Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Are you nervous?" Maddie asks on the phone." 

"No? Not really. I'm kinda excited." He smiles as he checks he has all of his things with him, going through his bag for what feels like the hundredth time. "It's a little bit surreal, though. I still feel like I'm dreaming." He chuckles and he can hear Maddie laugh on the other side of the line. 

"Well, it's real, little brother. And it's what you deserve." Her voice softens. "Have I told you how happy and proud I am?" 

"Like a million times." Buck rolls his eyes, exasperated but fond. "But thank you, Mads. I appreciate it." He eyes the flight attendant helping a passenger a few rows ahead and he knows soon he'll have to cut his call with his sister short. "Listen, I love you but I gotta go. My flight it's about to start—"

"Yeah, okay! Let me know how it goes, alright? Love you." Buck says goodbye and ends the call. 

He runs a hand through his hair and sighs, as he gets more comfortable on his seat. If he'd known having his book optioned as a movie would be this stressful, he would've thought twice before signing the contract. 

It's good! Amazing, really! A dream come true! But— 

Well, Buck still has to send a finished draft for his third book to his publisher, and he has to start thinking of the next project. On top of that, working on this movie— even if it's just as a guiding voice to keep the essence of the story and nothing more— it's still kind of a lot. 

Here he is, sitting on a, frankly inhuman, early morning flight to L.A. He would prefer to stay in Texas for a little while longer, maybe go to his favorite coffee shop and get some writing done as the background noise of people going on about their day lulls him into a sense of normalcy and peacefulness. 

Buck is fantasizing about a possible ending for his third book, his mind filling with imaginary scenarios and loose lines of dialogue— only to be pulled abruptly back to reality as another passenger jostles his shoulder with their backpack, as they make their way down the aisle of the plane. 

It's going to be worth it. It's going to be worth it. He repeats himself. Throwing away his writing routine and getting on this crowded flight it's going to be worth it, he needs to remind himself. He'll get to meet the film production team who's going to be working hard to turn thousands of pages he wrote into a movie. And he'll get to help with the casting. 

Buck is pretty excited about that, he has to admit. 

He's imagined his characters for so long, has thought about what makes them thick, what makes them interesting, what makes them compelling to his fans and yeah, he's grown attached to them, if he's being honest. Getting to have a say on who plays them, getting to see as they're brought to life? Buck is already vibrating with happiness and giddiness at the mere idea. 

He's being thrown into this new and terrifying venture of watching his words, his personal stories, being brought to life on the big screen. 

Truth be told, Buck never really intended to become a writer. It never was a childhood dream or something he's pursued since he has a memory. 

No. 

But when he left Hershey behind on own, with not even Maddoe to keep him company, nights grew lonelier and colder. He remembers a lot of the time having to sleep on the backseat of the Jeep and staring at the starry night sky through the window, imagining fantastic and wonderful stories that would give him an escape. 

He thinks somewhere between finishing bartender school in Perú and joining the SEALs, just to quit halfway through training, he started writing down these stories. 

At first they were short and chaotic, not making much sense. 

But then these ideas in his head started taking a shape of their own, the inspiration flowed through him easily and before he knew it, he had the draft of his first book in his hands. 

Maybe he was always meant to get here, since Maddie would make up stories for him to tell him before sleep. Since he has memory, Maddie would tell him a story before bed, in whispered low tones, behind their parents back. 

Raised by neglecting parents who often left them to their own devices, Maddie has been tasked with watching Buck after school, making him dinner, helping with homework and putting him to bed. 

Maybe that's the starting point that led him to where he is right now, maybe that's when his love for making beliefs and stories of heroes and dreams was born. 

His first book was about a young girl helping a single father to solve the mystery of his late wife's murder. Buck always had a fascination for true crime and the female main character is strong and fierce, just like Maddie. When he first sent the book to a small publishing agency, though, his hopes were low. 

Until Bobby Nash contacted him and told him he'd make anything and everything to get Buck out there unto the world. 

Bobby changed the trajectory of Buck's life, more than he ever imagined anyone would. 

Bobby was the first person, besides Maddie, to believe in Buck. To have faith in him and to see him, see his full potential. 

Now, five years later, Buck has published the first two novels in his Web of Lies and Bones series, 'Leave the Light On' and 'Find Me Where The Spirits Meet the Bones'. 

The third book it's still in the works and Buck is being pressured to finally finish it and give up the draft. He's staring down at that deadline with dread and fear and anxiety, so maybe this will actually be a welcomed distraction. Who knows?

If he's being completely honest here, he's on the verge of a nervous breakdown. The first book has been way easier for him to write, with less public pressure, no one else to disappoint but himself. The words have poured out of him with ease and naturally. But since he released the second book the series has gained traction and rocketed to the top of the best sellers list. 

 People started talking about his book in TV shows, on Instagram, on Tik Tok. They've left five star reviews after five star reviews until his book was the best rated book in GoodReads. It's been a wild trip to say the least. 

Looking back now, he's grateful he kept his real identity a secret and instead went with an artistic name, so to say. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, please find your seats.” The in flight announcement brings Buck out of his thoughts, reminding him where he is. 

He fiddles with his notebook (where he keeps his ideas and notes for future books or plotlines), a nervous habit that he's gained in the last few months. Normally he would burn off his nervous energy by going for a run, or maybe an intense workout at his garage gym, but he can't really do any of that now, can he? He's confined to his seat for the next few hours. 

“Sorry, excuse me,” a soft, but slightly gravelly voice says next to him.. Looking up he sees a brunette guy wearing sunglasses and a dark blue baseball cap standing in the aisle beside him. 

“I’m at the window,” he gestures pointing to the empty seat beside Buck.

"Oh, yeah, of course." He says, standing up and letting the man pass, as he quickly settles into his seat, placing a backpack at his feet. 

Buck sits back down and curiously turns to the guy, watching as he takes off the sunglasses and hat, running his hand through his short hair. 

Holy crap, with the baseball cap and the sunglasses removed, Buck realizes he isn't just any guy. It's Eddie Diaz. 

The Eddie Diaz. 

Eddie Diaz as in, one of Buck's favorite actors. The man who starred in Buck's favorite movie and— embarrassingly enough, the man Buck's had some interesting dreams about, after watching him on the latest Top Gun project. 

Buck blushes at the memory. 

He feels the plane beginning to move, preparing for take off and he tries to calm himself. 

Act normal, you idiot. 

And then he notices Eddie has a book in his hands. 

But not any book. 

Buck's book. 

"Interesting read?" Buck asks and when Eddie shoots him a confused look, he nods towards the book in his lap. "Leave The Light On?" 

