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"Lalalalala, I can't hear you Chimney!"
Jane had her hands over her ears trying to block out the man's voice. Maddie had told him some deep dark Buckley family secret in preparation for their parents' visit soon. He had been harboring the secret for a few days and thought that Jane would be a good confidant since she was dating the other Buckley sibling. "Please, Jane don't leave me alone with this!" he begged, and she lowered her hands slowly.
"I'm sorry Chim, but no. I don't want in on a secret I have to keep from Evan!" He groaned and sat on the couch burying his head in his hands. They were at his apartment, he had invited her over for coffee before his shift, which should have clued her in that something was up.
"Why do you have to be so moral?" he whined but eventually conceded. "Are you excited to meet to parents?" Buck had been home for a few days when Maddie dropped the bomb on him about their parent's arrival, and he had begged her to attend. She laughed it off and assured him that it was part of her duties as a girlfriend and that she would be in attendance.
"Not particularly, I'm sure Maddie's filled you in, but Evan's not that close with them," she sipped her mug of ulterior motive coffee. "Their relationship is complicated." It had taken her a few months, but she had finally convinced Buck to go back to therapy, and from what he had told her it had been going well. As a professional, hearing what his former therapist did to him, had shocked her to her core. Up until she walked him through it was actually a 'conquest' in his eyes.
"He called Copeland for an emergency therapy appointment when he found out they were coming. 'De-escalation teniques'." Chimney and Jane both let out a sigh.
"Why do I feel like this dinner is going to be a disaster?" she asked.
"Well my young friend, probably because it will be."
"The only parents I've technically met were Erics and that was a cakewalk. His dad was our dentist and his mom was my kindergarten teacher, so I'm not sure it counts."
"Maybe there will be alcohol, then we can get though it."
⸻
"I got wine... red, white, sparkling- in case you wanna do any celebratory toasts, and tequila. Not sure why we needed two bottles." Buck listed off.
"Those are for me." Chimney grabbed the liquor and stashed the bottles in the freezer.
"You're sharing that with me right?" Jane asked from her spot leaning against the counter. Buck had been on edge trying to make sure this visit went smoothly.
Chimney rolled his eyes, and Buck continued his anxious preparations. "Chimney pre-heat the oven." Maddie entered the room and looked around confusedly.
"Is Jane baking something?" It was almost time for Mr. and Mrs. Buckley to arrive so she didn't know why they would put something in the oven so late.
"Nope, baked brie and fig jam, Evan's choice," Jane answered.
