(Screenshot from https://x.com/netflixgeeked/status/1836480310197817516?s=61&t=1GGjWtn2cr4l3lQNZLQB0Q)
Thatâs what this situation looks like? Is it to get potentially unghosted?
Did they summon the dead to pass judgment on her? That sounds pretty Moonshadow, and we know moon magic can do that kinda thing. Maybe the lotuses serve as some kind of tether to them after death, we saw Runaanâs still glowing while he was beyond the realm of the living. And they can be used to temporarily call them back?
Or maybe theyâre illusions, and itâs just to make Rayla âfaceâ the people her actions harmed?
And where is Runaan and Ethari? Iâm assuming theyâre not allowed to interfere, but I desperately want them to interfere. Ethari didnât go to bat for Rayla when they ghosted her, and Iâm pretty sure he regrets that, so his redemption arc must be a dramatic âI objectâ kinda scene, itâs what he deserves!
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So we know early on in the season, presumably, Ezran and Corvus arrive in Katolis and have reunited with Callum (who has likely flown from the Moon Nexus to Katolis to check on his home/brother) and are riding Aegis and Embertail, Janai and Amaya's hotcat mounts. They will likely also reunite with Soren and Opeli here.
We also know at one point that Ez, Rayla, Runaan, Aanya, and presumably most everyone else ends up at the Banther Lodge thanks to these images.
We also know that Rayla (and Runaan) are going to go to the Silvergrove, where Rayla meets with some kind of Keeper for some kind of Moonshadow trial. I'd place this around 7x03 or 7x04 latest.
With the latest image in mind, we can construct some other details.
I thought at first glance that this picture was depicting the journey to back Katolis, given that Ezran and Aanya are there on said hotcats and Corvus is there. However, Soren is also there (riding with Corvus) which means that it can't be on the way from Lux Aurea to Katolis (at least not the premiere trip), so it must come after.
Whatever they're flying to is either something they're worried about, or something that looks worrisome from the sky. Callum is also not in shot, but he could just be flying with his wings > needing a mount. An alternative is that he went with Rayla and Runaan to the Silvergrove, and perhaps Ezran and co. are travelling there to reunite with them, or even checking up on Zubeia.
Things that could worry them from the Sky:
Visibly destroyed or corrupted places, such as the Moon Nexus, Silvergrove (broken barrier?), or even the Midnight Desert (though I don't think there'd be that many clouds if that was the case). This could even be the place with mushrooms where Zubeia is resting, since Soren and Corvus know the way + Aaravos could have incentive to interrupt her healing, but Zym isn't in shot with them either, so... maybe? I think the Silvergrove could make a lot of sense and be time effective, so we'll just have to see.
She has never had a reason to. Typically, it's used as a retreat for the royal family during the winter festivities, although once, one of Ezran's distant relatives had lent it to the city orphanage to use while their own building was being rebuilt after a fire. It's large for a cabin, obviously supposed to be rustic without losing its air of luxury, and without the castle...
Well. It's better than camping in the temples, that's for sure. It's too far away from the city to use as a permanent base, but it will have to do until other arrangements can be made. Tents have sprung up on the grounds to house both soldiers and refugees, and although it's crowded and busy, Opeli likes it.
It's a quiet place, nestled in the heart of the woods, away from the hustle and bustle of the city with enough space to breathe, to think, to simply be without all the trappings of court life. All things considered, it's a lovely reprieve, and she wonders if, one day, she might be able to come out here and enjoy it for what it is. There's just... one thing about this current arrangement that sets her on edge.
The kingslayer sharpens his blades.
Opeli's fingers twitch.
It has not been an easy few weeks. The attack on the castle was grave indeed, and although Ezran and Corvus had returned with Queen Aanya's troops and Queen Janai's to provide aid and assistance, the loss of their home still rings painfully through camp. Prince Callum and Rayla had returned shortly afterwards as well, and Opeli had been pleased to see them, her unofficial wards home and safe, until Rayla had ushered forward someone newâor someone not so new, and all hell had broken loose among their friends.
