fallintofallfestival prompt fill

[lovemeanyway]

Three days and several attempts at a simple confirmation text later, Eddie is sitting in bed staring at his phone. He’s written and rewritten the words in front of him enough times he’s lost count. It should be easy, but he’s had three days to mull over the entire conversation with Buck - in which he’d embarrassingly barely participated in - and overanalyze it.

It doesn’t help he also had a somewhat enlightening conversation with Shay in which he learned a lot about what the women working with the LAFD thought about Evan ‘Call me Buck’ Buckley. A lot of it isn’t exactly flattering, but Eddie decided to make his own opinions. A decision Shay teased him about relentlessly once she got him to admit he thought Buck was cute.

Not that it matters. Eddie decided a long time ago Christopher was his priority, not dating - casual or otherwise. Still, he can’t help but replay that grin Buck wore. Had he imagined flirtation where there wasn’t any? Is it simply wishful thinking brought on by how endearing he’d found Buck’s rambling?

With a groan, Eddie closes his eyes, jaw clenching as he berates himself. It doesn’t need to be this hard. The message doesn’t need to be long, nor elaborate, just friendly. A ‘Hey, it’s Eddie Diaz. I’ll see you there.’ is all it would take. But that doesn’t seem enough. Regardless of Eddie’s attraction to him, the man asked to be his friend. That deserves something a little more doesn’t it?

It takes another fifteen minutes for Eddie to realize the problem is the only people he texts on a regular basis are Carla, Christopher, Shay and Jack. With them, he’s not really worried about making a good impression. A phone call would be better. Wouldn’t it?

Before he can second guess, Eddie hits the call button. Buck answers on the second ring.

“Hello?”

“Hi. This is Eddie Diaz. From 9-1-1 dispatch,” Eddie says, wincing at how formal he sounds.

“Oh! Hey! I was expecting a text.”

“Right. Well, I was just calling to let you know I’ve decided to go. To the barbecue. At the Coughlin’s.” Eddie has to consciously stop from sighing in frustration at himself. What other barbecue would he be going to?

“I’m really glad to hear that,” Buck says, not seeming to notice or care how awkward Eddie is. “I’m looking forward to it a lot more now.”

“You are?” Eddie asks skeptically.

“Yeah.” Buck laughs. “I already told you I wanted you to go.” There’s a pause as someone in the background says something, but Buck doesn’t respond to them. To Eddie he says, “So, hey. Do you - do you wanna carpool there? I could come pick you up at your place. That’d be easier because there’s never really anywhere to park on my street -”

“No,” Eddie cuts in. The second he realizes how abrupt and rude that sounded, he rushes to continue. “I mean, not no. It would actually be easier if we picked you up. Or if you came to my house. My son will be coming with us, and we’ve already got the carseat in…”

“You have a kid? I love kids! How old is he? What’s his name?” Buck sounds genuinely delighted about this information, and Eddie can’t help but smile at the rush of questions. Anyone being pleased to learn about his son will always make him happy.

“Christopher. He’s six - almost seven. This month, actually. Do you have any kids?”

“Nah, not - not yet anyway.” There’s another pause as someone once again says something. Eddie can’t tell if they’re talking to Buck or not. Either way, Buck doesn’t acknowledge them. “Someday though. I hope,” he says instead.

“Are you busy?” Eddie asks, feeling like he called at a bad time.

“Busy?” Buck repeats, then whispers something to someone else Eddie can’t catch. “No, not really. But yeah, sorry. I’m at work. We’re between calls though, so - so it’s fine.” There’s another pause. This time it doesn’t seem like it’s because of anyone else. “You said we. Is your, uh… wife? Girlfriend? Coming, too?”

“I don’t have - Christopher’s mother isn’t in the picture, no,” he says. Being vague is easier than explaining that Shannon died. It’s not exactly a second conversation topic.

“Gotcha. Boyfriend then? Husband? Partner?”

Eddie hesitates, maybe just a second too long, wondering why Buck’s asking and trying not to hope or feel a certain way about it. Shay will have a field day when he tells her about this later. “No, none of those either,” he finally says. “My brother and sister are coming.”

“Cool, cool.” He could be wrong, but it sounds like Buck might be smiling. “Hey, I gotta go but uh, send me a text with your address? And when you want me to come over?”

The line goes dead just as Eddie says, “I will. Be safe.”

Comments

[mkrobinson]

I'm glad Eddie is going to the cookout!