"Oh! Yeah, it's one of my favorite books." Eddie smiles, shy and charming. "I've read the series like, a thousand times." 

"Really? Huh?"  Buck feels his heart thump erratically inside of him. 

Holy shit, holy shit. Eddie Diaz read his books. 

Eddie Diaz read his books a thousand times. 

Honestly, how is Buck supposed to act normal after such revelation? 

"I'm actually flying to an audition right now. Hopefully to be part of the movie for the book." Eddie says and then frowns. "Oh shit, I don't know if I should've told you that." 

Buck tries not to outright laugh in the guy's face. That would be rude and Buck wouldn't be able to explain why he was laughing anyway. 

Despite being a best seller author, very few people know about his identity, since he chose to go by another name when he publishes the books. The world knows all about 'Daniel E. Buckley' and nothing about him. 

"It's okay." He leans forward and grins, squinting one of his eyes and shrugging. "Your secret's safe with me.' 

"Thanks, I appreciate that." Eddie laughs and she holds out a hand to shake. "I'm Eddie Diaz, by the way." 

Buck shakes the hand, his fingers lingering maybe more than it's socially acceptable but Eddie doesn't seem to mind. "I know." He groans and ducks his head, embarrassed. "Sorry, that was rude. I'm Buck." He goes back to fiddling with his notebook, his fingers tingling where they touched Eddie's. 

"It's okay. Happens to me all the time." Eddie shrugs and then hesitates for a few seconds. "You're not a crazy stalker, right?" 

Buck blinks and gazes up at the guy. "Uh, no?" 

"You don't sound so sure there, bud." 

"I'm not a crazy stalker, I swear!" Buck widens his eyes and then he sees Eddie's kips twitch up the slightest bit, amused and teasing. "Oh, you're totally messing with me. I see how it is." He pretends to be offended but the grin in his face surely gives him away. "Hollywood stars. Assholes, all of them." 

"Hey!" Eddie frowns, but his lips are still slightly turned up. 

The airplane begins to move faster, accelerating down the runway. Buck’s never really been a fan of planes, his mind conjuring up crashes and terrible accidents and the worst possible scenarios. He’s catastrophizing, to put it mildly.

The plane noses upward, and soon the wheels lift off the ground. They are airborne. 

Buck is squeezing his seat for dear life, taking deep, shaky breaths. 

“So, what brings you to L.A, if you’re clearly not one of us Hollywood assholes?” Eddie asks, teasing and playful, probably trying to distract Buck.Which, actually kinda works. Buck now needs to focus on what he says next. Should he reveal himself as the author of Eddie’s favorite books and possible future movies ? His anonymity it’s not for anything serious, just him wanting the luxury of privacy and not having people dissect and analyze every possible mistake or thing in his life. Surely Eddie would understand that more than anyone else. 

But, Buck is tempted to see what else Eddie has to say about the books and its characters and which one he’s hoping to audition for. 

“My boss is flying me out for a few business meetings, he wants me to look at some new projects.” Buck says, vague enough that Eddie raises an eyebrow at him. 

“So, you’re a businessman? Huh, I didn’t peg you for the corporate lifestyle, I gotta say.”

Buck frowns. “What does that even mean?”

“I don’t know, you just seem…” Eddie shrugs. “Not like the type, I guess.”

“That’s super specific. Are you sure you’re not a crazy stalker?” Buck says dryly and Eddie shoves at his shoulder. “No, seriously. Have you been watching me all this time? I feel concerned for my safety.”

“Oh God, you are such a brat.” Eddie shakes his head and Buck can’t help but to smile. 

“I get that a lot, believe it or not.” Mostly from Bobby, every time Buck is late on a deadline, but he doesn’t say that. “So, anyway. What are you auditioning for? What character, I mean.”

Eddie hesitates for a few seconds but then continues, as if deciding he can trust Buck. That little detail makes his heart flutter, for some strange reason. “The male lead. Gabriel— He’s a single dad, trying to find out the real murder that killed his wife.”

“I’m familiar with the series.” Buck covers his mouth with his hand and leans a little bit closer. “So, why Gabriel? I mean, there’s other parts, right?”

“Yeah,” Eddie looks down at the book in his hands and then back at Buck. “My agent thinks I would be a better fit for the police sergeant, actually. Joey.” Eddie grimaces. “It’s a good part and I would have tons of scenes, so that’s not really an issue. It’s just— I don’t know. I guess I really connect with Gabriel’s character. I relate to him a lot… probably more than I’d like to admit.”

“How so?” Buck asks, curious and enthralled by this guy. But then he comes to his senses and shakes his head. “Sorry, I don’t wanna be intrusive or anything.”

“It’s okay.” Eddie waves his concerns away, “I, uh, have a son. Christopher.” He licks his lips. "It's just him and I, you know? His mom— Well, she didn't die and she certainly wasn't murdered." Eddie chuckles uncomfortably. "But sometimes it does feel like I'm being haunted by her ghost." He swallows thickly and shrugs again. "Reading of Gabriel and his journey? I guess it made me feel less alone." 

There's a beat of silence where Buck doesn't know what to say. Usually he's great with words— that's kinda his job, after all. But he doesn't know now, wanting to comfort Eddie but knowing that's impossible. They're strangers, they barely know each other, Buck is lying to him, there are no existent words that could make Eddie's situation any better. Take your pick. 

"I'm really sorry, man." It's what Buck says in the end, the words feeling pathetic and lame as they come out. 

"It is what it is." Eddie shrugs. "I really think I could do this, y'know? Bring Gabriel to life." He grimaces. "Sorry, I'm kinda dumping all of this in you." 

"It's okay. Since I'm your crazy stalker, all of this information is fascinating to me." He jokes. 

Eddie fixes him with a stare, "He, ha. You're so funny."

"Seriously, though. I promise I won't sell any of this to TMZ or anything."

"They'd probably pay you shit anyway." Eddie smirks. 

"Going back to your audition, I think you would make an amazing Gabriel." Buck says genuinely. 

"Really?" 

"Yeah. You really understand the character and from what I've seen, you're a great actor." Buck smiles. "They'd be fools not to choose you."

He is being honest about that. After all, he might sit for the auditions and he might have some notes but the final decision will be out of his hands. 

"I wonder if the author will be there." Eddie mutters, his fingers sliding through the pages of his used book. It looks very loved, with some of the pages twisted at the edges and the cover a little worse for wear. "No one has ever seen him, I think. No one knows who he is. The mystery is kinda killing me, not gonna lie." 

Buck swallows hard. "Oh yeah?" 

"Yeah. My Abuela— she's also a fan of the books. And so are my sisters. We sometimes talk about it, who it could be." 