For what little it's worth, Ezran had managed it well. His pain was most obvious in his eyes and in the crack of his voice, and he'd been composed as he dealt with it but hasn't spoken to Callum in days. He holds his anger tight, keeps it all buried under the mountains of things they have to do, blue eyes filled with cold that he doesn't let leech into his words, but he avoids the issue entirely and spends almost all his free time with Queen Aanya or Corvus, people he can't be angry with, people to distract him from kinglsaying banther in the room.
Opeli has been less mature about it, if that can be believed. She had Rayla arrested once for breaking into the chambers beneath the castle to steal the kingslayer's bow, but Callum has made it clear that he will not stand for that, so instead Opeli funnels her frustration into sharp words and biting remarks, which she does not temper, even for Callum.
The air is tense. Their council is fractured. But if Ezran won't let himself be angry, the Justice help her, Opeli will be angry in his place.
It's dinnertime. Everyone is pulling double duty because the circumstances demand it, and Opeli is helping Barius dole out the food tonight to give the other staff a bit of a break. She passes bowls of stew to Ezran, to Corvus, to Soren, to Queen Aanya, her lips tilted in an appreciative smile as they thank her, and then slams bowls wordlessly down before Callum and Rayla and the other elf who only shifts uncomfortably in his seat as the stew sloshes over the rim.
"Enjoy your dinner," she snaps, and Callum, because he's Callum, snarls and snaps back.
"What the hell is your problem, Opeli?" he demands. "You've been passive aggressive about everything for days. This isn't okay anymore."
Opeli bristles at him. "And I suppose it's okay to have a murderer at the table instead."
"He was imprisoned in a magical coin for years, he's been punished enoughâ"
"Has he?" Opeli sneers. "Historically, kingslayers are hanged."
"You need to back the hell offâ"
"That's enough!"
Silence falls over them, and things are dire indeed because it comes from Soren. He glared at Callum and Rayla, the elf with them shrinking beneath it, but it's Opeli that he turns to, that he offers his hand to, that he ushers away from the table leaving Callum, Rayla, and the elf alone and in silence in the dining hall.
Opeli waits until they are out of earshot before she rounds on Soren too. "You're not defending that murderer now, surely."
"No," mutters Soren darkly, "but Callum's right. You need to back off."
She scowls, affronted. "That elf shouldn't even be here," she snaps. "He murdered King Harrow, and would have murdered King Ezran too, if Rayla hadn't stood in his way. And they have the nerve to bring him here, our last stronghold, at a time like this?"
"I know," says Soren, grimacing. "I agree with you. But haven't we lost enough?"
"All the more reason he shouldn't be here."
Soren sighs. "He's Rayla's dad, Opeli. You have to let her have this."
"I certainly don't," says Opeli loftily. "Why on earth should he be allowed to walk free after the things he's done?"
"Because Rayla needs him," says Soren, "and not all of us are lucky enough to have a dad we can forgive."
A pause. A breath. A beat so heavy that Opeli feels it slam the air out of her chest. Soren looks away and swallows, his own conflict painfully clear in the way that he blinks and breathes and clenches his jaw.
She relents.
"I'll leave them be," she mutters at last. "But he can't be here long."
"He won't be," agrees Soren. "But just for now. Okay?"
"Yes." Opeli takes a breath and touches his arm, a promise to make an effort, for him more than for anyone else. "Just for now."
something about eddie asking buck for help with dating advice for chris is actually so insane.
like ok yea âbuck knows womenâ so you dont eddie ??
but what if the advice chris needs is how to tell his best friend that he likes her.
do you realize how. insane that would be.
also something about how that could be such a full circle moment with buck realizing he is in love with eddie because of the advice he gave chris about his best friendâŚ
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Musing on Ryan & Oliverâs pre-s7 interviews at the premiere party
Oliver: They get to show up for each other in different ways. But theyâre moving forward. Thereâs almost like potential for things to come up in not so great a light.
Ryan: Well thereâs something brand new for both of us.
