Work Text:
Firehose : Hey
Tex: Hi
Firehose : Oh wow I didn’t think you’d reply
I thought you were a bot
Tex: There are robots on here??
Firehose : Idk actually
Not a fan of robots?
Tex: Hate them
Don’t trust them
Firehose : Smart
They’re allllways watching 👀
Tex: Wait are you the robot?
Firehose : Beepboop
Tex: You don’t have many pictures, I’d believe it
Firehose : Says you
Tex: If I don’t trust the robots I definitely don’t trust an app with photos of my face
Firehose : Personally thankful that you trust it with photos of your abs 🫡
Tex: Says you
Firehose : Oh yeah?
Tex: Yeah
Firehose : I could send you some more 👀
Sorry was that too much
Im rusty
And also kind of new
Not at dating
Or dating apps
Or like hookup apps I guess
But the men part
Not that I’m new new I had a boyfriend
I don’t currently obviously
Not that there’s anything wrong with that if you’re poly or open or whatever
Just not for me
Sorry jesus that’s so many messages
Tex: Hey no worries man, this is new for me too
All of it, actually
Firehose : So I did spook you with the photos thing?
Tex: Not really
I thought you were gonna send a dick pic
I’ve never seen so many dicks against my will in my life
Firehose : Right?
It’s so different from messaging with women
I’m not against it but it’s not really what I’m looking for these days
Tex: What are you looking for?
Firehose : More than sex, ideally
You?
Tex: I don’t even know man
Just trying to figure myself out
Firehose : I get that
Tex: Don’t think I’m really a meaningless sex with a stranger kinda guy though, so it’s proving difficult
Firehose : Do you mind me asking what you’re figuring out? Maybe I can help as someone who was recently in your shoes
Tex: I wouldn’t even know where to begin
I’ve had a really shitty year
Past few years really
Firehose : Sorry to hear that dude
Tex: Yeah
Don’t know if it was rock bottom but pretty fucking close
And it made me rethink some things
Or everything really
Firehose : Like your sexuality?
Tex: Yeah I guess
Firehose : Well it’s always great to learn new things about yourself
Tex: It’s hard to learn anything when I’m too chicken shit to do anything about it
Firehose : You’re talking to me
Tex: And I bet this is the least sexy chat youve ever taken part in
Firehose : Hey, vulnerability is sexy
Tex: I appreciate your attempts to pretend this is a normal way to act on a hookup app
Firehose : I’m serious man
I’ve had my fair share of hookups
I’d rather hear about your self discovery journey any day
Tex: Oh
That’s actually very sweet
Now I kind of wish I hadn’t told you how shit my life is atm
Firehose : No judgement here dude
I’m a certified mess
Tex: Can you overshare something to make this less embarrassing?
Firehose : Absolutely
I’m telling people I downloaded this app to get over my ex but really I realized I have feelings for my straight best friend
Tex: Oh that’s rough dude I’m sorry
Firehose : Was that too much of an overshare? I probably shouldn’t have told you that
He’s very straight though
Tex: No that was great thank you
Sorry about your friend being straight though
Firehose : It’s okay, I feel really lucky to have him in my life at all
I’m sure it’ll pass
He’s like my platonic soulmate I think
Tex: He sounds great
Firehose : Do you believe in soulmates?
Tex: I don’t
My friends would tell you I’m a skeptic
Firehose : Ah yes I know one of those
I hope that one day you meet someone who changes your mind
Tex: I think if I was going to believe in soulmates I already would
Firehose : Oh?
Tex: Platonically
Firehose : So a friend?
Tex: Yeah
Firehose : A straight friend?
Tex: No. Why does that matter?
Firehose : Just interesting!
Tex: What does that mean?
Firehose : Tell me about them
Tex: He’s my best friend
Firehose : Good start
Tex: What else do you want to know?
Firehose : Just tell me about him
Tex: He’s ridiculous and wonderful and I like who I am when I’m with him
Firehose : Ngl man sounds kinda gay
Tex: No he’s my best friend
Firehose : And?
Tex: And what?
