Science Professor and Unrepentant Fangirl

This post took me a ridiculously long time of fighting with tumblr so I really hope someone enjoys it.

Alright look. I’ve thought about this for a while scrolling the tumblr and seeing all the TWS and CW gay posting. But then the topic came up on a Stucky server and I decided I needed to put all my thoughts in one place and here we are.

The Winter Soldier is generally seen as THE Stucky movie, closely followed by CW. And I get it. I do. But like. Are we really going to overlook the amount of gay in TFA???? Not to mention TFA is what sets up this century-long relationship??

Let’s get into it.

1. The double date that Bucky drags Steve on. I’m sure we’ve all seen the meme by now, right? How the girls were holding hands and the joke that they were going on double dates, but not in the way Steve thinks? Y’all. Watch it. It holds some water. At the expo when Stark shows off his flying car, the girls are clutching hands and Bucky turns to look at Steve. He’s paying attention to Steve, not either of the girls. Also, you can barely even tell which girl is supposed to be on a date with which guy. Probably the only indicator is awkward Steve shoving popcorn in the girl’s face. And after all that where Steve ditches them to try and enlist again, they are perfectly happy to share Bucky. IDK about you or real-life 40s girls, but if I was expecting to go out with a guy and my friend go out with his friend I wouldn’t be super stoked about sharing him? But they seem perfectly giddy to just accept going dancing with just Bucky. Like maybe neither are actually interested in dating him and are more interesting in just having fun going out in public? Like possibly to an underground queer place where they can all be themselves. Please see this post for evidence.

2. THE GODDAMN BUCKY RESCUE MISSION. Literally, Steve hears “107th” and that there’s no plan to even try to go after them with ZERO INDICATION THAT BUCKY IS EVEN ALIVE and decides that he’s going to take his untested new body for a spin with absolutely no fucking plan besides get there, beat some people up, find Bucky. Star spangled man with a plan MY ASS.

3. When he does get to Bucky the way Bucky says “Steve” when he realizes it’s him and HE SMILES. Poor dude’s been tortured and is strapped to a table and out of it and says Steve’s name like it’s both the prayer and the answer. And when Steve gets him up and goes to touch his face before pulling his hand back. See this post for gifs of that whole scene.

4. I feel like this needs no further explanation than this gifset but please see the highlight below

5. There is nothing about the way that Bucky says "let's hear it for Captain America!" that is either friendly or heterosexual. Look at his face. Look at the way he looks Steve up and down. Look at the conflicted emotions. LISTEN TO THE TONE OF HIS VOICE. Here's the video for the full experience.

6. THE ENTIRE GODDAMN BAR SCENE?! I will break it up into three parts though because it deserves it. Here is the video to follow along though. My first point is, "hell no. That little guy from Brooklyn that was too dumb not to run away from a fight. I'm following him." First of all, LOOK AT THE WAY THEY LOOK AT EACH OTHER. Second, Bucky is very clear that he's not here for Captain America, but that he's here for Steve. The same Steve he's always supported. Also bonus gif of footage that was from shooting this scene, but was not in the movie and is adorable.

7.... Please explain to me what about this is hetero... I'll wait... Full gifset here.

8. When Peggy walks in. Bucky looks at her, but he doesn't really eye her until he looks at Steve and sees him looking at her. And then he looks like a kicked puppy when he sees Steve only has eyes for Peggy. I 100% believe that his comment about being invisible is not about being invisible to Peggy next to Steve, but about being invisible to Steve next to Peggy.

9. Another post we’ve all seen here by now is the one in which Steve starts the movie saying he doesn’t want to kill anyone, but after Bucky falls from the train it becomes, “I won’t stop until all of Hydra is dead or captured.” Platonic MY LEFT FUCKING ARM. See post here.

10. For my final point, I’ve said this before, but STEVE DIDN’T HAVE TO CRASH THE PLANE. (CW: suicide mention)

One of my favorite things about Eddia Diaz as a character, is how he loves people quietly.

What I mean by that is that it's not this bold, outward exclamation of "I LOVE YOU". It's subtle. It's action more than words. Especially, with Buck.

Sometimes, only with Buck.

When Buck quit the firehouse because Bobby struggled letting him back to work, Eddie heard Bobby say that they were all Buck really had, and he went right over there with his kid and showed Buck that despite not being a firefighter, he was still needed, he was still wanted, that he was still a part of his life/family.

