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"Maybe Bobby has a point," Buck said as he chopped carrots with a frown on his face. "I never think before I act. Should I bring that up with my therapist?"
"Hey," Eddie said, putting a hand on his arm to get his attention. "That's not true. Yeah, maybe in the heat of a moment you'll act before thinking, but in the rest of your life? Buck, you always think things through. You're one of the best people I know."
Staring back at him, Buck felt a flush creep across his skin. Eddie's brown eyes were so serious and so deep, he felt like he could get lost in them forever.
Then Eddie's fingers squeezed slightly on his arm and Buck's lips parted in surprise at the sparks he felt tingling across his skin. This was Eddie, his best friend, and suddenly he wanted nothing more than to lean across and capture his mouth in a kiss.
So he did. Dropping the knife onto the cutting board, he pressed his palm to Eddie's cheek and kissed him.
For a moment, it was everything Buck had ever wanted. But then Eddie's fingertips dug into his arm painfully, his mouth uncomfortably firm beneath Buck's urgent lips, and Buck got the message.
Pulling back, his face burning red with embarrassment and shame, Buck jerkily turned to face the cutting board and gripped the knife again. He held it painfully tight, trying to erase the memory of feeling Eddie's skin against the palm of his hand.
"Sorry," he grunted, the word coming out rough and coarse. He couldn't believe he'd just proven Bobby's point in the intimacy of Eddie's kitchen. He really didn't think before acting. And now he'd ruined things with his best friend.
"Buck," Eddie whispered, his voice strained. Buck squeezed his eyes shut and wished desperately for the ground to swallow him up so he wouldn't have to hear what came next. "Buck, look at me."
"No," Buck whimpered, feeling hot tears prick his eyes. "Please, just let me finish chopping the-"
Before he could finish his plea, strong hands took hold of his face and firm but passionate lips found his, swallowing his words and the following gasp that escaped him as well.
Fists pressing the knife and carrot into the cutting board rigidly, Buck barely responded as Eddie kissed him. He was so shocked he didn't know what to do. It didn't make any sense. Eddie was kissing him? Right after clearly signalling that he didn't want to be kissed by Buck?
A moment later, Eddie released him again and the two men took a moment to breathe and stare at each other.
"What?" Buck asked dumbly once he'd found his voice.
"Exactly," Eddie said softly, resting against the bench as he breathed heavily. "You surprised me. That's all."
"I surprised you?" Buck exclaimed, but slowly the fog surrounding his brain began to disperse and as Eddie raised his eyebrows, Buck added, "Oh."
Wetting his lips with his tongue and smirking, Eddie nodded.
"You caught me off guard," he explained. "That's all."
"So you..." Buck paused to swallow stiffly. "You liked it."
"Buck," Eddie murmured, reaching over to gently pry the taller man's hands off the knife and carrot he was still squeezing in a death grip. "Evan." Buck felt a shiver go down his spine and allowed Eddie to turn his body so they were facing each other. "I more than liked it."
"You did?" Hands fisting in the front of Eddie's shirt, Buck wasn't sure if he'd whispered the words or just thought them in his head.
Still grinning, Eddie slid a hand into Buck's softly curling hair and then tugged him forward, closing the distance between them. Their lips met, soft and questioning, and Buck let out a quiet sigh, sliding his hands up to Eddie's shoulders.
It was perfect. They fit against each other better than he ever could have imagined, because it was real and not a fantasy, and now that neither of them was frozen in surprise, they moved against each other flawlessly.
When they slowly pulled apart a few moments later, Buck took a shuddering breath as Eddie grazed his jaw with a thumb.
"Sometimes," Eddie murmured. "I love it when you act without thinking."