I would LOVE to see Eddie âmoving forwardâ coming out as gay  and Buck being completely thrown by it âsomething brand new for both of usâ. Not because heâs not supportive, but the opposite â he suddenly becomes very aware that Eddie LIKES GUYS. And who is a guy? Buck is, of course. And apparently Eddie âloves him to his coreâ â and Buck loves Eddie too, of course he does. But Buck isnât gay. Is he? So off Buck goes on an internal spiral that naturally he doesnât speak to anyone else about, especially Eddie.
Meanwhile Eddie, sweet baby gay Eddie, is feeling sensitive about coming out so late in life and takes Buckâs weird reaction âin not so great a lightâ and that Buck is not supportive and thus we have some delicious angst between them both. Maybe even a fight and them keeping their distance (divorce era 2.0 yes please).
Oliver: But we get to see their friendship persevering. And them being there in ways that they donât necessarily expect for each other.
Buck has his own bi crisis and I know weâre all excited about Tommy being part of either Eddie or Buckâs queer awakening but honestly, I would really like to see Buck turn to Hen and Karen about it. Henâs been there for Buck for such a long time, she deserves to be the one to talk him through this, not some random throwback hottie. Perhaps Tommy flirts with Eddie which gives Buck the push he needs to talk to someone (Hen) about his confusing feelings and jealously.
Oliver: And I just think itâs a really lovely journey for them this season.
Hen, and possibly Maddie or others convince Buck and Eddie to Actually Talk To Each Other. This of course takes the rest of the season because letâs face it, after watching these two be oblivious about each other for 6 seasons, nothing is going to happen quickly.
I predict their last scene together in s7 will be one with the most meaningful eye contact we have seen yet, and perhaps them moving towards each other to kiss before it cuts, leaving us all hanging for s8 â but with confirmation that Buddie WILL become canon.
Tdp could advertise s7 solely on whatever the Terry Claudia Aaravos trio are going to get up to and Iâd be hyped like donât get me wrong I love our heroes but Iâm so fascinated by that trio so excited to see what their dynamics are like now Aaravos is free like. will he keep Claudia around. sheâll still be a useful âassetâ to him, even now heâs free, but like. what are his plans now heâs free and everyone knows exactly who he is and what heâs about. how much of the continent spanning revenge arc do Claudia and Terry get to be involved in and how comfy are they gonna be with it. especially Terry like if he didnât much like Claudia tricking Rayla bc it was âcruelâ how is he going to feel sitting on Aaravosâs shoulder he stomps on some people. probably not great. what does making camp look when one of your party is the size of a small mountain. probably awkward and I wanna see it. Idk, Iâm just really looking forward to seeing the adventures of the guy whoâs trying his dang best to be the best boyfriend ever and his mad with grief girlfriend and her madder with grief hundred foot god elf
i thought i'd hop on the speculation train about the basketball court scene ;)
***
"How's he feeling?" Maddie asked.Â
"So Chimney ratted on me then?" Buck replied, shaking his head. He should have known that the incident wouldn't be kept quiet for more than a few hours.Â
"Of course he told me! And it'll be hard for anyone not to notice when he's on shift with a black eye tomorrow."Â
"I don't know how he is, we haven't really talked," Buck said, "Besides, he doesn't want to talk to me."Â
"Buck, it was an accident on a basketball court. He knows you didn't mean it."Â
"We literally got into a fist fight, Maddie!"Â
"So...you're both stubborn men," Maddie retorted, "You can't shut out your best friend over a game."
Buck shook his head at that.Â
"It's not that simple, Mads." he whispered.Â
Chimney must not have told her everything, then. Because the fight that happened wasn't just some hot-headed, pointless brawl. The muddled feeling in his chest of guilt, confusion, heartache wasn't something that could be caused by some lousy pickup game at the Y on a Tuesday afternoon. But he didn't think he had the words to explain that to Maddie, much less himself.Â
"Why don't you tell me what happened and what's so complicated, then?" Maddie asked. "Let me help you fix it."Â
Buck loosed a sigh, "Okay."
