9-1-1 What's Your Damage?

Buck's hand twitches in his, as if he is about to take it away. It worries Eddie even more. He starts to caress the back of Buck's hand lightly, but doesn't tighten his grip, leaving room for Buck to take his hand back if he really needs to. Eddie hopes he doesn't.

“I was just-,” Buck says and stops, his eyes jumping from Eddie to the dresser in the corner of the room. “I was just getting a shirt.”

Eddie furrows his brows in confusion, glancing down at Buck's naked chest briefly. “Did you… not find any?”

“I did, but I was looking for a particular one and then I saw-,” Buck stops abruptly and swallows. “I swear I wasn't snooping, it was an accident! I didn't mean to look, but it was right there and I- I could've tried to pretend that I didn't see it but we both know that I am a horrible liar and would spiral immediately. Which I guess I am doing anyway, but I am really sorry, Eddie, I should've-”

Blinking in confusion, Eddie just stares at Buck, listening to his little outburst and trying to make any sense of it.

“But wait, what did you find? Why are you so worried, where did-” Eddie looks around the room one more time.

He glances past the dresser, but the shirt sticking out of it, the white of the material a stark contrast against the dark wood, makes him do a double take.

Oh.

Oh, it makes sense now.

Eddie freezes. Buck must feel that and he slowly retracts his hand, placing it in his lap. He starts twisting his fingers together nervously.

“I’m-,” Eddie tries, but he is not sure what to say next. In hindsight, he might have expected that this could happen. “It’s not… You saw it?”

It’s not exactly what he wants to ask, but his brain is still processing the situation. Buck nods in response, “I saw the box and I just- I had a peek inside before I really thought about what I was doing- I put it right back. I am so sorry, Eddie.”

“What are you sorry for?” Eddie huffs out a small laugh.

“I probably ruined it, haven't I? You- you probably had something planned since you bought it and now I know about it and- I cannot promise that I will forget about it because I don’t think I am physically capable but I can try? If you want to, I-”

Shaking his head, Eddie shuffles on his knees towards Buck. It gives him a couple of inches over Buck and he cradles Buck’s head in his hands, tilting it upwards so he can look into Buck’s eyes. Those beautiful, bright blue eyes that look like Eddie’s future. Those eyes that are still slightly manic and filled with worry. 

“Do you want to get married?” Eddie asks, plain and simple.

“What?” Buck asks, eyes widening.

“Why are you surprised? You literally just found a ring in my drawer.”

“I- I don’t know?” Buck throws his arms up, clearly exasperated. “I think my brain has short-circuited when I saw it and then I panicked and-”

Eddie leans forward, pressing his lips to Buck’s forehead and keeps them there until Buck relaxes under his touch. Still smiling, Eddie moves away, but only so that he can look at Buck, “I noticed.”

“Well, I think that it is a pretty reasonable response after realising that your boyfriend is planning to propose!”

“Technically, he already did,” Eddie points out. “And he would be very grateful for an answer?”

Buck’s entire face softens and he smiles up at Eddie. “Eddie… We do not have to do it now. If you had something planned- I am sorry I spoiled the surprise. I can wait.”

Pressing a chaste kiss to Buck’s mouth, Eddie gets out of bed and walks over to the dresser. It is slightly more messy than he usually leaves it, but he wouldn’t notice, if it wasn’t for Buck’s confession. Eddie retrieves the box tucked into the back of the drawer and turns it over in his hands.

The point is… Eddie didn’t have anything special planned. Or well, of course he wanted to make it special for Buck. But the truth was that the ring was waiting in his drawer for well over a year. Eddie remembers very clearly the talk he had with Christopher, shortly after Eddie and Buck started dating. It was obvious for both of them that having Buck in their lives has made everything better. It was Chris who asked if Eddie was going to propose. “Better do it quickly. You might still scare him away with your neurosis,” he deadpanned as Eddie started rearranging the remotes on the table for the third time. A few days after that talk, they went together to pick out the ring and it had been tucked away in the drawer, just for now.

Eddie turns around and walks back towards the bed. Unceremoniously, he plants himself in Buck’s lap, his knees on both sides of Buck’s hips. Buck’s hands automatically come up to rest on Eddie’s waist and they both look at the ring box for a moment, before Eddie breaks the silence.

“I bought it with Chris like a month after we started dating,” Eddie says and grins at the look of utter shock on Buck’s face. “This is how sure we were that we want to keep you. But to be honest, I think I knew that from the moment we met. I was running from El Paso completely blind, not sure what we would find here in LA. But we found you. And it was like everything started making sense again.”

Buck sniffles, not even trying to hide the fact that he is crying. Eddie reaches with his free hand to wipe at Buck’s cheeks but his own vision gets slightly blurry, too. He pops open the velvet box, exposing a simple silver band with a sky-blue, rectangular gem in the middle.

“I didn’t propose before, because I wanted the moment to be perfect for you,” Eddie says. 

He feels shy all of sudden. His eyes are fixed on the ring, on the gem that matches Buck’s eyes perfectly, which was the reason why they picked it. Maybe he should have done it earlier, pick literally any other moment than this random Wednesday night, in his bedroom, with toothpaste stain on his shirt.

“Eddie…,” Buck says softly and his voice pulls Eddie out of his own head, making him look back up and into Buck’s eyes. And there is nothing other than love and joy there, Buck is beaming up at him, his cheeks wet with tears and Eddie thinks that he has never looked more beautiful.

“I wanted the moment to be perfect for you, but it was hard for me to pick one,” Eddie continues. “Because for me every single moment I get to spend with you is perfect. Every frantic morning, fighting with the kids for the bathroom and trying not to be late. Every lazy evening when you doze off watching the movie but you swear that you are not. Every nightmare of a day that I know I will be able to get through if I have you by my side. And every single thing in between. It’s all perfect because I get to share it with you. So I am sorry I waited this long.”

“I don’t care,” Buck shakes his head, cupping Eddie’s face in his hands and pressing small kisses to wherever he can reach. “God, Eddie. I would’ve waited. I love you. No matter how long it took, my answer would always be the same.”

“So just for the record, then,” Eddie laughs wetly, taking the ring out of the box and reaching for Buck’s left hand, squeezing it lightly. “You are the love of my life, Buck. Will you marry me?”

“Yes, Eddie,” Buck says. “Of course. I’m yours.”

.