Jessssssica! I hope you like this. It's 737 words of very awkward!
Buck didn’t go out drinking alone. He might go to a bar alone intending to pick someone up. He might go out drinking with friends or family coworkers. But this? Several shots on a too-empty stomach for the express purpose of obliterating his thinking processes? Not his usual.
A bad day at work plus a bad series of calls multiplied by a too quiet house after equaled a noisy bar full of strangers and alcohol becoming very appealing.
And so he did. He lost himself in a handful of shots and the anonymous noise of people he didn’t know living lives he wasn’t invested in. They paid him no mind and that was just fine by him. It wasn’t about him. He wasn’t bucking it up. He was just a guy with a barstool and a wonderful, thought-obscuring buzz.
All his perfectly scattered thoughts reorganized into one: Tommy.
“You’re not s’posed to be here.” Buck was maybe pouting. It wasn’t fair. He hadn’t specifically been trying to dodge Tommy-thoughts today but they were in that permanent category. The man wasn’t supposed to materialize when he was avoiding all those things that made him sad or tired.
“Sorry,” Tommy answered, taking the stool next to him. There’d been someone there just a few moments earlier but Tommy must have made them vanish when he suddenly appeared.
Maybe Tommy was magic. Maybe that’s how he could remove himself from Buck’s life so easily.
Except for that one time, Buck thought. The alcohol in his belly turned sour at the memory. “Don’wanna think ‘bout that,” Buck complained.
“About what?” Tommy asked. He waved away the bartender, barely sparing any of his focus on Buck to do so.
“Bad stuff. Things I said. Bucking it up.” He laughed miserably and checked his most recent shot, hoping he’d missed something.
“Okay.” Tommy’s tone was that familiar one of easy acceptance, the one that said he’d go along with whatever. But his eyebrows pulled down as he studied Buck.
Buck frowned back at him. “Why’re you here? You’re only around when I don’t want you.”
Tommy drew back, his face going empty.
“I hate that,” Buck said, waving his fingers at Tommy. “Th’empty face. You’ve got such a good face. Not fair to use it like that.”
“Sorry,” Tommy said again. But this time it was quieter. Sad.
Buck hated that more than the empty face. “Wait.” Frowning in concentration, Buck tried to remember everything he’d said, tried to figure out why Tommy had the empty face and the sad tone.
“Wait,” he repeated, gasping a little. “Fuck. No. I… that wasn’t…”
“It’s okay, Evan. I know. I keep showing up when you haven’t called. I’ll go. But… is there someone I can call for you? I… I need to know you’re going to get home safely.”
“Don’t wanchu to go,” Buck muttered. He pushed up from his stool and fit himself closer to Tommy. “Want…” He huffed. “Want you to stop going.” And then, half stumbling between their stools, he lurched into Tommy, his mouth landing hard against Tommy’s.
Tommy tried to catch him, his hand landing on Buck’s shoulder and gripping there tight enough there might be a bruise later. Buck hoped there was. He didn’t know if Tommy was holding on or just surprised or maybe wanting to push Buck away. Buck adjusted the kiss into something more kiss-like. It still wasn’t right though.
It wasn’t right because Tommy wasn’t kissing him back.
Buck straightened. He blinked at Tommy.
“Tommy. Don’t… don’t say whatever you’re gonna say. Don’t… don’t go. Please. Kiss me. Stay. Stop… stop leaving.”
“Evan. I…” Tommy scrubbed a hand over his face. “I wish this wasn’t however much you’ve had to drink talking,” he said, the words so soft Buck didn’t think they were meant for him.
“It’s me talkin. I keep saying the wrong things. Just… pretend they’re right things for once?”
“How about I take you home and if you remember this tomorrow we can talk?”
Buck grabbed Tommy’s arm. “But you’ve gotta stay,” he demanded. “Stay until I find the right words?”
Looking away, Tommy blew out a breath. His face wasn’t empty now. His face was full of so many things that Buck couldn’t keep himself from reaching up to touch him, sure he’d feel all those emotions under his fingertips.