"Do you have any theories?" 

"Not really? My Abuela thinks it's this telenovela actor but she also thinks he can do no wrong and that he's perfect, like he shits rainbows or something." Eddie rolls his eyes, but his voice is dripping with fondness. "I doubt it's him." 

"Yeah, probably not. Any other suspects?"

"Well, my younger sister Sophia is convinced the author is actually the cashier at the grocery store around her house, she swears up and down the guy is this secret genius that has the entire series planned out on his phone? Don't ask me why she thinks that." Eddie shakes his head.

"My older sister, Adriana, thinks it's her husband. But she's also kinda insane and her husband is… well, I don't wanna be mean but I doubt he could write a series as good as A Web of Lies and Bones. He sometimes just needs time alone in his studio— I think? I grew up with Adriana and I can understand why he would lock himself there sometimes." 

Eddie rambles, a little self conscious but not wanting to stop. Buck is listening with so much attention— Eddie's just met him, but the focus of the guy makes him want to keep talking, makes him want to stay in that moment for as long as possible. 

Buck laughs. "Your family sure is something else." He tilts his head to the side, resting it against the seat of the plane. "And what do you think?" 

Eddie shrugs. "I don't think it's anyone famous or anything like that. They probably chose to stay in anonymity for a reason. But that doesn't stop me from being curious, of course." 

"That's valid." 

"You wanna hear something funny?" 

Buck grins. "Always." 

"For a while I was convinced the author was one of my son's teachers. Mr. Miller." Eddie chuckles. "I would ask him the strangest questions at teacher-parent conferences, trying to catch him in a lie. The poor man didn't know what I was doing." He shakes his head. "Once I even tried snooping through his desk. Got caught and was sent to the principal's office." Eddie grimaces and Buck laughs. "Not my finest moment, I'll admit." 

Eddie still remembers the expression in Mr. Miller's face, how terrified the poor man was of Eddie. He also had to transfer Chris to another class, his son dying of embarrassment. It was a whole thing that Eddie wishes he could forget. 

"That's hilarious, actually. You should tell that story at your audition, I'm sure the author will love that."

"He'll probably think I'm a crazy stalker." 

"Oh, wouldn't that be ironic?" Buck bites down a smile. He flexes his fingers, stretching his tense joints. He really should be working on his next book, should be finishing loose plot points or maybe even thinking of new ideas for the fourth installment. 

Talking to Eddie it's so much more entertaining, though. And more interesting and funnier and just— better, Buck guesses. 

"Besides, you're like— pretty famous, right? I'm sure this is just a formality." 

Eddie makes a gesture with his hand, as if saying 'so, so.' 

"I wouldn't be so sure. I've never played a part like this. All my characters have been there for my looks or sometimes comedic timing. This would be the first, real serious big role of my career." Eddie sighs. "And I really want this, you know? Gabriel is smart and fierce, witty and interesting and has depth to him. He's not perfect, of course, but he grows and he learns and he transforms. Playing him not only would be an honor, but it could completely change my career as I know it." 

"If it helps you in anything, I heard the author is kinda easy. Bat your pretty eyelashes at him and he'll be at your feet." Buck mutters, feeling bad about lying now but being in too deep to do anything now. 

Eddie squints his eyes at him. "How do you know that?" 

"I, uh…" He blinks. Fuck. 

Think, Buckley. Think. 

"I work at an editorial. One of my colleagues knows him. He's not that bad or an asshole, trust me. You'll be fine." 

"Huh." Eddie nods slowly. "Okay." He looks back down. "I probably should review the script and my notes, before we land." 

"Oh yeah, don't let me keep you from that." Buck rushes out. 

Eddie gives him one last smile before he gets the script out of his back. Out of the corner of his eye, Buck can see a bunch of lines highlighted in neon green and notes on the margins, not to mention some post it notes here and there. 

Buck is kinda curious to see Eddie's notes. What did he add? Why are there so many notes? 

Buck's read the script himself and had some notes of his own, but he's the author. He's the creator of the story, so it makes sense for him to have notes, right? 

He's buzzing with reckless energy, vibrating with curiosity. Despite barely knowing the guy, Buck finds himself wanting to know him. Wanting to have access to Eddie's mind, to his thoughts and musings. 

Would he like the third book Buck's working on? Would he feel disappointed by the, frankly, predictable ending so far? 

Buck should definitely focus on that, working on a better ending for the third book and open enough to make people excited for the fourth and last installment but his mind is coming up blank, and he's too paranoid.

What if Eddie reads over his shoulder and finds out Buck it's actually the author? 

Would that be that bad anyway?

Yeah, he's too far into it now. 

He'll find out eventually, an annoying voice inside of him reminds him. 

Not yet, though. 

Eddie keeps quiet, flipping through the script to reread certain scenes, and Buck catches himself watching the guy mouth the words noiselessly.  It's enthralling, and he can almost figure out what scene specifically he's reading. 

Yeah, Buck's staring, definitely. Probably like the crazy stalker Eddie first accused him of, but he can't help it! 

Now that he's thought about it, Buck can't imagine anyone else for Gabriel than Eddie. He's perfect for the character and well, he's also easy on the eyes, sue him. 

Every once in a while, Eddie would open the book and flip to a page with surprising accuracy, to reference the script with the original source, and then he’d add a few more notes in the margins.

Buck can't help but to smile.

The idea of his book becoming a movie has been terrifying at first. He's seen some of the atrocities out there— don't even get him started on Eragon or Oercy Jackson. 

And while he would admit that he is already impressed with the production team for even bringing him aboard to help keep the integrity of the book as they transformed it for the big screen, he is still apprehensive about the whole endeavor. 

He doesn't want his series to suffer the same awful fate as the others, and doesn't want it to become a joke or a meme. Doesn't want people to brush his books and the stories he's spent so long building up off just because the movie didn't meet the expectations. 

But looking at Eddie? How passionate he is in his craft, how much care he's already putting into the character, how gently he is handling it? Buck feels hope. 

Because yes, Gabriel is fierce and smart and interesting, he's flawed and a great father, but also stubborn and a little too skeptical for his own good, on occasions. Buck doesn't know Eddie that well but he can't see anyone else bringing the character to life. 

It's Eddie. 

Buck sighs and looks down at his notebook. He might as well work on his other ideas. He doesn't want to keep staring and make it weird, after all. 

He goes to a blank page and starts writing down loose thoughts he's had for another book series. This time a fantasy, thinking it might be a fun challenge. 

Maddie always had a thing for telling him stories about dragons and brave knights with magical swords. Maybe Buck could write an ode to those stories he heard from her when he was little. 