***
"If you think you can beat me, you're wrong. I spent most of my life playing street ball at the park. You got nothing on me," Eddie bluffed as he smoothly dribbled a basketball behind his back.Â
"Oh, really? I see your street ball and raise you two seasons on the varsity team," Buck replied as he tried to snatch the ball from Eddie.Â
The banter continued as they worked their way up and down their half of the basketball court. The warm L.A. air was filled with the chaotic and joyful yells of firefighters. It was a beautiful day off for the 118, so several members of the department decided to take advantage of the weather and meet at the court down the street from the station. They had been at it for over an hour, and the sun was starting to cast a golden-hour glow as it sank.Â
Ravi, Chimney, and several others were engaged in an intense 3 versus 3 battle for a week's worth of relief from dish duty at the station. Buck and Eddie had gravitated into their own game before the chaos, drawing away to themselves like they so often did.
Sweat glistened on both of them, and Buck couldn't help but noticed the way that Eddie's beginning of summer tan glowed. He was doing a lot of that lately, the noticing. Every moment that he spent with the man was filled with some sort of awe for him. The way he laughed at Chimney's awful dad jokes. The messiness of his helmet hair after a long call. The softness in his voice when Christopher had a bad day.Â
They moved more like they were dancing than playing. It was funny how cluelessly in sync they were.
It scared him, this magnetism that had always been present between them. Though it had so quietly manifested shortly after Eddie joined the 118, it had started to consume him since the shooting. With suppression being Buck's specialty, he decided to push down those hints of butterflies as far as he could and never allow them to surface. He didn't even allow himself to acknowledge or name it. Eddie was too important to him to address his own fucked up feelings, or even his sexuality for that matter.Â
Nevertheless, something took over both of them when they did something together, whether it be work or otherwise. And this was no exception. They moved together so effortlessly despite being competitive. Buck got caught up in it, feeling tiny sparks every time they brushed shoulders or hands.Â
It didn't go unnoticed by the others either.Â
"Why are they always...like that?" Ravi asked Chimney as they both turned their attention to Buck and Eddie.Â
"I know you're new here, but you're not that new" Chimney replied, rolling his eyes playfully. "Hen and I have had a bet going since Eddie was shot on when they were finally going to make out."
"Count me in." Ravi said as he shook Chimney's hand.Â
The men continued on for another half hour, drawing closer together. If there ever was a metaphor for sexual tension, this was it, and everyone but them knew it. Buck was so entranced that he was moving in autopilot, moving with Eddie so naturally.
Eventually, Eddie stopped to field Buck's shots as he worked around the paint. The others halted their staring, but Chimney and Ravi kept a wary eye on them.Â
"So, we still going back to your place for a Mario Kart tournament tonight? Chris has been taunting me the last few days. I think it's time for an old man to put the kid in his place." Buck smirked, never missing a beat with his shot.Â
"Yeah, about that..." Eddie said with a glimmer of hesitation and guilt in his eyes. "I've been meaning to ask if you'd come hang out with him. I ran into Marisol again yesterday, and she asked me to go out tonight."
"Oh?" Buck asked. He stumbled just long enough completely miss the net. "I thought you were done with the dating thing for a while, considering how miserable you were with the whole finding someone thing with Tia Pepa."
Eddie straightened up at that, "I wasn't miserable. Just wasn't the right time."
"Oh." Buck repeated, feeling that familiar sinking feeling in his chest.
"What, Buck? You got a problem with my dating life?" Eddie kicked off the goal pole, taking a few steps towards Buck. His tone was humorous, but Buck didn't see it that way.
"Not at all." Buck replied, not doing anything to stop the red tinting his vision as he imagined Eddie on this date. "Only that you're ready to jump back in all of the sudden."
