Chapter Text
There was something about Eddie that made heat radiate throughout Bucks entire body, like the tequila shots Buck bought them at the bar, or the coffee he had the next morning while thinking of Eddie, or like the sun itself traveled from Eddie's hands to heat up Bucks waist, his shoulders, his neck and chest from where Eddie pressed close to him after a couple of drinks.
It brought a smile to his face and an ache to his heart and a voice in his head, his own voice, in fact, pounding out EddieEddieEddieEddieEddie, like a heartbeat or like someone burping the alphabet or something.
It was strange, being so- connected with someone. Especially someone he'd only met a week ago. Not to mention they usually got shitfaced at the bar. Also that they were straight. Okay, maybe not Buck, maybe not anymore, now that Eddie existed. Maybe gayness had nothing to do with attraction, not when it came to Eddie, he was just so... pretty. Then again, he was also (and Buck always flushed a little when he thought this), handsome. Like- like an Adonis or something. Like someone carved him from the softest stone, leaving just enough room for imperfection that Buck found endearing, stray moles and freckles and scars, all along his arms and fingers and lips, around his eyes, imperfections Buck wanted to press his lips to, the pressure of which may deepen those cracks being the only reason Buck had caged his heart, fear of breaking this fragile not-quite-marble not-quite-statue. An homunculus. But pretty. Were homunculus's ugly? Homunculi? Were they ugly? Did it matter? Surely not as much as Eddie.
Nothing mattered as much as Eddie.
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Eddie never really spoke about himself. He smiled at Bucks joke and listened to Buck talk and he ordered them burgers or onion rings or fries or all three with their beers and he held Buck close when they danced, lips open in laughter as tears sparkled his eyes and cheeks like glitter and he had opinions about baseball and basketball and football but that's about all that Buck knew about him.
Except Buck knew the way his mouth quicker, in good ways and bad, had made a game of memorizing them even though they only knew each other a week or two- 10 days(Buck hadn't known to count the hours or minutes when he first met Eddie, mourned the loss into his pillow at night as he gripped the sheets to keep from-)
He knew Eddie was intelligent and capable and competent, and that Eddie preffered a cold beer to fruity alcoholic drinks, but loved fruity non-alcoholic drinks the most. He didn't really have feelings on shots, just downed them one after the other thoughtlessly, would just chug his beer or water as a chaser.
He knew Eddie had been in the service. (Wondered how Eddie looked in army fatigues, dreamed about putting on his knees while he wore them, ached for Eddie to put him over said knee too.)
He knew Eddie liked him. Not- not like that, obviously, but-
Eddie started at him intently when he spoke, nodded his head and asked questions, and brought up topics Bucks spoke about prior.
Someone as cool as Eddie liking Buck-
Eddie who hotwired cars and danced a little too close and pretended not to notice Bucks fat cock twitching against his thigh- WOAH-
NoNoNoNoNo-
Eddie who danced innocently and unaware of Buck's perversion, of how badly Buck wanted to- fucking- hold him. Just pull him close and kiss his red cheeks and maybe peck at his neck.
Eddie who cradled Bucks head like he was something precious, even when they were just sitting there talking about some random shit Buck read on Wikipedia or something. Was it weird to do that in a bar? Especially when they weren't dating? No, no Eddie was super cool and normal, there was no way it was weird if Eddie was the one doing it, so Buck was totally not weird for leaning in to it either. Probably.