Buddie: Partners in Fire

Chapter 80

Scene: On the plane

On the plane, they settled into their seats, the quiet hum of passengers getting situated filling the cabin. Buck, always quick to dive into something fun, immediately leaned over to scroll through the in-flight entertainment options, his face lit up with the soft glow of the screen. Eddie, on the other hand, took a moment to get comfortable, letting out a long breath as he finally relaxed into his seat. His body still felt heavy with the emotional weight of the past few days, but the familiar presence of Buck beside him was an anchor, steady and grounding.

Buck (grinning as he turned to Eddie): "So... movie? I was thinking we could watch 'Spider-Man' together."

Eddie looked over at Buck, one eyebrow raised in amused disbelief.

Eddie (teasing, his voice carrying a playful lilt): "The 2012 one? Really? That’s the one you’re going with?"

Buck shrugged, his grin widening.

Buck (laughing): "Come on, it’s a classic and my favorite one! And besides, it’ll be fun to watch together. We can sync it up and make comments the whole time, like our own private viewing party."

Eddie couldn’t help the soft chuckle that escaped him, the teasing glint in his eyes now mixed with something warmer. Despite the heaviness that had been following him, there was something about Buck’s excitement—his boyish enthusiasm—that made Eddie feel just a little lighter. It was one of the many things he loved about Buck; no matter how hard things got, he always found a way to inject a bit of joy, a bit of normalcy, into the moment.

Eddie (pretending to be exasperated): "Alright, fine. But only because you’re so excited about it."

Buck beamed, like he’d won some grand victory, and quickly got their screens set up. They both made sure to start the movie at the exact same time, exchanging a quick glance to confirm they were synced up perfectly. As the opening credits rolled, Buck leaned back in his seat, already gearing up for what Eddie knew would be two hours of relentless commentary.

Within minutes, Buck was at it, making little comments about the movie.

Buck (pointing at the screen, whispering loudly): "Okay, but seriously, who thought that lizard villain design was a good idea? He looks like a rejected dinosaur from 'Jurassic Park'."

Eddie snorted softly, shaking his head as Buck continued.

Eddie (smirking): "Yeah, and the way they just let Peter Parker skate around on that board like he’s not a superhero... really blending in there, Spidey."

They settled into a rhythm—Buck’s running commentary mixed with Eddie’s occasional sarcastic remarks, both of them leaning closer to each other as the movie played out. There were moments when Buck would nudge Eddie with his elbow, pointing out plot holes or cheesy lines, and Eddie would laugh softly, unable to resist joining in. Despite his initial hesitation, Eddie found himself genuinely enjoying the experience. It wasn’t about the movie itself, but the shared banter, the way Buck made him laugh even when he didn’t think he had it in him.

As they got deeper into the movie, Buck leaned over again, whispering in Eddie’s ear with a grin.

Buck: "You know, I could totally be Spider-Man. I’ve got the whole heroic charm thing down. Plus, you know, I’ve already got experience saving people."

Eddie raised an eyebrow, looking at Buck like he was out of his mind, but there was a smile tugging at his lips.

Eddie (deadpan): "Yeah, sure. You, swinging around the city in tights? That’d be a sight."

Buck laughed, the sound warm and infectious, and Eddie couldn’t help but laugh with him, feeling the last of the tension in his body begin to fade. There was something about the way Buck could just 'be', without pretense or hesitation, that made everything feel easier.

Halfway through the movie, during one of the slower scenes, Eddie leaned over, resting his head on Buck’s shoulder. He wasn’t quite asleep, but the quiet comfort of being close to Buck was enough to make him close his eyes for a moment. The steady rise and fall of Buck’s chest, the warmth of his body beside him—it was the kind of calm that Eddie had been searching for since they’d left LA. For the first time in what felt like weeks, he felt like he could truly relax, even if just for a little while.

Buck glanced down at Eddie, a soft smile spreading across his face as he saw him nestled against his shoulder. Carefully, so as not to disturb him, Buck reached for Eddie’s hand, lacing their fingers together and giving it a gentle squeeze. He could feel the slight tension in Eddie’s grip—Eddie wasn’t quite ready to let go of everything weighing on him—but Buck held his hand firmly, as if to say 'I’ve got you, you’re not alone'.

For the next hour or so, they watched the movie in comfortable silence. Buck occasionally whispered little quips here and there, but he kept his voice soft, not wanting to pull Eddie out of the peaceful state he’d finally found. Every now and then, Eddie would let out a quiet chuckle at something Buck said, or he’d shift slightly to get more comfortable, but mostly, he stayed right where he was, resting against Buck, content in the quiet space they shared.

As the movie neared its climax, Buck gave Eddie’s hand another squeeze, leaning down slightly to murmur.

Buck (softly): "You doing okay?"

Eddie, eyes still half-closed, gave a small nod.

Eddie (quietly, voice a little sleepy): "Yeah. This... this is nice."

Buck’s heart swelled at those simple words. He knew how much Eddie had been through, how hard it had been for him to carry the weight of everything, and hearing that he was feeling even a small sense of peace—it was all Buck had been hoping for. He leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to the top of Eddie’s head, letting the moment speak for itself.

They stayed like that for the rest of the movie, the plane cruising steadily through the sky as the world outside disappeared into clouds. By the time the credits rolled, Eddie was still resting against Buck, not asleep, but fully relaxed for the first time in days.

As the screen faded to black, Buck glanced down at Eddie, his voice soft and teasing.

Buck: "So, how was it? Classic enough for you?"

Eddie lifted his head, giving Buck a tired but genuine smile.

Eddie (playfully): "I’ll admit... it was better with the running commentary. You could probably give the movie a whole new fanbase."

Buck (grinning): "Hey, I’m just saying—I’ve got a talent for this."

Eddie chuckled softly, his hand still loosely holding Buck’s. The noise of the plane, the distant murmur of other passengers—it all faded into the background as they shared that quiet, easy moment together. It wasn’t perfect, and Eddie knew the road ahead was still long, but for now, with Buck beside him, he felt okay.

And that, for the moment, was enough.