Firehose : I’m kind of an expert on being in love with your best friend. Unfortunately being best friends does not make you exempt from having feelings for them
Tex: Don’t worry he can do much better than me
Firehose : You should tell him
Tex: I’m not doing that
Firehose : Do it for those of us whose best friends are straight man
Where’s the solidarity
Tex: I don’t think you’re supposed to be encouraging me to confess my feelings to other people
Firehose : Oh sorry should I be trying to send you dick pics instead
What can I say, I’m a romantic
Tex: Would you tell your friend if he wasn’t straight?
Firehose : I think I’d have to
I wouldn’t be able to hold it in
He’d be the love of my life
Tex: How do you know?
Firehose : He’s the best man I’ve ever met
He’s also so insanely hot you have no idea
Tex: What if it didn’t go well? It’s a lot to risk
Firehose : I don’t think I’d be able to live with myself if I didn’t try
If I thought I had even a 1% chance I’d probably tell him right now
And we’ve been through worse
I think we’d be okay
Guess it’s easier to say that when it’s just hypothetical though
Tex: Yeah
Firehose : Just seems like maybe if you don’t believe in soulmates but this guy kind of makes you believe in soulmates, it might be worth the risk?
Tex: Maybe
Told you I’m too chicken shit though
And i still don’t even know if I’m gay
Firehose : You’re attracted to him?
Tex: Yeah I think so
Firehose : And you’d want to hold his hand?
Tex: Yeah
Firehose : And suck his dick?
Tex: Jesus.
Firehose : ???
Tex: Yes. Hypothetically.
Firehose : Sounds like you’re pretty gay to me, man. Behind that, I don’t think the label really matters
Have you told him you’re struggling with this?
Tex: …
Firehose : Dude. There’s your in. You probably won’t even have to be the one to make the move.
Tex: Really?
Firehose : Yeah. If my best friend told me he was queer id have my tongue down his throat before he finished talking
(Respectfully)
Tex: Huh. What if he doesn’t think of me like that?
Firehose : Then he won’t stick his tongue down your throat I guess
Please update me
I need this
•
If you asked Eddie what he’d be doing at 11pm on a Thursday night, knocking on his best friend’s door because a stranger on a hookup app convinced him it’s a good idea would not be his first guess.
And yet —
Surprise washes over Buck’s face as he pulls the door open. Just briefly, but Eddie catches it. Almost instantly, it’s replaced with the sunshine grin Buck seems to reserve just for him.
“Hey!” Buck smiles. Eddie feels like he’s stepped into a sunny spot on a frigid day.
“Hi,” Eddie returns with a small smile, doing his best to hide the terror screaming through his body. “Can I come in?”
Buck cocks his head, and Eddie knows he’s seeing right through the facade. Still, Buck waves a hand towards the loft and steps aside.
“Of course. Everything good?”
He definitely hasn’t fooled him. He doesn’t even bother to turn around, heading straight to the couch and plonking down.
He feels Buck’s eyes on him the whole way, following a few steps behind him. He drops down beside him on the couch.
“I have to tell you something,” Eddie says, before he loses the nerve. “Well, no. I need your help. I need your help with something.”
Just about every emotion flickers across Buck’s face in a nanosecond, before landing on an open, supportive smile.
“Anything, man,” he nods. “Anything.”
Eddie takes in a big breath, and takes the risk.
“I’m having a sexuality crisis,” he admits.
It’s silent for two full seconds while Buck stares back at him blankly.
Buck blinks, makes a humorously audible ‘gulp’ sound, then he’s shooting up from the couch, tripping over his own feet in the process.
Eddie throws a hand out to catch him.
“Buck?”
Buck gets his feet back under him and spins around to look at Eddie. He crosses his arms across his chest, then places them on his hips, then he sort of…raises them both above his head in an aborted stretch?
Eddie blinks.
Buck blinks back.
“Sorry. Sorry,” he mumbles, spinning back around to face away from Eddie. “Just give me one second.”
And then he’s off again, walking towards the kitchen. Eddie watches as he opens the fridge and just…stares into it for a few moments.
“Are you okay?” Eddie asks from the couch.
