One Last Time

5

Eddie

Eddie walked out of the bathroom in a pair of athletic shorts. He flopped onto his side of the bed. Buck entered through the bedroom door. He hesitated whether to close it or leave it open.

    "Closed is fine," Eddie whispered, knowing Hen was already passed out on the couch outside. Buck nodded quickly and slowly strolled to his side of the bed.

    Eddie pulled on a shirt and checked his phone one last time before going to bed. There was no way Christopher was awake but it was becoming a habit now. Buck lay down, carefully arranging the pillows, making a clear boundary between the two. He was wearing a black shirt with a large red print, screaming "LAFD".  Like Eddie, he was wearing a pair of athletic shorts, most likely Nike. Eddie rolled onto his back, inches away from touching Buck's shoulders. The electricity returned.

    "This okay? Right?" Buck chirped quietly from the side of the bed. Eddie rolled his head over, to face Buck. He did the same.

    Eddie nodded slowly, looking into his gorgeous, glinting, blue, eyes. "Yeah," Eddie spoke with barely a whisper, "I promised that this wouldn't change anything between us."

    It couldn't be disappointment crawling through Buck's chest, Eddie refused to believe it. He continued to stare into Buck's eyes. Pulling himself away, he sat upright, hugging his knees to his chest. He searched for words. "How's things with you and Tommy?" Eddie asked politely.

    Now, it was Buck's turn to sit up straight. He spread his legs out and stretched his hands upwards. "We broke up."

    We. Broke. Up.

    Three simple words echoed through Eddie's mind. Eddie knew Tommy quite well and was dumbfounded that neither of his friends thought to mention it to him.

    "I'm... I'm sorry Buck... I'm sorry to hear that. What happened? I thought things were going so well with the two of you."

    Buck exhaled and closed his eyes. Eddie felt the mood change as the world flipped upside down. His trembling hand found a place on Buck's shoulder, providing a strange comfort for the two men.

    "Things were going– things were going okay. But, um, Tommy he broke things off with me a couple of days ago," Buck admitted.

    "What a douche!" Eddie exclaimed. He lowered his voice, "Did he at least give you a reason?"

    Buck nodded slowly, "He said I was distracted by my surroundings."

    "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

    Eddie peered into Buck's eyes again, noticing his cheeks flushing bright pink. "He– He thought there was someone else I was interested in. He was mad. Super pissed."

    Eddie watched his hand retreat from Buck's shoulder. He opened his mouth to speak, "Is it that Taylor Kelly again?"

    Buck shook his head quickly, "You wouldn't know him."

    Eddie raised his eyebrow with interest, "Another guy?"

    "I don't even know if he feels the same way. Sometimes it feels like we are more than friends. Other times he just seems like a dream that isn't real," Buck whispers.

    Eddie quickly searched his mind, but no man fitting the description was mentioned in their conversations. Suddenly Eddie's heart began racing. His lips quivered and Buck leaned in closer.

    He's not talking about me. He's not. He can't be.

    Eddie leaned in closer, his breath mingling with Buck's. The blanket was pulled up to their waists and their hands were pressed against their sides. Buck began speaking in a lower voice, ensnaring Eddie's attention.

    "This guy, I mean, he's perfect. I just wouldn't ever want to ruin things with him. Most of the time, he's the only person in my life that I have standing beside me."

    Eddie spoke softly, inches away from Buck's mouth. "He sounds like a pretty cool dude. He'd be an asshole if he didn't love you back."

    Were they really going to kiss? Eddie's heart pounded with anxiety. There were so many swirling emotions and thoughts that were stopping him. He was in slow motion trying to make the correct decision. The very last thought on his mind howled two words.

    F*ck it.

His lips pressed tightly against Buck's.

He was floating.

Rainbows were circling him.

His heart was coming out of his chest.

He was being consumed by the taste of his lips.

He was kissing a guy.

He was kissing Buck.

And the best part was, he was in love with it. He was in love with him.