This was escalating fast, uncharacteristically so for the two of them.Â
"What's that supposed to mean?" Eddie asked, standing up straighter. Any casualness in his stance melted away.Â
"Just maybe you should give yourself some time instead of going out with the first person that shows interest in you. It might actually work out in your favor if you actually know them first." Buck said, moving the ball to his hip.Â
He didn't know why he was suddenly so interested in stopping Eddie from dating. Marisol was fine and all as far as he could tell. But there were alarms going off in his head, and Buck wasn't one to ignore his instincts. He liked to blame it on the whole Ana fiasco, even though his emotions ran far deeper than that.
Eddie stared at him, jaw clenched, "What's the problem, Buck? You always have input on my dating life, but only when it starts going south."
"Maybe it's because the last real girlfriend you had quite literally almost gave you a heart attack."
They hadn't bucked up like this to each other since the month after they'd met. Even during the lawsuit, there wasn't as much palpable tension between them as there was now.
"Oh, like you have such fine romantic taste, Buck. First the reporter that exploited the department, now a death doula that's nothing more than a phony fortune teller. Not to mention the fling with another firefighter in between." Eddie retorted, face contorted in rage. "It's almost like you're looking for someone with their own thing that distracts you from your own insecurities."Â
Buck's fist moved faster than his brain, and he was on top of Eddie before he knew it. Looking back, he vaguely remembered his fist making contact with his friend's face, and he definitely remembered feeling like he'd been proverbially punched in the gut even before the two locked up on the ground.Â
In what felt like both a split second and a lifetime, they were being pulled apart. Chimney had his hand clenched into the back of Buck's shirt, yanking him up.
Despite the nature of it, Buck could still feel every place that Eddie's body had connected with his own as he was hauled to his feet. His breathing was heavy, and he wasn't entirely sure that it was due to the fight. Yet he was still too far in denial to address the horrible twisted feeling running throughout his body.Â
"What the hell, Buck?" Chimney was practically yelling, whirling the younger man to look at him.Â
Buck remained silent, suddenly feeling tiny under Chimney's paternalistic gaze.Â
"I-" Buck stuttered. It all came rushing over him. Buck had lost control before many times. God knows that he had gotten into plenty of fist fights because of girls and the short temper ignited in him by his lovely parents. He had said plenty of harsh, harmful words to the people he loved out of his own self-deprecation and denial. But he had never actually come to blows with someone close to him.Â
He turned towards where Eddie had been, Chimney still watching him sternly with a firm had around his forearm.Â
"Eddie...Eds, I-"Â
But before he could muster up some pathetic excuse, Eddie was already gone.Â
***
"Let me get this straight...you got in a fistfight with Eddie over a date that has nothing to do with you?" Maddie asked exasperatedly. She propped herself onto the kitchen island, fingers rubbing her temples.Â
"I don't know what came over me, Mads," Buck sighed. "One minute, he's telling me about Marisol, and the next thing I know I'm on top of him. I was just so angry."Â
"You've never gotten this upset over Eddie's dates before, have you?"
"No...not to his face, anyways." he said. "It just seems like he's in such a rush to find the one again. And with Chris and his mental health...I don't want to see him slip off the deep end again."Â
Maddie stared at the counter for a long moment and took a deep breath.Â
"You love him, Buck." she whispered.Â
Buck stared at her, mouth slightly agape. He couldn't speak. There were so many thoughts running rampant in his head: denial and sorrow and some kind of reckoning with a piece of himself that he had never allowed out before.Â
"I have seen the way that you have acted with girlfriends in the past. None of them really broke your heart, though. And I've watched the way that you act around him for a long time. I've never seen you more at ease than when you're with him" Maddie explained softly. "You love him. And I'm sorry if I'm the first one to force you to confront that, but you need to see it like everyone that loves both of you already does. Because he loves you, too."
Buck was on his feet in an instant. He was shaking his head in denial.Â
"Maddie, whatever makes you think that..." He stammered. "You're wrong. I must have just been completely out of it. I've got to go. I'm sorry."Â
He was out the door in an instant, racing towards the Jeep so he could go home and stew in the mess that was inside his head.Â
Maddie had picked up her phone before he could start the engine, watching Buck pull off out the window.Â
"How's he taking it?" Chimney asked, the sound of traffic thick on the other line.Â
"Not well." Maddie sighed. "But maybe he'll get his head out of his ass soon. God knows we're all holding our breath."
