not sure when exactly in the timeline this would be, it could be sometime earlier, it could be sometime post s8 if you wanna spin it that way but, either way, i'm thinking about eddie asking buck to go to the aquarium, and buck is like duh of course i want to go, and assumes that chris will be there, because of course he will, its the aquarium, chris loves the aquarium. except when eddie comes to pick him up, its just him. and as buck slides into the car and sees the backseat empty he's like oh hey where's chris? and eddies like oh he's got that birthday party? remember? its been on the calendar for weeks. and buck's like oh! right! and maybe thinks its a little odd that they're going to the aquarium without chris, since he's usually the reason they do go, except buck loves the aquarium almost as much as chris does so he just shrugs it off and is like alright well lets go.
so they go to the aquarium, and they're walking through the exhibits, taking their usual routes, making their usual jokes, buck rattling off his aquarium fun facts — ones eddie's heard a million times AND some new ones too, because buck always seems to have new ones, even though they've been here too many times to count — and it's a real nice time, even without chris there.
and maybe after walking around for a while they stop at the café inside to get lunch, and eddie ends up sitting right next to buck instead of across from him, and it surprises buck a little, when eddie slides into the booth beside him, even though there's a perfectly good chair right there on the other side, but buck just thinks maybe eddie wants to people watch, and the booth side of the seat is better for that, since it overlooks the rest of the café, and buck sat there first but eddie didn't want to ask him to move so he just sat next to him instead. no biggie! and sure, he keeps nudging up against buck, bumping his shoulder into buck's, brushing his arm against buck's, but— its not a big booth, y'know, and they're two fully grown men! it makes sense it'd be a little bit of a tight squeeze. (nevermind that there are several inches of space to eddie's right that he could totally scoot into).
after they've finished their meal, eddie clears away the trash, since he's on the outside of the booth. and he's gone for longer than it takes to throw the trash away, the can's not that far. but then eddie's back and he's sliding back into his spot next to buck and placing on the table one of those giant iced sugar cookies that's shaped like some colorful fish — the ones he always gives in and buys for chris after chris turns his puppy dog eyes and pouty mouth on him. buck always thinks they're super cool, but he never buys one for himself, and chris always ends up sharing because that thing is way too big for him to eat by himself.
eddie puts one of those on the table and pushes it towards buck with a crooked smile and tells him got this for you. and buck's like 🥺 oh! eddie! and laughs and goes you didn't have to and eddie's like i always see the way you eye them. just because chris isn't here doesn't mean you shouldn't get one. ☺️ and buck's like well thank you. and then he insists on splitting it with eddie, and eddie tries to protest it at first like oh no no i'm okay, that's too much sugar. but buck's like nu uh no way you're eating half of this eddie diaz! too much sugar my ass, your sweet tooth is bigger than texas!! and so eddie caves and they share it.
maybe at one point buck takes a big bite and he's talking around it — as he does, it's kinda gross but also ridiculously endearing — and gesturing with his hands so he doesn't realize or doesn't have the focus to brush away the crumbs that have caught on the side of his face and eddie just. mindlessly reaches over to brush them away, making buck stutter over his words for a second, but y'know, that's just eddie being a helpful friend! since they've already tossed all the napkins and eddie didn't grab new ones when he bought the cookie. doing it himself is just quicker than walking across the room and back to get more napkins — at least that's what buck tells himself.
and then later, they're walking around some more, and maybe it's in the early afternoon now, which is when it's busiest, and it isn't overly crowded by any means, but there's a good bunch of people around, which means that eddie walks a little closer to him, y'know, to stay out of people's way. except— they're walking through the shark tunnels, on their way to one of the exhibits that really doesn't have a whole lot of people in it (maybe its an underrated one that most people find boring or not as exciting as the sharks or the touch tank or whatever, but buck loves this one, so they always hit it up) and eddie's close still, shoulder bumping into buck's, and his hand keeps brushing buck's beside him, sending sparks up buck's arm every time it happens. and then— one time eddie's hand brushes, but it doesn't move away.... in fact, his fingers curl around buck's and... and then he's holding buck's hand.
and it surprises buck, enough that his hand sort of automatically jerks back, out of eddie's hold, almost like he's been burned. and eddie's heart is siiiiiinking to the bottom of his stomach, and buck is looking at him with bigbigbig eyes and he's going uhhh eddie? and eddie's like uhh. shit. sorry. i— i totally read this wrong. you don't want— sorry sorry. i'm sorry, forget that happened. uh. and buck is like waitwaitwaitwait no hold up what? what? what's happening?
and, of course, what is happening is that eddie "our minds our so melded that obviously you'll know exactly what i mean without me needing to say it explicitly" diaz asked buck on a date without actually asking buck on a date, and has spent this whole time thinking that they are, in fact, out on a date, while buck, crucially, has no idea!! because eddie never actually asked him!!
and so eddie trying to make this move, to hold buck's hand, which, really, does not have a platonic explanation, not even one that buck can stretch his mind to fit to this the way he's been doing with everything else, is not something buck is expecting or prepared for and he panics a little. and he's looking at eddie with big, maybe kind of scared eyes, and he's asking what's happening and eddie goes well i was trying to hold your hand. and buck's like um y-yeah i know. but— but why. and eddie's face screws up for a second because what kind of a question is that and he's like because that's what you do on a date... and because i wanted to. and buck blinks and he maybe looks a little faint and he's like a d-date? and eddie's like um. yeah? buck what's going on are you okay? and buck's like me? am i okay? eddie are you okay? this isn't— we're not on a date. and eddie suddenly looks like he's gotten slapped in the face, maybe even feels that way too, and he's like buck what? and buck's like eddie what? and eddie's like buck, it is, it is a date. but— but i guess it doesn't have to be, if you don't want— if it's not working for you. and buck's like wait wait what. eddie. eddie this isnt a date. its never been a date. i— i would've known. you— you never asked me— eddie. and eddie's like i did, i did though, i asked if you wanted to go to the aquarium. without chris. and bucks like eddie!!! thats not a date!!! and eddie's like but isnt it? you— you love the aquarium. i thought it'd be nice for us to go. together. just us. and buck's like it— it is, and that's— that'd be a great date, it would, but eddie, i thought— we do that all the time. i thought it was just, y'know, us hanging out. you never said it was a date. you never asked me out. and eddie pauses for a second, maybe mentally replays the whole thing, and then is like oh. oh, my god. buck. i thought— i thought you knew. and buck shakes his head, and he's like i didn't. and eddie's turning a pretty shade of pink and he's like i thought i was so obvious, and he's laughing at himself a little, and he's like i thought you knew how i felt about you. and buck's trying to hold back a smile now, and his heart is like racing in his chest and they're so close now, when did they get so close? and he maybe reaches out, takes eddie's elbows in his hands, and he's like i didn't, i don't eddie— how do you feel? and eddie's like oh. i— well i love you buck. i'm in love with you. like, a crazy ridiculous stupid amount. and buck's like oh 🥺 eddie, i love you too. and then they have their first kiss in the shark tunnel at the los angeles aquarium 💏🦈💕
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