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One
“Uh, hey. You wanna come in for a coffee?”
Eddie might not have been on a first date since he was 15, but he knows a line when he hears one.
Buck, the tall, handsome firefighter he’d matched with on a dating app, doesn’t even have the decency to look bashful.
“A coffee?” Eddie repeats, stifling a laugh. He’s annoyingly endeared. Buck, it turns out, is annoyingly endearing.
Buck steps closer.
“I also have tea?”
Eddie laughs.
“That’s, like, the oldest trick in the book, man.”
Buck grins, shrugs. “There’s nothing wrong with the classics.”
Classics, indeed. Classic in the same way they’d “just happened” to end up at a bar across the street from Buck’s apartment. Honestly, Eddie is impressed with the level of foresight. Or, more likely, he’s just the latest cog in a very well-oiled machine.
“Does that usually work?” he asks.
Buck leans back against the outer brick wall of his apartment complex.
“Almost always, yes,” he shrugs. There’s an undoubtedly casual confidence about him, and yet his eyes are studying him. Analyzing. Logging his reactions and expertly tweaking his next move to match. There’s not a doubt in Eddie’s mind that Buck is an expert at getting people to do what he wants.
“Well now I don’t want to say yes,” Eddie admits. He’s being a little bratty, sure. But he has a feeling Buck won’t mind.
If the glint in his eye is anything to go by, he doesn’t.
“But you were going to say yes before?” Buck presses. He cocks his head, like Eddie is a math problem that isn’t adding up.
He’s infuriated to admit it’s adorable.
Eddie shrugs. He’s almost certain he isn’t fooling anyone with his nonchalance act, but Buck is graciously letting him have it. “I hadn’t decided.”
Buck cocks his head in the other direction, nods, and lets out a tiny little “hmm” sound. In a blink, his whole demeanor changes. Softens. The tension in the air dissipates. Eddie can breathe again.
“We don’t have to have coffee . We can really have a coffee. Or tea. I have herbal tea. And sleepy time tea.”
Eddie blinks.
“You have sleepy time tea?”
“Yeah, with the Mr Scrooge bear on the front,” Buck nods.
“That’s the best one. My kid loves it,” Eddie says before he thinks it through. He remembers a second too late that, until this point, he has not-so-accidentally not mentioned the existence of his child.
Buck, to his credit, doesn’t even blink.
“You have a kid? I love kids,” he grins.
And, again, Eddie hasn’t dated anyone new in almost 15 years, but he’s aware that it’s probably not the best dating etiquette to not disclose the existence of a child.
He scratches at his head sheepishly.
“Uh, yeah. Sorry. I probably should’ve mentioned. I try to keep him separate from this whole dating thing, you know? He’s only 7. He’s my whole world, and uh - - I’m all he’s got.”
“I’d love to hear more about him, if you want to tell me. You don’t have to, obviously. I get it. But there’s a mug of sleepy time tea with your name on it, just one short elevator ride away. Just the tea. No coffee on the menu.”
Maybe it’s because he has a sitter and nothing else to do, or maybe it’s because he’s so absurdly charmed by this man, he’s not sure — but for whatever reason, he opens his mouth and says:
“You know what, sure. Why not.” Judging by the look on Buck’s face, he’s not the only one surprised by his answer.
And that is how he ends up in Buck’s apartment, drinking a mug of sleepy time tea on his couch, definitely breaking at least a dozen first date rules.
“I feel like I should probably tell you that I don’t sleep with people on the first date,” he announces at the conclusion of a very lengthy story about how great his kid is.
Buck has been sitting there, seeming genuinely interested, asking questions and sipping his tea. Eddie feels like he’s stringing him along, somehow.
Buck frowns, likely at the sudden change in topic.
“That’s so fine,” he shrugs. “I meant it, I really like talking to you.”
And god, he looks like he means it , too. Earnest and endearing, Eddie is powerless against the words about to spill out of his mouth.
