#probably rusty

And now he has to tell his sister on her wedding day that they’ve lost her fiancé.

At least Eddie’s here beside him, looking just as worse for wear. Or maybe even more so. Buck’s not sure why he even bothered with the collar of his shirt.

Telling his sister goes just about as well as he thought it would. She and Hen immediately start pacing, reaching for phones, and calling numbers so fast Buck’s not even sure they let the line connect before they start another call.

And he and Eddie stand there awkwardly. Immobile with hangover. And honestly, Buck wishes his parents weren’t here at the moment. He doesn’t overly care what they think anymore (okay maybe he does but he’s working on it) but he sort of wanted to see them for the first time since they…found out…a little more presentable.

Maddie had asked him if he wanted her to tell them before the wedding. So they wouldn’t go all ‘Phillip and Margaret Buckley’ and make fools of themselves when he showed up at the wedding with Tommy. Who is probably waiting for me downstairs looking gorgeous, Buck thinks with an inaudible groan.

But now it’s HIM making the fool out of himself wearing a ridiculous outfit, destroyed within an inch of its life, and more hungover than he’s ever been.

His dad coughs to break the silence between the four people not currently pacing around the room.

“Um,” Phillip says with an awkward shuffle forward, “You, um, must be Buck’s date. We’ve heard…a lot about you. Nice to meet you.”

It’s almost in slow motion as Buck watches his dad extend a hand toward…Eddie. He thinks Eddie is Tommy. He thinks Eddie is Buck’s date. Buck’s not sure if he wants to laugh or cry or vomit.

His parents, in their own weird way, are trying. And while he can’t forgive and forget, a part of him heals a little more in this moment.

And then he glances over at Eddie. Eddie, who is vacillating between looking at Buck’s father’s hand and Buck himself, straightening his ruined suit jacket like that will make it look any less ruined.

A weird feeling fills Buck’s chest at the gesture. His eyebrows furrow as something almost…unfurls behind his ribcage. Between the insinuation and Eddie’s reaction to it, Buck can’t make heads or tails of the increased beat of his heart. What…is happening?

“Dad, that’s Eddie. You’ve met him before. He’s not Buck’s date. Tommy is.” Maddie huffs from near the window; phone still at her ear as she rolls her eyes.

Phillip apologizes immediately and Buck thinks he tries to make a joke to lighten the mood but Buck’s now focused on the new feeling in his chest. The feeling that popped up right after Maddie set their father straight.

Disappointment.

                    𝙋𝘼𝙇𝙋𝘼𝘽𝙇𝙀      𝘼𝙈𝙐𝙎𝙀𝙈𝙀𝙉𝙏      𝙂𝙍𝘼𝘾𝙀𝙎      𝙐𝙋𝙏𝙐𝙍𝙉𝙀𝘿      𝙇𝙄𝙋𝙎   :         a      beast      masquerading      beneath      human     guise        /        𝚂𝚄𝙱𝙹𝙴𝙲𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽      to     torment      &      hurt     was      practically      flirting      with     such      a      creature   !      Even     the      mere      suggestion      permitted      an     audible     ℭ𝔥𝔲𝔠𝔨𝔩𝔢     to     escape          ————          yet      fourteen      years      had     expired      so      abruptly        /        Ginger      didn’t      quite     recall      just      when     her      youth      slipped      between      the     cracks      whilst      ever     so      tiny      (     but      definite      )      forming      wrinkles      burrowed      in     flesh   ;     𝚝𝚑𝚎      𝚋𝚕𝚞𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐      𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚗      𝚠𝚘𝚕𝚏     𝚊𝚗𝚍      𝚠𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗      …      𝚗𝚘𝚝     𝚊      𝚐𝚒𝚛𝚕   ,      𝚗𝚘   ,     𝚗𝚘𝚝      𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎   .         “      Sorta’      cute     thinkin’      ya’      have     P O W E R      like      that     over      me   .      I’ll     give      ya’      credit      for     trying      to      muster      up     whatever      big      dick     energy      you’ve      got     going      as      ya’     try      ta’      swing     it      all      over     the      place   ,      but      I’ll     pass      handsome   .      ”          Saccharine      grin     hits      the      final     nail      in      his     proverbial      coffin      as     her      intonations      𝔖𝔢𝔱𝔱𝔩𝔢     amongst      the     pair   .