Chapter 1

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"What's up, Buck? You look fidgety," Eddie couldn't help but remark when the two of them were changing in the locker room at the end of their shift.

Buck sighed, collapsing on the bench and looking up at his best friend, "I've got a date tonight."

Eddie shot him an inquisitive look, "Are you nervous?"

Buck glared at him as if to say duh, before elaborating, "I haven't gone on a date in quite some time and my last two relationships ended kinda badly for me. Emotionally. And I guess that makes me feel kinda terrified?" His face changed to vulnerable halfway through, seeming to search for something on Eddie's face. Validation of his concerns, Eddie guessed. "I mean," Buck continued, "I want to start dating again but... now that the date is so close, I just feel... "

"Like it's too much?" Eddie proposed.

"Yeah," Buck exhaled.

"Look," Eddie sat down next to him, cautiously bumping their shoulders against each other, "it's only a first date. Just go, and if you don't like it, you don't have to follow it up with a second date. It's simple, first dates are there for that. There's no strings attached yet."

Buck sighed again, admitting that Eddie's right.

"How did you meet her anyway?" Eddie asked teasingly in an attempt to lighten Buck's mood.

"Oh, um."

Eddie narrowed his eyes as Buck lifted his arm to scratch at his neck.

"OKCupid?" Buck fluttered his lashes sheepishly at his best friend, startling a laugh out of Eddie.

"Hey!" Buck shouted mock-affrontedly, "OKCupid has detailed profiles which allow you to make an informed judgment on whether you want to date them or not."

Eddie lifted his arms placatingly, "I didn't judge."

The other man leveled him with a glare. Eddie laughed again.

Softer, with a smile tugging at his lips, he added, "Tell me how it went afterwards."

"Will do." Buck clapped his thighs, proclaiming, "Ok, I can do this." before standing up and leaving the locker room, Eddie's eyes following him, the soft smile never faltering.

The last thing Eddie expected that evening was to get a text message from Buck just shortly after bringing Christopher to bed.

He checked the time, thinking to himself that there was no way his date was already over.

Nevertheless, the message read, "Can I come over?" sending a cold shower down Eddie's spine. His mind already racing to the worst possible scenarios, he answered with a quick "yes" before spending the time it takes Buck to arrive in his driveway pacing in the living room.

Hearing the car roll up in front of the house, Eddie opened the door before Buck had even finished parking.

Noticing his best friend standing in the door, Buck smiled, striding over.

"Can't wait to hear what I got to say about my date?" he teased, and Eddie relaxed.

"Your date is already over?"

Buck passed him, making his way towards the couch and waited there for Eddie to join him.

When both of them were sitting, Buck leaned into the cushions, seemingly exhausted blinking up at Eddie.

"Were you worried about me?" Buck asked, surprise coloring his voice but a teasing glint in his eyes.

Eddie blushed, "You were supposed to be on a date and asked me if you could come over! What was I supposed to think?"

Buck chuckled, "Relax. Dinner was nice but... we didn't really hit it off, so we left shortly after. And you asked for updates, so here I am."

"You gonna continue using OKCupid then?"

Buck shrugged, "It'll only be a first date, right?"

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