“I, uh. I actually don’t really do this at all. I’m not good at dating?” He coughs. “I don’t do casual, really. And so much of my life is my kid, I don’t even know that I have time to date. But I - - I really like talking to you, too. I’m sorry if I’ve sent mixed signals, or something. I’m really not good at this.”
He can feel his cheeks burning, knows Buck must be able to see the blush of embarrassment staining his face.
Why did he think it was a good idea to leave his house?
He braves a glance at Buck, who is - - amused? He’s smiling at him, like he’s the endearing one, not the one who has just embarrassed himself in front of the cutest guy he’s ever shared a couch with.
“I have to disagree,” Buck says. “This is my favorite date in a long time.”
“Even without the coffee?”
“Yeah. Hey, when are you kid-free next?”
“Uh, my Abuela has him next Thursday, why?”
“Go on another date with me,” Buck shrugs.
“I don’t sleep with people on the second date, either.”
Buck rolls his eyes. “You’re really not going to let me live down the coffee thing, are you?”
“I haven’t dated a man before,” Eddie panics , and admits.
Buck, god bless him, doesn’t blink.
“Okay, that’s fine.”
“I’m gay, though,” Eddie clarifies. Face flaming.
“Okay. Cool. I’m bi,” Buck offers, taking Eddie’s panic-induced word vomit like a champ.
“I’m a mess. I have a kid. I’m complicated,” Eddie tries. He doesn’t know how to be any more clear about this. Buck should not want to see him again.
“It’s just a second date, Eddie,” Buck laughs.
But no. No. He doesn’t get it.
“When’s the last time you had a first date that didn’t end in someone’s bed?”
He regrets it as soon as it leaves his mouth. Buck flinches.
“What has that got to do with anything?”
“Sorry. Sorry, I’m not trying to shame you or anything. The opposite, actually. We’re just - - we’re different. I don’t think I’m what you’re looking for.”
Buck tilts his head, looks at him.
“I don’t think that’s up to you.”
Eddie is so lost. He has never, ever had this problem before. He’s really trying to give Buck an out, and he is, for some reason, refusing to take it.
“Why do you want a second date with me?” he asks, feeling a little out of his mind.
Buck takes a sip of his tea.
“This is not the only reason, but it needs to be acknowledged again that you are insanely hot,” he starts. “But you’re also - - you’re right. You’re different. I’m ready for different. I want to know more about you. I don’t care if we never even kiss. I just - - I like you. And hey, I could say the same thing about you. Why are you still here if you think I’m just here to fuck around?”
“I don’t think that.”
“Yes you do.”
“I did, maybe. Briefly. I don’t now. I don’t know why I’m still here. I especially don’t know why I’m going to say yes to a second date. Maybe you’re just - - charming.”
Buck snorts. And goddamn, if it isn’t charming.
“Or maybe I’m just super hot and you’re super gay?” He grins.
“That could be part of it too,” Eddie concedes. “You’re - - not what I expected. You’re disarming.”
Buck blinks.
“I don’t think anyone has ever called me that before.”
“You are. I thought I’d get one drink and be able to say I’d gone on my first date with a man. But now I’m in your apartment, drinking sleepy time tea, and agreeing to a second date. Disarming.”
“So next Thursday, then? You’ll see me again?” Buck prods, face full of hope and utterly endearing.
Eddie sighs.
“Yeah. It’s just a second date, right?”
“Just a second date,” Buck nods. “You better not cancel on me. I’ll be so bummed if you cancel on me.”
“I won’t.”
Buck sticks out his hand, extends his little finger. “Pinky promise? I take them very seriously, it’s the highest oath.”
Eddie laughs.
“Alright. Pinky promise, I won’t cancel.”
He links his little finger with Buck’s and has to choke down a gasp at the jolt of energy he feels at the contact. Buck’s eyes snap to his, and Eddie thinks that, maybe, he felt it too.
He pulls his hand away.