They both work in silence and Buck is surprised to see how much he gets done. Working next to Eddie is just as peaceful as if he were inside his favorite coffee shop, from here he can even smell a hint of the guy's cologne— woodsy and with sprinkles of citrics. 

Soon, they're flight is almost coming to an end. The flight attendant reminds everyone to fasten their seatbelts over the speaker. The noise makes both Buck and Eddie gaze up from their works. Seeing as Eddie straightens in his seat, Buck quickly closes his notebook and puts it inside his handbag. 

"Feel ready for your audition?" 

"Yeah, I think so." Eddie runs a hand through his hair and stretches in his place, his shirt lifting up the slightest bit and gracing Buck with the smallest sight of tan skin. 

He swallows hard and looks away. 

And the  realization hits him— 

They'll see each other again at the audition. Buck stops and takes a deep breath, suddenly anxious and nervous.  

Eddie raises an eyebrow inquisitively. "Are you okay, man?" 

"Yeah, just—" Buck huffs. "Remembered something." 

"What?" 

"It's not important. I'm okay." He shakes his shoulders, trying to let loose and relax himself. 

It's okay. They barely know each other, surely Eddie won't be mad. 

And even if he is, why does Buck care so much? Why is he already so affected by the idea of what this man might think of him?

So many questions, so little answers. 

The flight attendants call their attention to the plane’s descent and both Eddie and Buck quickly repack their bags and return their tables to the upright position.  

In a matter of a few short moments, the plane has landed safely on the ground and they are taxiing toward the landing gate. 

“Hey, so I’m really glad you didn’t turn out to be a creepy stalker.” Eddie says, turning to face him in the final moments aboard the airplane. "I, uh, really enjoyed talking to you." 

Buck grins, bashfully. "Me too. And hey! Maybe I lied and I am actually a creepy stalker. You've fallen into my trap, that was the plan all along. I've seduced you into a false sense of safety." He crunches up his nose and shakes his head. "You know what, that was funnier in my head but in reality it sounded really weird and psychotic. Please forget I ever said that." 

Eddie laughs. "You're a dork." 

"I've been told worse. Your words don't hurt me, Diaz." Buck shoots him an easy smile, even though he's yelling at himself inside. God, he really is an idiot. 

Stupid, stupid, stupid. 

"So… this is goodbye, I guess." Eddie says awkwardly, looking around, at the people leaving the plane.

"Uh, I know you're famous and even though I was totally joking, I could be a creepy stalker, so, like—" Buck licks his suddenly dry lips. "It's okay if you say no, I would totally understand it. But, uh—" 

"Yeah, I'll give you my number." Eddie cuts him off, smiling soft and careful. His eyes glisten with something that Buck can't quite decipher. "I probably shouldn't, you're right. But— I trust you." 

That's— that means more to Buck than it should, probably. "Okay," he says anyway, and pulls out his phone from his bag. 

"Is that, uh— is that your girlfriend?" Eddie asks, a weird edge to his voice, as he glances at the home screen picture of Buck and Maddie, in one of their many Buckley's nights. 

Maddie is very visibly pregnant and smiling at the camera, as Buck kisses her cheek. 

"Oh, God, no! No!" Buck shakes his head, feeling grossed out at just the mere idea of being confused as Maddie's boyfriend. "No. No" He says, finality in his voice. "She's my sister. My married, pregnant sister." He clarifies, just in case Eddie likes her and expects Buck to be a wingman or something. 

That would be a nightmare. 

They exchange numbers and then Eddie grins at him. "I'll let you know if I get the part?" 

Buck ducks his head and smiles bashfully at the ground, "I don't know," he looks up again at Eddie. "I have a good feeling about this. I think you'll get it." 

Again, Buck really doesn't have the final say on that decision. But he'll strongly recommend Eddie for the part and hope for the best."

"I hope you're right." 

Buck follows him off the plane, and as soon as they part ways, he wonders how Eddie will react when he sees Buck sooner than he expected. 

Guess he'll find out in a couple hours. 

–

When Eddie gets to his hotel room, the first thing he does is power up his laptop. He ignores the scripts his agent has sent— he's only interested in one movie at the moment, anyway— and he immediately opens up the skype app. 

"Hey, Soph." Eddie greets his sister once her face shows on screen. His voice is hoarse and he can tell he sounds tired, so Sophia is immediately frowning with concern.

"You didn't rest on the plane like I told you to do?" 

"You know I'm older than you, right? You're not supposed to be scolding me like I'm a kid." 

"Then stop acting like one." Sophia rolls her eyes and Eddie remembers now why he asked Adriana first to take care of Chris. 

"Yeah, yeah. Is Chris okay?" 

"He's playing with his cousins. Relax, bro." Eddie can see Sophia folding laundry as they speak and he sighs. "Anyway, are you ready for your audition? How was your flight? Have you called mom and dad yet?" 

"Jesus Christ, Soph,one at the time, would you?" 

Sophia only smirks at him and Eddie has to resist the urge to close the laptop on her face. Siblings really can be a pain in the ass. 

"Yeah, I'm ready for my audition. Know my lines perfectly, could recite them in my sleep." He says, "My flight was alright, I met this guy, we talked. It was nice." He says quickly and rushes to keep talking, hoping Sophia won't zero in on that bit of information. "Haven't talked to mom and dad yet, I'll call them later." 

"Wait, wait— Hold on. Go back to the part where you met a guy." Sophia is suddenly all up in front of the camera, so close that Eddie can see the little pimple on his right temple and every freckle on her nose. "Did you give him his number? What's his name? What does he do for a living? Are you guys going on a date?" 

"Seriously, Soph. Stop with so many questions." Eddie frowns at the screen. "You're like a drill Sergeant. Also, step away from the screen, I'm begging you. I can see your nostrils." He scrunches up his nose, grimacing in disgust. 

"So…? Are you guys going on a date? What's this guy's name?" 

"He's Buck." 

"What kind of name is Buck? " Sophia shakes her head. "What's his real name?" 

And Eddie— 

Well, he can't really answer that, can he? 

"I, uh, don't know. He didn't say." He shrugs. "It was a short flight." 

"Okay… what does he do?" 

"Uh, I think he works at a publishing agency." Eddie says. Buck said that, right? He had a colleague who knows about Daniel E. Buckley's secret identity, because he works at a publishing company. 

Right? 

Yeah, Eddie is pretty sure that's right. 

Sophia looks skeptical now, way less excited than a few seconds ago. Some dread starts to slip in between the cracks inside Eddie's heart. 

"And… does he know who you are?" 

