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Ravi reminds Buck of who was when he was younger, except for the sex addiction, of course. Ravi is still trying to find himself, still working through childhood trauma, and because of that, the two have grown pretty close. Although Eddie is, and always will be, Buck’s best friend, it's nice to have another best friend outside of his relationship.
The night had started out simple enough: just dinner and a couple of drinks. They met at that little place off 3rd Street, The connversation started light, drifting from work gossip to half-hearted plans for the weekend. Buck ordered a burger; Ravi stuck to his usual fries and a milkshake. It was easy, familiar, the kind of night that didn’t need much effort to be good.
As the night deepened and drinks flowed, a more reckless atmosphere emerged, replacing the initial casual one. Predictably, after two hours and several rounds, things became chaotic.
Buck was now draped over Eddie's shoulders, giggling uncontrollably at something Eddie hadn't even said. Ravi had his arm slung around Buck's waist, equally drunk, nodding along as if they were sharing the funniest inside joke in existence.
"Eddie, Eddie, listen, listen," Buck slurred, poking insistently at Eddie's cheek. "Did you know that—that Ravi is, like, the best guy ever? Like, just the best."
Albert, who had been watching all of this unfold with the exasperation of a man who had seen this exact scene play out before, shook his head and sighed loudly.
"I'm glad you've made this discovery, Buck," Eddie said dryly, his mouth twitching at the corners.
"Right? He's so—so smart! And nice! And he's got—like, really nice hair. I mean, like, Eds, you've got great hair, but Ravi's got, like, good hair."
Eddie sighed again, long-suffering. "I'm sure he appreciates the compliment."
"I do!" Ravi chirped brightly, raising his milkshake in a sloppy toast. "You hear that, babe? I've got good hair."
Albert pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yes, I heard," he muttered, his voice full of resigned fondness
It only got worse from there.
Somewhere between shots and a disastrously off-key karaoke rendition of Total Eclipse of the Heart, Buck stumbled over to Eddie, cheeks flushed and his grin blindingly wide. He grabbed Eddie's shirt in both hands, yanking him down so he could shout over the thudding bass of a terrible pop remix.
"I want you to put a baby in me!" Buck declared at full volume, loud enough that a few heads turned their way.
Eddie barked a startled laugh, smoothing a hand over Buck’s stomach in mock seriousness, playing along. "Baby, you can't get pregnant," he teased, expecting Buck to dissolve into drunken giggles at his own absurdity.
But instead, Buck’s eyes went glassy. His bottom lip wobbled.
Before Eddie could even process it, Buck’s face crumpled completely, and he collapsed against Eddie's chest with a fit of messy, hiccuping sobs.
Eddie froze for a fraction of a second, arms awkwardly suspended in the air, before wrapping them around Buck instinctively, murmuring reassurances into his hair as he shot a wide-eyed look over Buck’s head at Ravi and Albert.
Ravi, half-laughing and half-panicked, mouthed, What did you say?! while Albert simply buried his face in his hands, muttering something about every damn time.
Panic rising in his chest, Eddie carefully guided Buck outside, out into the cool night air, away from the thudding bass and flashing lights. The cold hit them sharply, sobering Eddie immediately, but Buck barely seemed to notice, still clinging to him like a lifeline.
On the sidewalk, Buck sniffled loudly, his words slurring together as he looked up at Eddie with wide, tearful eyes.
"But I want a baby. With you," he whimpered.
Eddie felt like the ground tilted beneath him. He crouched slightly to meet Buck’s gaze, heart thudding loudly in his ears.
"Buck, we already have Christopher and Nova," he said softly, hoping to comfort him. "We’re already a family."
But Buck shook his head stubbornly, fresh tears slipping down his cheeks.
"It’s not the same," he insisted, voice cracking. "I want... I want something that's us. Made from both of us."
He started rambling then, words spilling out faster than Eddie could catch them.
"I’d look so good pregnant, you know? I’d be glowing. Admit it!" Buck said with a wet, wobbly laugh. "I'd have that whole beautiful, radiant vibe going. And maternity clothes! I’d rock them, Eds. I'd make 'em look hot."
He tried to laugh again, but it broke apart halfway through, dissolving into another rough, broken sob. His body sagged against Eddie, defeated and overwhelmed, emotions spilling out raw and unchecked.
Eddie pulled him closer, pressing Buck’s head against his shoulder, cradling him with infinite care.
"I’m here," he whispered into Buck’s hair. "I'm not going anywhere. I promise."
He could feel it now — this wasn’t just drunken nonsense. This was something Buck had thought about, something he had mourned quietly, alone in the dark. The realization gutted Eddie in a way he wasn’t prepared for.
Slowly, Eddie crouched beside him, careful to keep one grounding hand on Buck’s knee.
"Is this something you actually want?" he asked, searching Buck’s red-rimmed eyes.
Buck shrugged helplessly, a small, defeated motion. He wiped at his face with the sleeve of his hoodie, sniffling miserably.
"I don't know," he mumbled. "Maybe. Sometimes. But it doesn't matter, does it?" His voice cracked under the weight of it all.