“I should go. I’m gonna go.”
“Okay, thank you for tonight. I had a really great time.”
“Yeah, me too. I’ll - I’ll see you on Thursday.”
“You better.”
“Night, Buck.”
“Goodnight, Eddie.”
Two
“I’m really glad you agreed to a second date. And that you didn’t cancel.”
“I almost canceled,” Eddie admits. And boy did he. He almost canceled 24 times in the last 24 hours alone.
“You did?” Buck chuckles. He doesn’t look offended, more amused than anything.
“Yeah. Didn’t want to find out what happens when you break a pinky promise though, so thought I’d better not risk it.”
“Good. It’s a sacred oath. I can’t imagine the karma.”
They’re wandering towards the parking lot considerably slower than is reasonable. Eddie is shocked to admit it, but he really doesn’t want the night to end.
“I’m glad I didn’t,” he admits.
Buck turns and throws a crooked grin at him. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” Eddie smiles. “This has been really fun.”
“So fun that you’d do it againnn?” Buck questions, turning to walk backwards so he can keep his eyes on Eddie.
Eddie laughs.
“You know, I went into this convinced I would go on one more date, and then call it. It’s the only reason I actually got myself here. I’d tell you that it’s been so great getting to know you , and that while you are really very hot and sweet and funny, I’m not in a place right now to be dating .”
Buck stops, right in front of Eddie.
“And what are you gonna say instead?”
Eddie’s very, very slow stroll comes to a halt too, on account of the 6’2” wall of man standing directly in front of him.
“Yes. I’m gonna say yes instead.”
Eddie is glad he’s looking at Buck’s face when he says that, because he gets to watch every corner of it light up.
“Really?”
“Yeah. I’m as surprised as you are.”
“I have the sudden urge to steal your wallet or something so that you have to show up.”
Eddie barks out a laugh.
“That is - - actually not a bad idea,” he admits. “I will definitely freak out about this between now and then.” He pats around his pockets for something that isn’t his wallet, and pulls out the library card he’d shoved in these jeans while rushing to get Chris to pick a book, please, any book before his sleepover with Abuela. “Oh, here! Keep hold of this.”
Buck takes the card and laughs. “Your library card?”
“Reading is vital, Buck. That’s my key to knowledge. And Christopher’s favorite place.”
“What if you need it?”
“I have an app.”
Buck looks distinctly displeased about Eddie’s library app.
“Oh. Well what if you just abandon it and I never see you again and all I have left to remember you by is this library card?”
God. Eddie is so unbelievably, unbearably charmed by this man.
“It’s special,” Eddie adds. “Turn it over.”
Buck flips the card to reveal a small, pixelated photo of Eddie and Christopher grinning in the top right corner of the card.
“Oh, cute!” Buck grins.
“Yeah. That’s the first photo of Chris and I in LA. And the date, right there, is the day we moved. The first thing we did was go to the library and get our library cards. Chris was so worried about not having a library card, he loved the library back in El Paso. Everyone knew him. We hadn’t even picked up the house keys. We drove straight to the library, and they took that picture, and gave us that card. Chris was so happy. I’m never getting rid of it,” Eddie explains, smiling at the memory. It was a really great day.
Buck tightens his grip on the card.
“Oh. Well now I feel like I shouldn’t have it.”
“Just for now,” Eddie shrugs. “Take care of it for me. And it - - it means you have to show up too. Now you know it’s special.”
Buck’s eyes snap to Eddie’s. He’s looking at him again. Eddie doesn’t know if he wants to know what he finds.
“Yeah. Of course,” he nods, holding the card to his heart. “I will guard it with my life.”
Eddie nods once, then side-steps out of Buck’s path toward the parking lot. He chuckles as Buck jogs to catch up.
“I’ll text you,” he throws over his shoulder. “Send me your schedule, I’ll find a sitter.”
“Okay. I will.”
The parking lot is mostly empty now, everyone else filtering out earlier in the night. Just his car and a Jeep, parked right next to him.