"Yeah, he recognized me almost immediately." Eddie answers and then— yeah, okay. He knows how stupid and bad that sounds. "Sophie—" 

"Eddie," Sophia sighs. "This guy sounds—" 

The alarm going off from his phone cuts her off. Eddie glances at the screen and reads the reminder that his audition is close and he should be leaving in a few minutes. 

"Listen, Soph. I don't have time to do this right now. Can you put Chris on, so I can talk to him before my audition?" 

"Alright, but this isn't over, Edmundo." She points a warning finger at him. "We will talk more about this mystery guy of yours." 

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." 

Sophia calls for Christopher and a few minutes later his son is taking the majority of the screen. All the worries about strangers and Buck and stupid auditions fade away, as he smiles at his son. 

"Hey, mijo! Te estás portando bien? Are you having a good time with Auntie Soph?" 

"Yeah! Alex is pretty cool and he let me play with him and some of his friends from school." Chris is talking excitedly and a slight ache takes place in Eddie's chest. God, he really wishes he could be there. 

"That's awesome, bud!" 

"I miss you, though. When are you coming back?" 

"Uh, it depends on how the audition goes. If I get a callback I might need to stay for a couple of weeks. And if I get the part we'll probably have to move." He frowns. "Is that okay?" 

"Yeah, I know that's your job." Chris rolls his eyes, as if it's the most obvious thing on the planet, there's no resentment nor annoyance in his voice. If anything, just some exasperated fondness. "And L.A is cool. Maybe I could learn to surf?' He asks hopefully, his eyebrows raising and a small grin lifting up the corner of his lips. 

Eddie chuckles weakly. "We'll see. Let's not get ahead of ourselves, alright?" He looks at the clock on the corner bottom of the screen and sighs. "I have to go now but I'll call you soon, okay? I love you." 

"Love you, dad." 

"Te amo. Take care and listen to your aunt." Eddie says again, sending kisses until the screen turns black.

Eddie sighs again, looking around the hotel room. If everything goes okay, he might spend the next few weeks there. 

He really hopes everything works out. 

He also kinda hopes to see Buck again. 

He checks his phone, foolishly hoping for a text that isn't there and he shakes his head, trying to push the thoughts of electric blue eyes and golden blonde curls away from him. 

He needs to focus on this audition. 

He needs to win over the production team and whoever this mystery author is. 

Thoughts of Buck will have to wait. 

–

Eddie walks into the building, remembering what his agent had sent him via email. The director and producer, Howard Han and Athena Grant would be there and Eddie knows they want to do this project justice, and want to bring Daniel Buckley's stories to life. 

For what he knows, Eddie's agent had to call in a lot of favors to get him this audition. Only a few people have the honor to come here and, allegedly, also get to meet the author. He thinks. 

He's not sure if it's a rumor or an actual fact. 

Eddie rounds a corner and finds himself in a long hallway. There's a few guys already waiting— some of them Eddie recognizes from other projects and some of them are complete strangers. 

He takes a deep breath and sits down on the far corner to the right, making himself comfortable to wait for as long as he needs to. 

The audition process has always been a little nerve-wracking— having to sit there and watch as guy after guy goes in and goes out. Wondering if the production team and the casting directors have already made their decision and Eddie is just wasting time and space. Wondering if he'll be good enough or pretty enough, or talented enough. 

He doesn't know how long he sits there, maybe half an hour. Maybe more. But before he knows it, a door is opening and someone's calling his name. 

"Eddie Diaz?" 

Eddie stands up and smiles politely at the stage assistant, walking towards her.

"That's me."

"They're waiting for you, come on." 

And then Eddie is walking through the door, nervousness and excitement and a little bit of fear washing over him. His stomach is swooping and whirling all over the place and his heart is thumping erratically..

He looks up, meeting the gaze of Howard Hand and Athena Grant, smiling at them. He thinks he auditioned for a project of theirs a few years back but he can't quite remember. 

Then, he slowly turns to the person next to them, anticipation sizzling inside of him. He'll finally— 

What the actual fuck. 

No, seriously. 

What. The. Hell. 

Sitting beside Howard and Athena, is no other than the cute plane guy that's been invading Eddie's thoughts for half a day. Those electric blue eyes staring at him with something close to shame and regret, if Eddie were to guess. 

Buck. 

Eddie blinks but the vision doesn't fade. This is not a dream, nor a nightmare. 

Buck is in front of him. 

Buck, who let Eddie ramble about a book and a mystery author like an idiot. 

Buck, who is the mystery author. 

Buck is there and Eddie is not sure how to react or how to feel or what to say. 

He's confused. A little bit mad. A little bit like he wants to punch the guy in his stupid face. A little bit like he's freaking out and probably tanking his audition. 

A million questions flood his brain. 

"Whenever you're ready, Eddie." Howard says, but Eddie is frozen in place, his eyes not straining away from Buck. 

"Eddie?" Athena asks and Eddie finally manages to look away from those stupid, hypnotizing blues. 

"Uh, yeah. Sorry." He mutters and shakes his head. Eddie feels blindsided. 

Yeah, that's the word. That's it. 

Fucking blindsided. He remembers how he talked about the books, the personal details that he shared with buck as the man probably just laughed at him. 

Oh God, the story of Eddie stalking that poor professor. That was embarrassing and probably made everything ten times funnier for Buck. 

"Why don't you start reading for Gabriel? Scene 6, when he's being interrogated by the police for the murder of his wife?" That's Buck speaking, his eyes squinting and lighting up with something unreadable. His lips lift up the slightest, in a weak but careful smile. 

Eddie doesn't know what games he's playing or what his aim is, but he can't afford to just yell at him in the middle of the audition. He still needs this, wants this more than anything. 

So he just nods and faces Howard and Athena, refusing to give Buck the satisfaction to face him. To let him know how affected by this Eddie truly is. 

"Yeah, okay." Eddie says and takes a deep breath. 

When he first read the scene in the book, he'd been lost in the story from the very first word. He'd been devouring the pages every chance he got, and this particular scene had been one of his favorites. 

When he got the script, he was glad they kept it as intact as possible. 

"I have two jobs. Being a firefighter and being a dad to my kid. That's it." Eddie speaks the words that Buck wrote, and in that moment he feels like he's the character. He feels connected to Buck in a way he doesn't particularly like but that's inevitable, in a way the sun inevitably rises every morning or in the way that the sky is blue. "I'm not a murderer." He mutters, the words falling from his lips strained and full of emotion. "I loved her! I— I tried making it work— I was trying!" He looks at the people in front of him, desperation and grief dripping from every cell in his body. "I was trying." He says, this time barely above a whisper. 

He's always felt a little bit silly auditioning on his own— He finds it easier to get into character when he's dressed like it, when he has someone to engage with in the way you do with a scene partner. But still, Eddie gives it his all in this audition, really putting himself in the mindset he imagines Gabriel would be in in this scene. 