“Yes! Totally fine!” Buck throws over his shoulder, shutting the fridge door. “One sec!” Next he opens the freezer and pulls out what appears to be a frozen lemon loaf. He nods, and closes the freezer door, heading back over to the couch and sitting down next to Eddit with the frozen lemon loaf in his lap.
“Okay. Um. Alright,” Buck breathes. He turns his full Supportive Buck smile on Eddie. “What do you need? How can I help?”
Eddie is still staring at the frozen lemon loaf in Buck’s hands when he says:
“I need you to tell me what to do.”
“In what way?” Buck asks, his hands tensing around the loaf in a way that should not be as attractive as Eddie is finding it. He has to look away.
He meets Buck’s eye and lets the months and months of fear and confusion burst out of him.
“I don’t know!” Eddie groans. “You’re bi and I’m freaking out and I just need someone to tell me what I’m supposed to do,” he begs. “I need you to tell me what to do.”
Buck looks at him for a moment, then nods as if he’s decided something. He hands Eddie the frozen lemon loaf. Eddie accepts it, because Buck is handing it to him and there’s nothing he wouldn’t do if Buck asked. Then there’s a too-cold hand on the side of his face and soft lips are pressing against his and Buck is kissing him.
Eddie holds onto the lemon loaf for dear life. He’s imagined this moment more times than he’ll ever admit and still, somehow, it’s better. He leans forward, he kisses back, he’s still holding this goddamn lemon loaf.
Buck pulls away with a small gasp. He takes his hands back and scooches too far away on the couch.
“Sorry,” he croaks. Clears his throat. “Sorry. I should’ve asked.”
Eddie doesn’t know if words will work for him right now, so he shakes his head just in case.
“No, no,” he assures, his fingers ghosting over his lips without his permission. “That was - - very action-oriented. Thank you.”
Some tension visibly drains out of Buck with that, but he remains too far away on the couch.
“Did that help?” Buck asks. “That’s how I knew - - when, um, when Tommy kissed me.”
“Oh. Right,” Eddie nods. It feels, suddenly, like fire has turned to ice in his veins. He thought Buck had wanted to — had wanted him. But he was just…maybe he was just being helpful.
Buck is looking at him expectantly, and Eddie realizes he must have asked a question. He rewinds the conversation enough to find it.
“Yeah - - good,” he nods dumbly. “I - - yeah. Good.”
God this is so embarrassing. He feels his cheeks flame and resists the insane urge to press the frozen loaf to his face to feel the cold of it against his skin.
“Eddie,” Buck says, breaking him out of his mini spiral. He looks up at him, and he looks different. He looks less panicked, almost, which doesn’t make sense, because Eddie is the most panicked he has been this whole time.
“Yeah?” He croaks.
“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that,” Buck whispers.
And oh. Okay.
“Really?”
“Yeah,” Buck smiles.
“You could do it again,” Eddie shrugs, all false-confidence and shaky hands.
Buck grins, then he’s across the couch in a split second, smashing their mouths back together. Eddie, he’s mortified to report, moans into the kiss. He doesn’t even mean to, it just happens. He abandons the lemon loaf on his lap and brings his hands up to join the party this time. He slides a hand over Buck’s chest and buries the other in his curls.
Buck has both hands framed on either side of Eddie’s face, controlling the kiss. He moves Eddie exactly the way he wants him to deepen the kiss, expertly sliding his tongue in and earning a second mortifying moan from Eddie.
Eddie, who doesn’t even care anymore, because Buck’s tongue is down his throat. Buck’s tongue is down his throat and Eddie thinks that maybe he can have this afterall.
At some point, some time later — Eddie doesn’t even really remember his own name right now — they separate just enough to be panting into each other's mouths instead of actively making out.
“Is it always like this?” Eddie finds himself asking. “Is this what it’s supposed to feel like?”
Buck’s thumbs stroke softly along his burning cheeks.
“What does it feel like?” Buck whispers.
“Like I want to do it again?”
He feels a puff of air against his face as Buck huffs in amusement.
“Yeah. Yeah it’s supposed to feel like that.”
