training wheels. // evan 'buck' buckley

xxvi. that escalated quickly

i leaned back against the couch, laughing at something eddie said. the atmosphere in his apartment was light and easy, something i had always appreciated about our friendship. eddie had been one of my first real friends when i'd moved to LA, and we'd grown close quickly. we had our own dynamic, one that balanced out buck’s energy with eddie’s more grounded nature.

as we lounged in the living room, our conversation shifted to lighter topics, eddie teasing me about my relationship with buck, even though he’d been careful not to mention names directly. eddie knew everything, of course, but out of some unspoken agreement between us, he never made me say buck's name when we talked about it.

“so,” eddie said with a sly grin, “have you finally worked things out with this guy you’ve been spending all your time thinking about?”

i rolled my eyes, grabbing a throw pillow and lightly smacking eddie with it. “maybe,” i said, trying to play it cool, though my heart raced at the thought of buck. “it’s... complicated, okay?”

eddie raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. “it always is. but honestly, you seem more relaxed about it now. things are going in the right direction, right?”

i shrugged, though i knew exactly what eddie meant. i had been feeling more comfortable lately, more settled with how things were progressing between me and buck. there had been a lot of advice from friends, teasing from eddie, and awkward but necessary conversations. still, it was hard to shake the nerves completely.

“i think so,” i admitted, my gaze flickering toward the door as if expecting buck to walk through it at any moment, though i knew he wouldn’t. “we’ve talked a lot, and it’s been... good. we’re figuring it out.”

eddie smiled, nodding. “good. you deserve that.”

before i could respond, the sound of the front door opening caught our attention. carla walked in, keys jingling in her hand and a bright smile on her face. she’d been working with eddie and watching christopher for a while now, and i had always liked her. carla was one of the few people in our little circle who could keep eddie and buck in check, which i always found impressive.

“hey, you two!” carla greeted as she stepped into the living room, her smile widening when she saw me. “what’s going on here? did i miss a party?”

i grinned, standing up to hug her. “just hanging out before eddie has to head to work.”

carla glanced between the two of them, a knowing glint in her eyes. “mm-hmm, sure. what’s the real story here?”

eddie snorted, shaking his head. “nothing too dramatic. just giving charlie some advice about a certain someone.”

carla raised an eyebrow, catching on immediately. “ah, i see. is that certain someone tall, blond, and prone to getting himself into trouble?”

i groaned, my face turning red as eddie chuckled beside me. “you’re never going to let me live this down, are you?”

carla laughed softly, her eyes twinkling. “oh, sweetheart, you’re with buck. you’re never going to live anything down.”

eddie's laugh echoing through the room. “she’s got a point.”

i crossed my arms over my chest, trying to fight the smile tugging at my lips. “you guys are the worst.”

carla shrugged, unbothered. “it’s my job to give you a hard time. but seriously, if buck is the guy, and i’m pretty sure he is, then you’re in good hands. just... be patient with him, okay?”

my smile softened at that, the teasing moment fading into something a little more sincere. “thanks, carla. i will.”

eddie stood up, grabbing his keys. “i’ve got to get going to the station. carla, you’ve got chris tonight?”