***
Buck had already slammed two cups of coffee down by the time he pulled into the station the next morning. He hadn't been able to sleep at all having stayed up all night to confront his racing thoughts.Â
He couldn't be in love with Eddie, could he?
But he had known from the second the words left Maddie's mouth that nothing was more certain. He was in love with his best friend, and he had all but fucked up any thread of friendship between he and Eddie over his own oblivious anger.Â
It wasn't even the fact that he was queer that distressed him so. Ever since puberty hit, he had comfortably acknowledged that he found some men attractive. However, he had always fallen for women, so he figured that he could file away his sexuality and save the trauma for something else. At least, he had then thought, that he wouldn't have to have that particular identity crisis later in life.Â
But Eddie...
He had mulled over every glance, every touch, last night as he stared at the ceiling. God, he was so stupid. If he had just admitted to himself that he was in love, he could have dealt with it on his own without the crippling pressure of a fight topping it all off.Â
The weight of his failed repression only grew as the day wore on. Eddie would hardly look at him no matter how many times Buck looked his way. The huge black and blue circle engulfing Eddie's eye didn't help either.Â
Apparently, the rest of the team had been informed, too, as nobody had questioned either of them about the injury and tension. They also didn't hesitate to fill the awkward silence. Buck was both grateful and angry that the world was normally functioning around him.Â
Chimney cornered him a few hours before they went home.Â
"So, are you going to talk about it?"
"What is there to talk about?" Buck shrugged. "You were there. There's nothing else to be said other than that I messed up worse than I have in a long time."
"Buck, we both know that it's more than that. And if you don't do something about it then it's only going to get worse." Chimney replied.Â
"Let me guess, you talked to Maddie." Buck said, already knowing the answer. Sometimes it was almost sickening how together they were.Â
"Of course I did. And you would know how that works in a relationship if you'd get your head out of your ass."Â
"I literally gave him a black eye over a date, Chim. Friends don't do that. I don't know why I'm going over all of this again anyway. This is the same conversation I had with Maddie." He said, sitting defeatedly on the bench.Â
"So you're still in denial, huh?" Chimney asked. "Maybe if you thought about why you got so riled up, you could make some progress. Or maybe, just maybe, you should consider talking to Eddie? You'd probably be surprised."Â
Buck huffed, dismissing Chimney's advice.
"Okay, Buck, obviously you're going to have to figure this out. But I and everyone else are begging you to talk to him."
Chimney patted him on the shoulder on his way out.Â
Buck took a moment to steel himself before he headed home, heart aching in ways that it hadn't since Abby left.Â
***
At two a.m., he had finally had enough of his own stupid thoughts. In true Buck fashion, he found himself at Eddie's door, knocking before he could second guess himself.Â
It only took a minute for Eddie to appear, hair and clothes ruffled from sleep. His black eye looked worse somehow, and Buck felt his heart sink to his feet.Â
"Is someone dead?" Eddie asked.Â
"Uh...no." Buck replied.Â
"Then we're done here." Eddie said, going to close the door.Â
Buck threw out his hand to stop him, "Wait, wait, Eddie...please. I need to talk to you."
Eddie stopped, eyeing him wearily. He didn't know if he had it in him to do what was supposed to come next, though Buck was known for his recklessness.Â
Finally, Eddie submitted, leaving the door cracked and walking to the back porch. Christopher was asleep, and he didn't need to hear whatever came out of this visit.Â
Eddie pulled out one of the wicker chairs from the patio and sat, crossing his arms and staring as Buck gingerly propped himself against the railing.Â
"I'm sorry, Eddie." Buck spat out. "I got heated and had absolutely no excuse to hit you. And I've felt... feel terrible. I understand if you hate me and if I've fucked everything up. And I -"
"Buck, stop." Eddie interrupted. "If you've showed up here to grovel...well, I admit that I enjoy it a little bit. But there's no need. I broke it off with Marisol."