He speaks every word as if he's experiencing it in real life. And when he finally turns to Buck, despites all of his efforts to ignore the man, he delivers the last piece of dialogue with everything in him— "If you're gonna waste your time calling me a liar, then I'll find the killer on my own. I'll be whoever she needs me to be to bring her peace. I'll do your job, since apparently you can't be bothered." He sneers. 

That's the end of the scene and then the police are supposed to let him go, not having enough evidence to convict him— Eddie blinks the tears away and smiles weakly at Howard and Athena. 

"That was amazing. We'll definitely stay in touch and think thoroughly before making a decision." Howard says what every casting director ever says after an audition and Eddie nods accordingly. 

"Thank you for allowing me to audition. Have a nice day." He says, almost on autopilot. 

Buck is still looking at him in a way Eddie doesn't really understand— too intense, too much. Eddie feels oddly vulnerable, wanting to be seen by him but also wanting to hide away and he just can't deal with any of that right now. His head is a mess and he's strangely emotional after that audition, not really knowing why. 

Maybe it's because the scene almost reminds him of Shannon— The powerlessness he feels every time he thinks of her, even if she's very much not dead. The grief he still feels for the younger version of them, when they were too dumb and naive and couldn't even imagine what their future would be like. Maybe it's the throat gripping fear that Gabriel feels of failing his child and that Eddie can relate to, every single second of the day. 

Maybe it's the way he feels like an idiot, a stupid fool in front of Buck. 

Maybe it's a combination of all of these things, together. 

What the hell? It's the thought that keeps repeating inside his head. 

–

When the idea of Buck's book becoming a movie was first put on the table, it had been Chimney's idea, his brother in law. 

Buck remembers that dinner and how they came pretty close to punching each other— Chimney wanting to make the movie and bring Buck's characters into the big screen and Buck wanting to rip his eyes out with his bare hands at the mere thought of it, not wanting his books and his stories to become a cinematic joke. 

But then Athena, Bobby's wife and one of the best producers in the industry, hopped on the project. And soon enough everyone in Buck's life was making very good points, asking Buck to trust them. 

So he did. 

And it's been pretty cool so far, he has to admit. 

Except for right now, when Chim and Athena are looking at him like they want to eat him alive. 

"What did you do to that poor guy?" 

"He looked like he wanted to kill you, for a second there." Chimney frowns. 

Buck can't help but to  huckle weakly. That's not entirely false, he guesses.

"I met him on the plane, on my way here." He says. "I might have not been completely truthful about my identity, while he talked about how much he liked my book. Or that he was going to audition." Buck shrugs. "In hindsight, I could've handled that better and I feel pretty bad about it, but I'm just— I guess I'm not used to—" Buck licks his lips. "I don't know, telling anyone that I wrote those books, y'know?" 

"Okay, fine— We'll talk about that later." Chimney stirs them away from the conversation. "For now, what are your thoughts?" 

"Well, I know you guys will make the final decision and I'm probably a little biased… but I really love Eddie as Gabriel. He just— He gets the characters, and treats him with the care and seriousness he deserves." Buck raises an eyebrow and squints an eye at them. "Does that make sense?" 

"Yeah, I can see what you mean and I agree." Athena speaks up, reading over her notes. "I also liked that Ravi boy? He's not as famous, but his audition was remarkable." 

Buck and Chimney nod and yeah, Buck can agree that Ravi had delivered the lines beautifully, and would make a great Gabriel. 

It doesn't feel quite right, though? Like it's a puzzle and Ravi might have a similar piece that, with some effort and perseverance, will fit, but it wouldn't be perfect. 

It wouldn't be the correct piece. 

They talk back and forth between Eddie and Ravi, the ones who stood up the most. 

"What about Jonah Greenway?" Chimney says, a grimace on his face. "He wasn't the best, sure, but he's a household name and he has been nominated for an Oscar twice. " He tilts his head and makes a balancing gesture with his hand. "It could attract a certain audience and fanbase that Ravi and Eddie don't have." 

"Eddie is pretty known, though." 

"Yeah, but most of his work is secondary characters. Or characters with not much of a substance." 

"He's been type-casted, clearly." Buck argues, feeling strangely defensive and protective of Eddie. "We saw his potential in this audition. He's not a bad actor, not even close. He could bring Gabriel to a whole different level that I just don't see Jonah Greenway capable of." 

"I'm just stating facts here, Buckley." Chimney smirks. "I don't have anything against your boyfriend, so keep the claws to yourself."

"Chim, I swear to God—" 

"Okay, boys. Let's focus." Athena cuts them both off. 

They keep discussing the rest of the auditions but none of the men stood up enough for them to be seriously considered for the part. 

Buck still can't help but to picture Eddie as Gabriel, knowing that from now on, everytime he writes, Eddie will be the one he'll be picturing in his head. 

He looks down at his phone and hesitates for a few seconds, before quickly typing a message. 

He waits with bated breath, Chimney and Athena's voices fading away until they're barely background noise. 

He waits and he waits. 

And then he sees the little two ticks at the bottom of his messages lighting up, indicating Eddie's opened the chat and read them.

He waits and waits, but no answer comes. He resigns himself to never hearing from Eddie Diaz again. Buck can only hope that maybe, Eddie will still say yes to the project, if he ends up getting the part. 

–

As it turns out, Buck gets to see Eddie sooner than he thought. Not even for a callback, but in the middle of a small and cozy bookshop in downtown L.A. 

The majority of the books there are used, well loved and worn out with time. The pages yellow and the covers covered in creases or dust. The place is not very popular— nor organized, for that matter. Every shelf brimming with books, too many for the shelves' size. And the smell, god, the smell. 

Sun warmed paper mixed with the lingering traces of coffee wafts through the whole store. It's a little piece of heaven, Buck thinks. Maybe not with the latest or most popular books, but with hidden treasures and beautiful stories, just waiting to be discovered. 

It's the last place he's been expecting to find Eddie, if he's being honest. But he can't say he's sad or mad about it. 

"Eddie, hey!" He says shyly, a little scared. "I, uh—" 

"Hey, Buck." Eddie turns to him, his lips pursed in a fine and displeased line. 

"I'm sorry, okay?" Buck breaks. He's texted Eddie a few more text messages the last few days, but those have been unanswered as well. "I should've told you who I was—"

"You shouldn't have, actually." Eddie cuts him off and okay, now Buck is really confused. 

Sending some mixed signals here, my guy. He thinks belatedly. 

