tessa | she/her

Eddie continues to ignore him entirely as Buck slips out of his shoes and makes his way up behind his back. He merely flicks to the next page of the paper and sips at his coffee. Buck briefly reconsiders his plan of attack. Eddie looks so peaceful, so relaxed in the late morning light spilling in from the window over the sink. But he also hasn't so much as glanced in Buck's direction and there's a piece of Buck that is rattling around in his ribcage begging for Eddie for to put it back into place.

He decides he will start slow, offer Eddie an easy way out. He tells himself he will settle for a good morning or a kiss on the cheek or a firm hand wrapped around the back of his neck. And then he can let Eddie go back to whatever is so enrapturing about the sports section.

Buck leans over and drops his arms over Eddie's shoulders and locks them together around his chest. He buries his nose in the sensitive crook of Eddie's neck, just beneath his jaw. "Hi," Buck breathes.

Eddie's shoulders tense under Buck's weight. He tilts his head away from where Buck is now grazing his teeth along the muscle of his neck.

"Mm," Eddie hums. Noncommittal, not pushing him away, but not enough to satisfy.

"Whatcha doin?" Buck draws out the words. His lips brushing against the stubble of Eddie's jaw as they move.

"Well." Eddie says, annoyed. Buck smiles. "I was trying to read."

"You're not anymore?" Buck takes Eddie's earlobe between his teeth and Eddie pulls away. Buck likes that almost as much as when he leans in. Eddie plants his feet on the ground and drops the paper onto the table. He's still facing the other way, but Buck has his full attention now. It washes over him, warm and thrilling.

"You smell gross." Eddie complains.

"You like it."

The tips of his ears are turning red. That's almost as good as being able to see the look that Buck knows must be on his face. Eyebrows turned down, mouth set firm, but with a dark blush on his cheeks that would give him away.

"You should go shower." Eddie squirms under Buck's hold and Buck loosens his grip. Relieving the pressure for a moment only to double down again. Eddie makes a strangled noise of complaint as Buck licks a stripe up the side of his neck. He really does pull away this time, staggering up out of his chair to face Buck.

He looks every bit as flushed and exasperated as Buck could have hoped. His arms are held out waiting to grab Buck if he makes a move for him. Buck can feel the grin that's splitting his face grow wider, taunting.

"Buck." It's a warning. And Buck knows with a certainty that he is going to do whatever it takes to get Eddie to say it again.

He lunges at Eddie, and Eddie dodges him easily, jumping around the corner of the table out of his reach.

"Knock it off." Eddie says as if Buck can't see the smile he's got tucked in the corner of his mouth.

"Make me." Buck locks their eyes together, drinking in the way Eddie looks back.

Buck moves again, but Eddie pounces as soon as he does and now Buck is on the defense. He's stumbling backwards into the living room and tripping over the edge of the rug. Eddie launches himself forward to grab Buck. He holds him by the arms and steadies him so he doesn't fall before bullying him back a few steps and shoving him backwards. His knees buckle over the arm of the couch and suddenly he's on his back, pinned into the couch cushions by Eddie's solid weight.

Eddie holds him there as they both breath into one another. The physical pressure of his body and the weight of his gaze, his undivided attention, settle Buck back into place inside himself. Like Eddie is thunking his heart back into the right rhythm. Buck exhales and it comes out different than before. Slower, easier.

"Better?" Eddie asks. His breathing is slowed to, matching Buck's pace.

"Almost." Buck strains upward, lifting his head as much as he can towards Eddie's. Eddie meets him in the middle and presses a kiss to his lips. Soft at first, but he guides Buck's head back down with an insistent push of his lips.

"Mmm," Buck mumbles, not even sure what he's trying to say.

Eddie keeps him there a moment. He kisses in an unhurried, but very persistent way that has Buck chasing every movement. But too soon, he's pulling away again.