He let out a shaky, bitter laugh.
"It’s stupid. I’m stupid."
Without hesitation, Eddie tilted Buck’s chin up, forcing him to meet his gaze. His touch was gentle, his thumb brushing across Buck’s tear-streaked cheek.
"It’s not stupid if it matters to you," Eddie said firmly. "Nothing you feel is ever stupid to me. Especially not this."
Buck stared at him, wide-eyed, like he was waiting for the punchline, like he was waiting for Eddie to laugh at him too.
But Eddie just held his gaze, steady and sure, refusing to let Buck drift away into shame.
"I got you," he said softly. "Always."
Buck let out a small, hiccuping laugh that was half-sob, half-relief, and sagged even further into Eddie's arms.
"You really wouldn't mind me pregnant?" Buck mumbled thickly, trying for playful through the fog of emotion. "I'd be the prettiest, moodiest mess you ever saw. Crying at cat food commercials. Eating pickles at three in the morning. Making you drive across town for the exact right kind of ice cream."
Eddie chuckled low in his throat, pressing a long kiss to Buck’s temple.
"You’d be insufferable," he said fondly.
Buck beamed at him, teary-eyed but smiling, his nose scrunching up in that way that always made Eddie’s heart ache.
"You’d still love me," he said with absolute certainty.
Eddie smiled into Buck’s hair, arms tightening around him.
"Yeah," he whispered. "Always."
Just then, the door to the bar swung open, and Ravi and Albert stumbled out into the cool night air. Ravi was laughing so hard he could barely stay upright, clutching Albert’s arm for support.
Albert, looking bone-deep tired but still amused, spotted Buck clinging to Eddie like a koala.
"Alright, party animals," Albert called, voice rough but light. "I think that's our cue."
Ravi nodded sagely, though his eyes were glassy. "Yeah, time to call it. Before Buck proposes to someone else."
Buck lifted his head slightly, blinking at them blearily.
"I love you guys!" he slurred, arms thrown wide.
"We know, buddy," Ravi said, patting Buck’s shoulder affectionately.
Eddie carefully helped Buck to his feet, steadying him when he swayed dangerously.
"Let's get you home," he said, voice low and full of so much affection that Buck immediately melted against him again.
The four of them wandered down the street together, laughter chasing them into the night, The walk home was slow and slightly chaotic, a meandering path marked by Buck stopping every few feet to tell Eddie — and sometimes random passersby — how much he loved him.
"I love you, Eds," Buck declared for the fifth time in as many minutes, his voice heavy with sincerity and booze. "Like, so much. You’re my whole... my whole galaxy. My sun. My moon. My—"
"Yeah, yeah," Eddie interrupted with a fond smile, tightening his arm around Buck’s waist to keep him from tripping over a crack in the sidewalk. "I get it, superstar. Come on. Let’s get you into bed."
Behind them, Albert and Ravi followed, trading amused looks. Albert had offered to drive, but given Buck’s sudden clinginess, Eddie figured it was just easier to walk the few blocks home — even if it meant herding a very affectionate, very tipsy Buck through the city streets.
Ravi, somehow still managing to sip from his milkshake without spilling a drop, grinned as Buck shouted back over his shoulder, "You guys can come too! We can have a sleepover!"
Albert snorted. "Hard pass."
"We’ll check in tomorrow," Ravi said with a wink, ruffling Buck’s hair as they reached Eddie’s building.
Eddie nodded his thanks at them, already half-carrying Buck up the steps. Buck waved dramatically at Ravi and Albert like he was setting sail on a doomed voyage, and then sagged against Eddie, the last of his energy draining out of him.
It took a bit of manoeuvring to get Buck inside without dropping him, but Eddie managed, kicking the door shut behind them. Buck stumbled a few steps into the living room before abruptly turning, a sloppy grin stretching across his face. He pressed his whole body against Eddie, arms wrapping tight around his waist, face burying into the crook of Eddie's neck.
"Eddie," he whined, voice thick and heavy with drunken affection, "we should do it. Like, right now. Make a baby."
Eddie froze, hands automatically landing on Buck's hips to steady him. Buck was hot against him, radiating heat, his breath damp against Eddie's skin. "Buck," Eddie said, slow and careful, even as his heart kicked hard against his ribs, "you're drunk. We're not making any babies tonight."
Buck pulled back enough to glare up at him, glossy-eyed and desperate. "But what if it works?" he insisted, dead serious. "We could just—try." He punctuated the word with a drunken waggle of his eyebrows, but before Eddie could say anything, Buck started shifting against him, grinding his hips lazily against Eddie's thigh.
"Buck," Eddie warned, breath catching in his throat.
Buck didn't listen. He rutted slow and needy, mouthing at Eddie's jaw, whimpering under his breath. His hands wandered, clumsy but determined, palming Eddie through his jeans, squeezing.
"Jesus, Buck," Eddie hissed, grabbing his wrists and trying to still him.
"You’re hard," Buck slurred, triumphant. His pupils were blown wide, mouth red and bitten from where he’d been worrying his lower lip.
