’s lap, straddling him. Eddie briefly thinks that he hopes his chairs are sturdy enough to support two grown men, but if not, well, who cares? He has the love of his life in his arms, he’s engaged – which is wild, since he was single a mere twenty minutes ago – and he’s making out with his fiance in his kitchen, while their kid sleeps soundly in his room.

Life couldn’t be better. And the future looks so bright and promising now, like never before. He can’t wait to spend a lifetime with the best friend he’s ever had.

____

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#911 fic #buddie #buddie fic #wikiangela writes #my writing #buck x eddie #evan buckley #eddie diaz #buddie oneshot #oneshot #buddie fluff #first kiss #getting together #pining #friends to fiances #accidental love confessions #proposal #marriage proposal #engagement

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