Eddie can’t remember the last time he actually wanted to keep kissing someone just to kiss them, so he doesn’t question it, he just leans in and does it.
Buck grins into it, which makes it more teeth than anything else, but he still wants, wants, wants.
“Um. Eddie,” Buck whispers against his mouth. “Eddie?”
He knows Buck is trying to tell him something, he knows this, and he knows he wants to hear what it is, but he’s having a hard time getting his brain to focus on anything other than Buck’s mouth.
“Hmm?”
He thinks he hears Buck laugh again.
“I need to tell you something,” Buck says, moving his hands down to Eddie’s shoulders, holding them at a distance.
Eddie doesn’t like that.
“Mm?” He hums, blinking up at Buck.
Buck meets him with a smile, but it’s not a sunshine smile, it’s an anxious smile. A hopeful smile, maybe?
Buck’s fingers tighten where they’re gripping his shoulders.
“I know you’re maybe just figuring things out right now, and I am so happy you came to me, you have no idea,” Buck starts, holding Eddie’s eye. “But I’m, um, kind of in love with you? So. You should probably know that. I can’t really do casual with you. I could try, but I - - it wouldn’t be. Not with you.”
All Eddie’s brain supplies is I can’t believe he doesn’t know.
All Eddie can do is lean forward and kiss him.
“I was hoping you’d say that,” he whispers against Buck’s lips.
“You were?” Buck smiles.
“Yeah,” Eddie nods. “I really didn’t think that would work,” he says, more to himself than anything.
“What?” Buck asks, confusion fighting the smile lighting up his face.
“But then the lemon loaf…” Eddie continues. “I thought maybe?”
Buck blinks at him.
“The what?”
Eddie looks down to his lap to find it empty. He glances to the floor beside them and finds the lemon loaf on its side, having rolled off at some point mid-makeout. He points at it.
“Oh. Right,” Buck blinks, like he’s noticing it for the first time. “I was trying not to stick my tongue down your throat.”
Something about that sends a warning signal to the back of Eddie’s brain, like it should be notable. He thinks maybe his brain needs to catch up, because Buck sticking his tongue down Eddie’s throat is just something that happens now. Get with the times, brain.
“I’m glad you did,” Eddie whispers.
Buck does it again.
•
Tex: I owe you a beer or something man
Thank you
Firehose: No way??
Dude you will not BELIEVE
Wait
…Eddie?
Eddie whips Buck’s ensuite door open, phone in hand, and stares at Buck, slack-jawed.
“Buck?” He croaks.
Buck, who was sprawled out, tangled in the sheets, is staring back at him, white as a ghost.
“Holy shit. Oh my god,” Buck gasps, slapping a hand over his mouth. “Oh my god, Eddie. Eddie . I swear I had no idea. I had no idea it was you.”
Eddie looks between the open chat in his hands and the love of his life on the bed in front of him and blinks.
“Oh my god,” he whispers.
“You didn’t have your face in any photos!” Buck accuses.
“Neither did you!”
“I didn’t want people to want me just because I’m hot,” Buck shrugs.
“Buck. Oh my god,” Eddie groans, walking over and face-planting into the bed beside Buck.
He feels Buck start tracing gentle patterns across his bare back.
“You think I’m your soulmate?” Buck whispers.
“I don’t believe in soulmates,” Eddie mumbles into the sheets.
“But if you did you think I’d be yours,” Buck says, and Eddie doesn’t need to see him to know that he’s grinning.
“Sure,” Eddie tells the mattress.
“So you kind of do believe in soulmates, and I’m yours,” Buck sings.
Eddie rolls over onto his back with a sigh.
“Buck.”
He blinks his eyes open to find Buck grinning down at him.
“This is the best day of my life,” Buck announces, leaning down to press an upside-down kiss to Eddie’s lips.
“This is so embarrassing,” Eddie groans.
Buck gasps.
“Eddie! I almost sent you a dick pic!”
“I knew that’s what you were gonna do.”
Buck rolls his eyes.
“It’s classy .”
“I highly doubt that.”
“Actually,” Buck starts. “You probably would’ve figured out it was me.”
