#from-nova

Maddie is a beautiful bride, but Buck always knew she would be. She’s been glowing all day, bright and open and light in a way that once upon a time he worried he wouldn’t see again.

She’s happy. With Chim. With Jee-Yun. The family she’s built for herself.

She’s happy. And Buck is so goddamn happy for her.

“You’re not dancing,” Hen says, dropping into the chair next to him as the reception continues on in full swing around them.

Buck laughs.

“Your son stole my dance partner,” he replies, nodding over to where Denny and Christopher are poking at something or other on a tablet, their heads pressed together.

“Pretty sure Christopher isn’t your only one,” she points out. “Or at least, he wouldn’t be if you actually asked.”

Buck hums, barely suppressing a smile. “And who is it you think I should be asking exactly?”

Hen rolls her eyes, but her lips twitch fondly.

“You know damn well. Rumor has it he’s an excellent dancer, although I’ve yet to see proof of that.”

Buck’s eyes find Eddie where he’s standing across the room talking to Athena. Eddie lost his suit jacket at some point, so he’s only in his dress shirt, formerly crisp white sleeves pushed up tanned forearms, the top button undone to reveal a sliver of his chest.

Buck wants to put his mouth on it.

He clears his throat and takes a sip of water as he tears his eyes away.

“Yes you have—he was dancing with Karen earlier.”

“Buck.”

“Hen.”

She gives him a long look and he stares right back until she sighs and shakes her head.

“You know I just want you to be happy, right?” She asks.

“I know.” Buck smiles. “You don’t have to worry about me though. I already am. Happy.”

Hen’s eyes narrow thoughtfully as she looks at him for another long moment.

“I believe you,” she says finally. “But one of these days you’re going to tell me why you’ve been acting so weird lately, right?”

“Weird? Me?” Buck asks, grinning again when she swats at his shoulder. “No, I—you’re right, and yes, I will. Just…not yet, okay?”

“Okay.”

He’s saved from any further scrutiny by Karen coming over to steal her wife. And then, he finds himself pushing his chair back and heading for the doors that lead out into the gardens attached to the hall. As he slips past Eddie and Athena, his hand ghosts over Eddie’s lower back—he can feel the weight of Eddie’s eyes on him the next moment, even if he doesn’t look back.

Outside, it’s quieter, although the music still echoes through the doors. The stars are blurred from light pollution, but Buck stares up at them anyway, shoving his hands in his pockets as he waits.

He doesn’t have to wait long.

He feels Eddie’s presence even before familiar hands fall to his hips from behind and lips find the edge of his jaw.

He smiles.

“I missed you today,” Buck admits, sinking into the heat of Eddie’s body.

“I’ve been here the whole time,” Eddie replies. “But…I know what you mean. Feels like I’ve barely seen you.”

“Hazard of being the man of honor.”

A new song starts up inside—something soft and slow—and Buck turns around, his hand coming up to curve around the side of Eddie’s neck.

“Dance with me?”

“Thought you’d never ask.”

They sway together there, pressed close in the relative privacy of the garden, and Buck can’t quite stop himself from turning his head to kiss the edge of Eddie’s jaw, his cheek, and finally, his lips.

“Been wanting to do that all day,” Eddie says quietly, catching Buck’s mouth again after.

“I’ve been thinking—”

“We should tell people.”

They speak practically at the same time, although Eddie’s thought fills in the second half of Buck’s own statement.

“Yeah?” He asks, lips curving up.

Eddie kisses him again.

“It’s been nice,” Eddie admits when he pulls back. “Keeping this to ourselves, having the space to figure it out without a million opinions, but we know what it is now and—yeah. At least the people in there—they’re our family. They should know.”

Buck means to simply agree, but when he opens his mouth, what comes out is—

“God, I’m so in love with you.”

Eddie’s thumb drags across Buck’s lower lip, and when his hand falls away, the touch is replaced with his mouth.

When You Gimme Those Ocean Eyes

The loft was dark and stilted like Buck hadn’t even bothered to turn on the lights when he got home but the air was thick with moisture. Maddie heard the shower first and then the pitiful, pained whimper next.

“Buck!”

Maddie moved in through the loft to the bathroom and pushed open the door. She was met with a face of trapped steam that seeped into her skin and made her lungs release a tension she didn’t know she’d been holding. But that tension returned tenfold as she flipped on the light.

Buck stared up at her, tired and scared, from where he was slumped in the corner of his shower.

Mermaid AU

Part One of Three

Read on Ao3

May in yellow throughout the seasons. 

Is this the shirt you're saying it gray??