When Buck was upset about his parents being in town and feeling like he had to apologize for his behavior and Eddie told him that his feelings matter. That he has a right to be angry and upset about the way he grew up, and that he has a right to verbalize how they make him feel. He supported him instead of telling him to just deal with it.

When Buck felt guilty for not being able to protect Eddie from the snipper and wished it was him instead of Eddie, Eddie realized that what Buck was really saying was that he wasn't needed, that life would be better without him instead of Eddie because of Christopher. So Eddie showed him that he was just as important by giving him Christopher in his will. By giving him something to live for.

When Buck was recovering from the lightning strike, his death, and a coma, everyone was hovering, except Eddie. Because Eddie knew but would come when he was ready. And when he did, Eddie let him come in, find comfort, and get the rest he needed. Let him talk about how he was feeling, and just let him feel it.

When Buck finally got back to work, but wasn't quite feeling like himself, felt too different, like the old Buck was gone, Eddie took him on a date to play poker, to show him that different can be good. That even if he were different, it's ok. Cause Eddie will love that part of him too.

When Buck got tangled up with the Tommy of it all, and told him he was bisexual, Eddie told him that it doesn't change anything between them. Eddie basically said "it doesn't matter. You're still Buck to me, I still love you like I always did before."

When Eddie left to be with his son in Texas and called Buck almost every day, making sure that he was maintaining that contact, that he was making it obvious that he would always be available for Buck even if they weren't in the same state. That he hadn't abandoned him.

When Eddie got on a plane and came home for Bobby's funeral and stayed with Buck for a few weeks after just to make sure he was ok and that he wasn't going to spiral.

When they fought in the kitchen and he felt guilty and needed to remind Buck that this doesn't mean he doesn't still love him and brought Christopher home so they could all grieve together.

When he skipped going to the airport, to go help them at the building collapse to be sure Buck made it out even though he didn't work for the 118 anymore.

When he let Buck drag him out to the club, even though women are the last thing on his mind that moment because he knew Buck was only trying to be a good friend and help.

When he agreed to do the firefighter games with Buck because it was the last thing Bobby did for them and he missed Bobby and knew Buck missed him too, and would want to do this one thing for him and hopefully make him proud.

When he decided to joy ride back to LA from Tennessee, because he knew it would give them more time to just be Buck and Eddie.

When he woke up in the hospital, after the crash, and dragged his broken body across a random New Mexico town to find Buck. And held a gun to a woman's head until they gave Buck back.

When everyone dropped everything to be with Buck during his addiction and withdrawal battle, he hovered the most, not because he didn't trust Buck, but because he felt like he let him down and he wanted him to know that he was always going to have his back.

Everyone talks about how Buck and Eddie never say "I love you" and how weird it is, because best friends would have said it by now, and said it often.

But Eddie has been telling Buck he loves him constantly from the very beginning.

He’s a character who gets very passionate about certain things. And I think he needs to be in an environment with a partner who he finds can encourage, enjoy, and embrace that about him. [...] I think he needs to feel, I guess, as we all do, safe in a relationship and appreciated for who he is. – OLIVER STARK

And if Buck were to present anything else [to him other than friendship], I haven’t even wrapped my head around how Eddie would understand how to move forward with that — other than being caught off guard, I guess. It’s almost like when something’s so close, you can’t see [the bigger picture]. It’s right under your nose, but you can’t see it. I think that’s how it’s meant to be played. – RYAN GUZMAN

EVAN BUCKLEY AND EDDIE DIAZ THROUGH THE SEASONS (original)

BUDDIE ★ COUCH THEORY

Maddie is being distant and disapproving, keeping herself and Jee away from Theo, stressing at every opportunity that it’s only temporary, etc.

Meanwhile Eddie is being over-invested and defensive, putting himself right in the middle of it all and barking like a guard dog any time anyone tries to get near Buck or Theo, or to question anything Buck does, or to even suggest he might need their help.

Ultimately it’s because Maddie is terrified that Buck will be broken hearted if Theo’s grandma or whatever turns up and takes him away, so she’s trying to protect him by being cautious and careful with how far she connects with Theo, trying to model a safe route through a rough situation.

And Eddie is working through his own issues about both the way his parents made (make) him feel inadequate when he was (is) trying to care for Chris, and also his massive guilt about not being the supportive partner Shannon needed for those first few years, by making Buck feel like his decisions are good ones no matter what anyone says (including Buck when he questions himself or wants to ask for help from other people), and showing him that Eddie has his back.

So they’re both coming from a place of love and support, but they’re approaching it so differently that it creates tension and conflict between them, which makes everything worse.