“From your dick?” Eddie asks, brows shooting for his hairline.
“See, look!”
Buck thrusts his phone towards Eddie’s face, where Eddie is greeted with an, admittedly tasteful, nude of Buck. You can’t see his face, but you can certainly see his dick, and enough of the rest of him that Eddie would 100% have known this was Buck.
Buck moves the phone even closer.
“Buck.”
“You can see my arm tattoo.”
“That’s not all I’m seeing.”
“If I’d sent it, you probably would’ve recognized my tattoos and deleted the app and we’d never have ended up here, doing this. It’s almost like you could call it…”
“Don’t.”
“Fate.”
“Buck.”
“Eddie!” Buck laughs. “You can’t argue this time! What are the chances?”
“You’re saying the universe itself colluded with the fabric of reality to ensure we both ended up right here, looking at a photo of your dick on your phone?” Eddie sighs.
“Yes.”
“You’re ridiculous.”
Buck grins.
“And what else?”
Eddie rolls his eyes.
“We’re not doing this. We can just pretend we never had that conversation.”
“You don’t need to be embarrassed. You were sweet and wholesome, I was accidentally thirsting after you, to you.”
Eddie is going to choose to remember it that way, because there is absolutely no way he’s ever reading through those messages to find out.
He does remember a few things, though.
He rolls onto his side, digging his elbow into the mattress and propping his head up on his hand.
“You said I’d be the love of your life,” he grins.
Buck looks at him, a smile tugs at the corners of his mouth.
“Yeah. You are. Obviously. You’re my soulmate,” he shrugs. “You said you wanted to suck my -“
Eddie lurches up and cuts him off with a kiss.
•
Eddie can’t remember ever feeling more content than in this moment. He’s wrapped around Buck, pressed entirely against him from head to toe, his face smooshed into the back of his neck, eyes closed, breathing him in.
The buzz of his phone pulls him out of the moment. He blindly pats at the sheets behind him until he feels the shape of it. He brings it in front of him, which also happens to be in front of Buck, and finds a new message from Firehose.
He opens the app and finds another, different nude. This one doesn’t cut Buck’s head off, and in Eddie’s opinion, it’s even better than the last one.
Firehose: Now that you two are acquainted :)
img_278.jpg
Eddie bites at Buck’s shoulder. Buck laughs.
He pulls his phone back behind Buck, searching for something very specific. He finds it and sends it.
Tex: img_781.jpg
Buck gasps.
“Eddie!” He shrieks, spinning around in Eddie’s arms and pawing at his phone. “Where did you get that from? Do you have more of these? Is it a hidden folder?”
Eddie pulls his phone out of Buck’s reach and buries it amongst the sheets beneath him.
“Don’t be greedy,” he grins.
Buck gapes at him.
“I have been in unrequited love with you for years, and you’re gonna hold out on me?” Buck accuses, trying to dig under Eddie for his phone.
Eddie catches his wandering wrist, and pulls it up to his mouth, pressing a kiss against Buck’s palm.
“You have never been in unrequited love with me,” he corrects. Presses it into his palm like a promise.
The most beautiful smile Eddie has ever seen breaks across Buck’s face.
“Yeah?”
“Obviously.”
Buck leans forward to steal one or ten more kisses, then turns and settles against Eddie’s chest again.
Eddie’s phone buzzes.
Firehose: img_563.jpg
“How many of these do you have?”
Buck shrugs.
“I thought we could trade.”
Eddie rolls his eyes, then he pushes up to hover over Buck, pressing him flat on his back against the mattress.
Buck blinks up at him in surprise. Eddie settles down over his hips, straddling him.
“You know I don’t need these, right?” Eddie asks, waving his phone at Buck, before throwing it behind him. “Not when I can do this,” he growls, groping at Buck’s muscular chest. “And this.” He runs his hands over Buck’s stomach. It jumps under his touch. “And this.” He lets his fingers search lower, dipping beneath the waistband of Buck’s underwear. “And you,” he continues, grabbing Buck’s hand and pressing it to his abs, letting their conjoined hands slide down, down, down. “Can have the real thing, too.”
