Even the Best Fall Down Sometimes
I present to you, a fusion of 9-1-1 and the MCU! This is an offering for the @starksnack in honor of the @sunflower-auction. Evan "Buck Buckley/Eddie Diaz, minor Steve Rogers/Tony Stark 5.7k, Gen (Read on ao3)
Eddie doesn't know where the story ends or when the punchline is going to hit, but where it's currently at is Buck and the rest of the team spending their last night in New York fanboying over meeting NYFD's team lovingly referred to as The Avengers while Eddie hangs back trying not to glower at how Buck's mooning over Tony Stark.Â
He can just hear Hen's voice in the back of his head going, Taylor and Natalia didn't follow the name-rhyming scheme, but Tony sure does!
A childish part of him wants to go so does Eddie.
In fact, Eddie's so determined to not be childish that he's too busy glaring down at his beer to pick up on someone joining him at the bar until it's too late.
"I don't think I'm going to be able to dampen Tony's ego again after all the questions your friend Buck has been rattling off."
Eddie doesn't jump or startle like a cat being touched unexpectedly. He just…bounces. A little. And almost drops his beer. Whether it's out of pity or kindness, Steve Rogers doesn't comment on it and helps grab some napkins to wipe up the alcohol that did splash over the rim of Eddie's glass.Â
Honing back in on what the man said, Eddie casts a glance at the table where Buck is still too close to Tony for his liking. "That's Buck for you. He can't help himself when a subject piques his interest."
Steve hums, something akin to knowing in his smile as he takes a sip from his own beer. "Tony's the same way. Constantly researching and then info dumping as soon as something triggers him."
That definitely sounds like Buck. It's so stupid how much Eddie looks forward to it and gobbles up every single fact that spills out of his best friend's mouth.Â
"It's not every day that I hear about Buck sharing a characteristic with Tony Stark," Eddie muses with a lighthearted chuckle. He can't decide if that makes the green-eyed monster worse or not. He can't help it. Buck's been smiling, really smiling, more in their time here and around The Avengers than he has back home. Like it's easier to find peace within himself around a bunch of strangers than with the people who love him.
And, selfishly, Eddie doesn't understand why he's not the one able to do that for him anymore. Buck's the one who got Eddie to stop pretending after the shooting that everything was fine, so why can't he do the same for Buck?