"You what?" Buck asked, mouth agape.Â
"When I left the court on Tuesday, I was pissed. How could my best friend call me out like that and get so mad over something that wasn't his business? Not to mention that you knocked the hell out of me." Eddie said. "But then I thought about what you said, and I realized that you're right. I'm so busy trying to find commitment that I forgot that I had run from it not too long ago, and that I never stopped to think about what I actually wanted. So I broke it off with Marisol before we could get started because I know that that's not what I want."Â
Buck was almost speechless, "You're not mad?"
"Oh, I'm mad. Mad that you were so pissed that you hit me. But I also realized that you were telling me what I needed to hear."
"Oh." Buck said.
"Having said all of that - what the hell Buck?" Eddie asked. "What could have possibly gotten you so worked up?"
Buck took a moment. It was now or never.Â
"I love you," he whispered.Â
As nervous and worked up as he was, he also felt a weight lift within him. All night, he had grappled with himself and his feelings. How had he been so stupid all these years? And, he had come to realize in his self-confrontation, what did he have to lose now? The way he saw it, he could apologize for his senseless actions with no explanation, which would probably only piss Eddie off more, or he could lay his heart on the line and hope for the best.Â
Buck had always been a dreamer.Â
"I've been in love with you for a long time, but I don't think I realized it until you were talking so adamantly about finding 'the one' and I realized that that could never be me. And I'm sorry that I have so royally fucked up everything. I understand if you hate me for it, all of it." Buck spouted out. His heart was racing, and tears were prickling in his eyes.Â
"Buck, I - " Eddie began.Â
"You don't have to make me feel better, Eddie." Buck sighed. "I know that this is too much and that I've overstepped again. I can leave now and get out of your hair." Buck headed for the back door to let himself out, heartache and adrenaline racing through his body.Â
He was halfway through the house when he heard Eddie call after him.Â
"Buck, stop!"Â
Buck turned, looking back at Eddie propped against the doorway.Â
"You've got to stop running away from your problems," Eddie said softly.Â
Buck had seen Eddie in sweats and barely awake plenty of times. He had seen him on the brink of death, laid up in a hospital bed, in the middle of a panic attack. He had always thought that he was beautiful despite all of that, yet tonight he looked ethereal in the moonlight.Â
" I don't want to be a burden to you anymore," Buck replied.Â
"You never asked me what I wanted," Eddie said with a small, sad smirk.Â
"What?" Buck asked, shaking his head.
"I told you that you made me realize that I didn't want to rush into a relationship with someone I'd just met. But you didn't ask me what I actually do want?"Â
"What do you want, Eddie?" Buck asked. This was it, the killing blow to crush his feelings. The dream of a white picket fence with a girl and a ring. Anything that didn't involve him, especially not now.Â
I really do know how to fuck things up, don't I?
"I spent all this time hopelessly chasing women I didn't really like because I thought I had to. Between Pepa and Christopher and the idea of what I'm supposed to like, I didn't think it mattered if I was happy or not so long as there was a facade of a happy life. I never really stopped to think about my own feelings." Eddie said, articulate as ever.Â
Buck still couldn't peg that small smile on his face.Â
"It's you, Buck." Eddie whispered, tears now also gleaming in his eyes. "It's always been you. It took me too long to figure that out between panic attacks and near-death experiences and everything in between. But something clicked when I saw you so angry. I was chasing the wrong thing. We've always made one hell of a team, Evan, and life isn't worth living if it can't be done happily with you."
Buck's head was spinning. He could have passed out from the shock.Â
"You don't want me, Eddie," Buck whispered back, tears silently streaming down both of their faces now.Â
"I couldn't imagine loving anyone else."Â
Eddie crossed the room in a few strides, and their lips were crushing together in an instant. It was everything Buck had ever wanted in a kiss. It felt like fireworks had erupted in his head. He almost didn't believe this was happening, like it was a dream that he would have to grapple with in the morning.Â
But as Eddie pulled away to look into his eyes, he knew that it was as real and certain as the world around them.