“ Fuck ,” Buck breathes, splaying his hands over Eddie’s hot skin. “I need to send the universe a fruit basket for intervening.”
“Kinda feels like the universe is getting a lot of credit for my work here.”
Buck grins.
“I’ll buy you as many fruit baskets as you want, but you’re not convincing me this wasn’t fate.”
Eddie leans forward, planting his elbows on either side of Buck’s head, boxing him in.
“I don’t really care what it was. I’m just happy to be here.”
Buck buries his hands in Eddie’s hair and drags him down to meet him.
“Hey,” Buck whispers, when they break for air. “Did you send that to anyone else?”
“You jealous?” Eddie laughs.
“No. It’s your body,” Buck shrugs, running his fingers through Eddie’s hair. “I’m just curious. I kinda thought you’d be too scared of technology to take that kind of photo, let alone send it.”
Eddie considers making Buck work for it, but he’s pretty sure Buck already knows the answer anyway.
“You’re the first person who’s seen it,” he admits. “You’re actually the first - -“ Eddie snaps his mouth shut.
Buck’s eyes glimmer with mischief.
“The first what , Eddie?” he grins.
Eddie groans.
“You’re gonna be so insufferable about this.”
“You have to tell me,” Buck prods.
Eddie sighs.
“You’re the first and only person I replied to.”
“Shut the fuck up,” Buck gasps.
“Hey, I guess you’re my first lots-of-things ,” Eddie smiles.
“And you’re my last lots-of-things ,” Buck smiles back.
“Yeah, you’re that for me, too.”
Buck’s hands tighten in his hair.
“You can understand that there’s no non-magical explanation for this, right?”
Eddie presses a kiss to his forehead.
“I’ll concede that it’s a very improbable coincidence. But we also both swiped right on someone who reminded us of the person we’re in love with, so maybe it’s not that improbable at all.”
Buck whimpers beneath him.
“Oh. Well when you put it like that.”
Eddie crawls down Buck’s body just enough so that when he drops his weight onto him, he’s resting his head on his chest. Buck’s arms tighten around him instantly.
“Dare I ask how many people have been graced with your dick pics?” Eddie asks against his chest.
The hands swiping over his back and through his hands stall for just long enough that Eddie already knows the answer.
“That’s not important,” Buck says. “What’s important is that we’re here now, and you are the lucky last recipient.”
“That many, huh?” Eddie chuckles.
“I’d like to note that I never send anything without consent. I can’t help it that everyone wants a piece of this.”
Eddie pats at Buck’s chest sympathetically.
“It must be so hard being so hot, honey. I don’t know how you do it.”
He hears Buck huff above him.
“Okay, I know you’re being a brat, but you just called me a pet name for the first time, so I’m letting you get away with it.”
“So hot and so generous,” Eddie continues. “Is there anything you can’t do, my love?”
“Um,” Buck croaks. “I see what you’re doing. You’re not clever.”
“I don’t think you want dick pics,” Eddie says, tilting his head up to press his lips against the skin of Buck’s throat. “I think you want someone to tell you that you’re pretty, right, baby?”
“ Eddie, ” Buck whines. Eddie ignores him.
“Someone to love and cherish you. Someone who’ll hold your hand and rub your back and fall asleep wrapped around you. Is that what you want, sweetheart?”
“Stop it.”
“I think it is,” Eddie says, pushing against Buck’s chest to bring them face-to-face. “I think it’s what you deserve. None of them ever deserved you. Didn’t treat you right. You’re wasted on a quick fuck, baby. I need my whole life to love you the way I want to. The way you deserve.”
Buck looks wrecked.
“I can’t tell if you’re making fun of me,” he croaks.
“I’m not,” Eddie promises, pressing a hand over Buck’s beating heart. “Guess I might be a little more jealous than I thought, when it comes to you.”
“ Oh . Okay,” Buck nods, wide-eyed. “I’m very into this, then. Go on.”
“I think I’m done with the talking portion,” Eddie shrugs.
“Oh?”
“Mmhm. Gonna show you what I mean next instead.”