"Look," Eddie sighs. "You and I? We're strangers. And just because I was stupid enough to ramble about my life story, doesn't mean you should've done the same. And I get wanting to keep the secret, wanting to preserve your privacy as much as you possibly can. I can't really resent you for that, can I?" 

"Right." Buck nods and blinks rapidly. Is this a dream? Is he dreaming? He must be dreaming, right? Because he thought he'd have to beg and gravel for Eddie's forgiveness. Although, he guesses the man is right. They are practically strangers and Buck didn't really owe him the truth. 

Still feels like he did something wrong, though. 

"Can we start over?" He asks tentatively, reaching a hesitant hand in sign of a truce. In sign, and in hopes, of a fresh start— a new opportunity. "Hi, I'm Evan Buckley and I wrote some best selling books, just so you know." 

Eddie eyes him for a few seconds, biting down a smile he's trying so hard to fight but that Buck can see peaking its way through anyway. 

"Alright, fine." The man rolls his eyes and Buck feels a weird sense of smugness and relief and something , starting to brew inside of him. Washing over him, slowly and steady. "I'm Eddie Diaz. And I really kinda hate you, but you're an alright author, I guess." He takes Buck's hands in his and their fingers linger a little more than they should. 

Buck blanches at his words. "Just alright? Eddie, you wound me." 

Eddie grins, teasing and so fucking insufferable. "I mean, you're okay." 

"Okay?! Eddie!" Buck dramatically rests a hand against his heart, as if Eddie just stabbed him with a knife or something. "I literally won a National Book Award and the US Weekly called me a must-read but okay? You call me ‘ okay’ ? Slander. Lies and slander!" 

"Bragging much?" 

“Alright, Big Shot.” Buck rolls his eyes. “Say what you want, but I remember someone gushing about how awesome and amazing me and my books are.”

“Nuh uh.” Eddie tsks. “We’re starting over, remember? That never happened.” Eddie raises an eyebrow. “I literally just met you, weirdo. Who even are you?”

“God, you’re such a little shit.” Buck laughs, disbelieving but not being able to hide his amusement. “What are you even doing here?”

“Well… you know how you’re not the only author in the world?”

“Mhmm, sounds kinda crazy but carry on…”

“I came to check some other books.” 

Buck smiles, “Do you take recommendations? I’m kind of an expert.”

“You are, huh?”

“I am. Every time I’m on L.A, I come here.” Buck admits. “It’s my favorite place. We actually had a place like this, close to my house growing up.” Buck says, something in him pushing him to share this little piece of himself with Eddie, wanting to be real and open and wanting the man to get to know him. Really know him. “It was a small and old book store, just like this one. Ran by this grumpy old lady, that was always giving me the stink eye.” Buck wrinkles his nose. 

“I can see you having that effect on people.” Eddie chimes in and Buck fixes him with a stare. 

“You’re on thin fucking ice, man.” He says, pointing a finger at Eddie. “Anyway, as I was saying before I was rudely interrupted… It was this amazing place. After my sister moved out, I would go there everyday and just hide in a corner to read. I’d read pretty much anything I could get my hands on.”

“Like what?” Eddie asks, and he seems to be genuinely interested in what Buck has to say, so he keeps talking. 

“Science books, mystery books, thrillers, romances. You name it.” Buck grins. “It was just, I don’t know.” He shrugs. “A safe place, I guess.”

He takes Eddie to the mystery and thriller section first, recommending some of Buck’s all time favorites. Then Buck makes his way through the romance section, the fantasy section, without even realizing or caring about the passage of time. 

Buck spies one of the books he’s been looking for before he ran into Eddie and his fingers are moving towards the spine to tip the book out of its spot before he can help himself. "God, I've been dying to reread this book for ages but I lost my edition and haven't been able to find it anywhere." 

The book it's not very popular but it's one of Buck's favorites, the prose so beautiful and sad and tragic, he cries everytime he reads it. 

Buck tells Eddie about the book, how he first found the story and how he devoured the pages in just two days. He tells Eddie about his favorite authors, explains why some stories are closer to his heart than others. He holds books in his hands, going through the pages and letting Eddie lean against him, reading over his shoulder as his warm breath fans against Buck’s neck, leaving goosebumps in its wake. In turn, Eddie offers whispered confessions and snippets of precious information— like some of the books he remembers from his childhood, some of the stories he reads to Chris to put him to bed. HHe tells Buck more about his sisters and some of the craziest things he’s seen working on Hollywood.  They get to know each other a little better, sharing embarrassing anecdotes and starting to create silly private jokes, locking eyes in between shelves of books and fingers lingering in old and dusty pages. 

They spend hours in that little book store, forgetting about the world and everyone else. Buck thinks he's never felt this comfortable with someone, this fast.

Of course, he's had his fair share of relationships and he's even been in love more than once (not that he's already in love with Eddie. That would be too fast, too much, too reckless, even for him.) 

But he can tell Eddie Diaz is someone special. 

He hopes he gets to have more of him, and know more of him. 

Buck just— 

He hopes. 

–

When they finally step out of that little book store the sky is dark and there's only a few people outside. 

"There's a place close by, the food is pretty good." He turns to him  and gives him another of his tentative smiles. "You wanna have dinner?" 

"Yeah, I'm starving." Eddie grins back. "I could go for some dinner. Even if it's with you." He says, shoving Buck by the shoulder. Teasing and playful. 

"Damn, Diaz. The hits keep coming and coming." 

"Oh God, shut up." 

They walk the few blocks that take them to get to the place—strings of red, white, and green bulbs drop lozenges of light onto the street below. There's red-checkered tablecloths on the sidewalk and colorful mariachi hats stuck in the windows. They pass a quiet spot on the corner, where a lone man is stacking up plastic chairs for the night.

“Here it is," he says. It seems like they're about to close but the man assures them they'll be open for at least one more hour. 

They choose a table in the far back corner of the place, private enough that it's not likely they'll get interrupted by a fan asking for a picture with Eddie or anything. 

The waiter is nice, she greets them and tells Eddie "Hey, you look like that actor! From the Top Gun last movie?" And Buck laughs, as he watches Eddie stummer through a clumsy sentence, saying she must have gotten him confused. 

"It was a really good movie." 

"I had like four good scenes and in all of them I'm shirtless." 

"Nothing wrong with that." Buck smirks. "Like I said, it was a good movie." 

"Can I ask you something?"  Eddie blurts. 

"Shoot," Buck nods, pushing the plate of nachos towards Eddie. "What's up?"

"Why Daniel Buckley? You clearly kept your last name, so…" Eddie frowns. This is a question he's been asking himself since he pretty much found out who Buck really was. "Why not change everything?" 