"Yeah, well, you're rubbing all over me," Eddie bit out, trying to breathe. "But you're drunk."
Buck just whined, nuzzling into Eddie’s throat again, grinding up against him with desperate little rolls of his hips. "Just wanna feel you," he mumbled. "Just wanna—please, Eddie."
Eddie squeezed his eyes shut, trying to wrestle back control. He guided Buck toward the bedroom, half-carrying him, half being dragged by Buck's insistent touches.
"C'mon," Eddie muttered, voice wrecked. "Let's get you changed."
Buck laughed against his shoulder, sticky and sweet, fumbling at the button of Eddie's jeans even as Eddie swatted his hands away. "Buck," Eddie growled, voice low and frayed at the edges, "if you don't knock it off, I'm not gonna survive the night."
Buck just grinned, unbothered, and leaned in, nipping at Eddie's jawline. "Maybe that's the point," he whispered. Buck groaned pitifully, flopping face-first onto the mattress as soon as Eddie got him near it.
"I’m never drinking again," he mumbled into the comforter.
Eddie chuckled under his breath, tugging off Buck’s shoes and hoodie with gentle efficiency.
"You say that every time," Eddie reminded him, smoothing a hand down Buck’s back when Buck shivered slightly.
Buck twisted to look up at him, blue eyes glassy and soft.
"Will you stay?" he whispered, like there was even a chance Eddie would leave.
"Always," Eddie promised, voice low and steady.
He helped Buck sit up enough to get him out of his jeans, then guided him under the covers. Buck grabbed at him the second he was tucked in, fists curling into Eddie’s shirt like he was afraid Eddie might slip away.
"I got you," Eddie said again, easing down onto the bed beside him, still fully dressed. "I’m right here."
Buck hummed, already half-asleep, his body instinctively curling into Eddie’s side. His head found Eddie’s chest, his hand slipping under Eddie’s shirt to rest against his skin, grounding himself with touch.
For a few minutes, the only sound in the room was Buck’s slow, uneven breathing as he drifted toward sleep. Eddie ran his fingers through Buck’s curls, gentle and soothing, untangling the knots left by the night’s adventures.
"You’re not stupid, you know," Eddie whispered into the dark. "Wanting something more... wanting everything. It’s not stupid."
Buck didn’t answer, maybe he was asleep already but Eddie felt the way his body relaxed, the way the tension in his shoulders melted away under Eddie’s hand.
"I don’t know how we’ll figure it out," Eddie admitted softly, because he’d never been one to lie to Buck. "But we will. Together."
Buck shifted, pressing closer, his face tucked against Eddie’s heart.
Eddie smiled into the darkness, pressing a kiss to Buck’s messy hair. "Sleep now, babe," he murmured. "We’ve got time."
And holding Buck close, feeling the steady beat of his heart against his own, Eddie finally let himself believe it too.
They had time.
They had everything.
Buck woke up the next morning with a killer headache, his mouth dry as sandpaper and his brain replaying flashes of the previous night like a horror movie marathon.
He groaned loudly, shifting under the throw blanket Eddie must have draped over him during the night. From the kitchen, Eddie appeared, maddeningly chipper, sliding a mug of coffee onto the table in front of Buck with a mischievous glint in his eye.
"Morning, sunshine," Eddie said sweetly. "So... you still want my baby?"
Buck let out a strangled groan and dragged the blanket over his head. "Oh my God," he mumbled into the fabric. "I am never drinking again."
Eddie laughed, dropping onto the couch beside him and stretching his arms lazily along the back. "And here I thought it was the most romantic proposal I'd ever received," he teased.
Buck peeked out from under the blanket, face burning. "We are never talking about this again," he declared.
Eddie hummed thoughtfully, a wicked grin tugging at his mouth. "We'll see."
Buck groaned louder, burying himself deeper under the blanket as Eddie nudged his knee with a gentle nudge, their smiles lingering, soft even through the haze of mortification.
Later, when Buck was a little more awake and slightly less mortified Eddie brought it up again, this time with a seriousness that Buck hadn't been expecting.
They were curled up on the couch, a comfortable silence between them, the remains of breakfast forgotten on the coffee table. Eddie tapped his fingers against his coffee mug, gathering his thoughts.
"Is that something you really want?" he asked, his voice soft but steady. "Not me getting you pregnant," he added, lips twitching slightly, "but... another kid?"
Buck hesitated, picking at the hem of his shirt. The question hung between them, heavy with all the things he hadn’t dared to voice.
"I don't know," Buck said finally, his voice low, vulnerable. "I just... I like knowing it's possible. With you."
Eddie’s chest ached at the quiet honesty of it. Without hesitation, he shifted closer, wrapping an arm around Buck and pulling him against his side.
He pressed a lingering kiss to the top of Buck’s messy hair.
"Then we’ll figure it out together," Eddie said firmly. "Whatever you want. However it looks. We’ll find a way."
Buck let out a shaky breath he hadn’t realised he was holding, his body sagging against Eddie's.
For the first time in a long time, it didn’t feel so impossible anymore. And Buck thought, maybe drunken proposals weren't so bad after all.