A few beats of silence drag out. Very briefly, Buck's smile dims, and Eddie's stomach drops with it. "He was my older brother," he says. "He died when I was one year old. I never got to meet him.” Buck's shoulder jerks. “I didn't even know about him until I was eighteen. I was discussing some possible fake names with my agent Bobby and I guess that felt right. A way for me to have him with me, even if I never met him.” Buck gazes up at him. "Does that make sense?" 

Eddie blinks rapidly and swallows thickly, having to resist the urge to hug Buck and never let him go. "Yeah, that makes perfect sense. And it's a beautiful gesture, Buck." He says, genuine and soft. 

"Thanks." 

Eddie wants to ask about Buck's parents, about why they didn't tell him about his brother. He thinks there's more to it than Buck is letting on, but he also doesn't want this night to turn sour. He wants to see Buck smile and light up, wants to make him laugh and feel that rush of pride and satisfaction everytime he does. 

"You wanna know how I started my career as an actor?" 

"Oh, this is gonna be so good." Buck perks up, straightening up on his seat. "You were in a drama club, weren't you? I bet you were a theater kid. I can just see it. You're kind of an asshole like that." 

"Um, full offense to that." Eddie throws a piece of nacho at him. "And I mean, yeah and no. I always wanted to act in that abstract sense? Like, I would sit in the living room with my Abuela and watch telenovelas with her and wonder how it would be to act in one of them, y'know?" Eddie smiles, his eyes distant as if he's lost in a memory. "My Abuela would always encourage me, of course. Telling me how handsome I was and that I would be perfect. But I never really took her seriously and it wasn't like— I don't know. It was just a fantasy, right?" 

"Right." Buck piles jalapenos onto a corn chip and takes a bite, his cheeks full with food and some sauce dropping down his chin. It's a little gross, in a charming way. "And then what happened?" He asks after he chews most of his food. 

"Well, I was really into baseball and I was hoping to make a professional career out of it. I was Captain of my team and my parents weren't thrilled at the idea, but they supported me." Eddie wrinkles his nose. "Kinda." 

Eddie thinks maybe they were waiting for him to fail. 

Which, he did. 

"But at a game, I hurt my shoulder. Pretty badly." Eddie winces. "And I had to kiss my baseball career." 

"So, then you decided you might give acting a chance?" 

"Well… I had a lot of free time in my hands and I had just started dating my high school girlfriend. Shannon— she's also Chris' mom, by the way." Eddie sighs. "She was in drama club and at first I joined because I had nothing else to do and because she kinda asked me too. And then I found out I really enjoyed it and that I was good. So— that's my story, I guess." 

"I like it. You found your place in the end." Buck smirks. "And by the way, I'm definitely picturing a younger you in some ridiculous costume. Please tell me your sisters have photos."

"Oh, they have so many embarrassing pictures of me. But you can't see them. I refuse." 

"Boo, buzzkill." 

"What about you? What did you do in high school?" 

"Uh, so many things." Buck shakes his head. "I was kinda all over the place. I joined the football team but my couch kicked me out after I got into a fight with another dude. Then I tried playing the drums in the marching band. For a month." Buck grimaces. "I joined the basketball team, but turns out you need more than just being tall for you to be good at it. Then I got a pair of nonprescription horn-rim glasses and joined the newspaper. And that was only sophomore year.”

"Wow, that's—" Eddie chuckles. "That's a lot."

"I also joined the boxing team for a couple months, that lasted a while. But, uh—" His smile dims again and Eddie hates it a little bit. "My parents didn't really like it. My mom freaked out after a big fight and made me quit the team."

"That sucks." 

"Yeah, she was weird like that. Like, she never really paid attention to me unless I was hurt or whatever." Buck huffs out a bitter laugh. "Go figure the one time I was really enjoying something, she would freak out." 

"Sounds hard." Eddie says lamely. He doesn't know what else to say, which words could bring comfort to Buck. 

"It was, but it's okay. Families are hard, right?" Buck offers him a tight, strained smile. "I also joined a drama club but it wasn't really my thing. I lasted only a week there at the beginning of my junior year."

"I would pay so much money to see that." 

"Shut up." Buck smiles, this time a little more genuine. "I settled down… eventually." 

"Yeah, sure." Eddie mockingly frowns and nods. "Sure you did, bud." 

Before Buck could come up with a witty retort to that, his phone starts going off. He glances at the screen and rolls his eyes. 

"It's just Bobby, my agent." Buck waves it away, declining the call. "He's been on my ass about this stupid deadline." He sighs 

"For your third book?" He takes a sip from his beer.

"Yeah." Buck says ruefully. "It's almost done. It's just— the ending is being a pain in my ass. I sent the rest of it already, but the editorial is really pushing for those final chapters." Buck exhales. "And I can't give them to them just yet."

"What's the current ending?" Eddie asks curiously, not being able to help himself. He's a fan of the books first and foremost, after all. "You're not killing Grabriel, are you?" 

"What?" Buck's eyes shoot to his. "No, of course not! It's not that. It's—" He pauses and then tilts his head. "Are you trying to make me tell you about the third installment before it's out?' 

"Hey, it was working." Eddie shrugs. "Can you even blame me? You kinda left the second book on a cliffhanger." 

"It is what it is, Edmundo. We can't all have what we want." Buck gives him a shit-eating smile. "I guess you'll just have to wait." 

Bobby calls him again and Buck rolls his eyes. 

"We probably should finish here, though. If I don't answer Bobby and tell him I'm working on my draft, he'll probably kill me." Buck frowns. "Or he'll have Athena kill me."

Eddie snorts, "Yeah okay, let's go." 

They walk out of the restaurant and Eddie tells him where his hotel is— which unfortunately it's on the opposite side from the place Buck is renting. 

"I, uh— I'll see you, I guess." 

"Yeah, maybe." Eddie frowns. "If I get the part, I guess."

"Even if you don't," Buck swallows, suddenly feeling nervous. Jesus, are his hands clammy? Why is his heart beating so fast all of the sudden? "Is it okay if I text you? I mean, hey! Play your cards right and I might even send you some stuff from my third book." Buck smiles, shakily and anxious, trying to joke and failing miserably at it.

Eddie blinks at him, something close to awe swimming in his eyes. Like he can't believe Buck still wants to spend time with him, still wants to get to know him. 

"Yeah, okay. Sure." Eddie nods. "We'll talk, then." He reaches out at the last second, his hand coming to rest on Buck's shoulder, squeezing just the tiniest bit and his fingers lingering for a few seconds. 

It almost feels like the start of something sacred, of something bigger than just an acquaintance or a possible work relationship. It feels hopeful and more than Buck ever thought he’d find after taking a stupid flight to L.A.