“This is me,” he says, pointing to his truck. He hates this part — has always hated it. The awkward goodbye — do you hug? Do you kiss? High-five? He’s a grown man, he shouldn’t be freaking out about the prospect of being kissed after an objectively wonderful date, and yet, he is.
“Oh. We parked next to each other,” Buck smiles, leaning up against his, apparently, Jeep. He crosses his stupidly attractive arms across his stupidly attractive chest, and looks at him again.
Eddie does not know what he’s supposed to be doing right now. He very much just wants to get in his truck and drive away, but now Buck is smirking at him, and he can’t have that.
“Stop smirking at me.”
“I’m not!”
“You are. Stop it.”
Buck giggles.
“I can’t help it. You’re so cute when you’re flustered.”
“I’m not flustered.”
“You’re definitely flustered. I’m not gonna make a move. I can be someone who doesn’t make moves.”
Eddie sighs, part relief, part mortal embarrassment that Buck can read him so well.
“Yeah, I know. Alright. I’m leaving now.”
“Goodnight, Eddie,” Buck grins. “Drive safe.”
“Night, Buck.”
Three
“Wait, you’d want me to meet him?” Buck asks, as if Eddie just asked him if he wanted to meet a god amongst men.
“Yeah. If he doesn’t like you, you’re toast,” Eddie jokes, squeezing Buck’s hand in his, because they’re holding hands. He’s holding hands with a man. With Buck.
“The pressure!” Buck laughs, swinging their hands between them.
“He’s the boss around here. You gotta get his stamp of approval if you want another date.”
“The aquarium is open late on Fridays,” Buck suggests immediately, because of course he just knows that. “You both free on Friday?”
Eddie doesn’t consciously decide to screech to a halt, but he does. Buck, by way of being attached to him, also comes to a stop.
“Really?” Eddie asks.
“Yeah?” Buck frowns, taking in Eddie’s reaction with an adorable head tilt. “Wait. Did you - - were you trying to scare me off?”
“No. No. I - - I guess I thought you’d probably rather spend your time not hanging out with a seven year old and his dad.”
Buck scoffs.
“I love aquariums. And libraries. And zoos. My interests are closely aligned with a seven year old’s. Especially this one, because I am extremely interested in his dad.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah. I’m so interested that I haven’t even kissed him yet,” Buck says, eyes flicking between Eddie’s eyes and lips. Eddie’s not doing much better, he can admit. He is definitely also looking at Buck’s mouth.
He clears his throat. “That sounds counterintuitive.”
“I’m trying not to scare him off,” Buck shrugs, eyes finally landing back on his. “He’s flighty. I really like him, though.”
Eddie’s breath catches in his throat.
“He really likes you too,” he whispers.
Buck smiles, the one that goes all the way to his eyes and sparkles, and leans in. Eddie holds his breath, feels time stop. He doesn’t even realize his eyes have fallen shut until he feels Buck’s lips press against his cheek. He blinks his eyes open to see Buck looking very pleased with himself, rosy cheeked and beautiful.
“You’re sure?” Buck croaks, clears his throat. “About Friday?”
Eddie nods, wills his brain to come back online.
“Yeah. He’s - - he’s my whole world. He comes first. He gets a say.”
“Alright. Friday.”
“Friday.”
Four
“Here, give me his crutches.”
Buck manages to wrangle the crutches from Eddie’s tangled armful of a sleeping Chris. Eddie can’t remember the last time he had someone to help with the tired trip back to the car.
“Oh. Thanks. You really wore him out.”
Buck grimaces. “Too much?”
“No, not at all. He loved it. He gets tired easily, most of our outings end like this. I don’t mind it, while he’s still small enough that I can,” he explains, smiling down at his zonked son in his arms.
When he looks back up at Buck, he’s smiling softly at the two of them.
“He’s such a great kid, Eddie. You’re doing an amazing job.”
“He’s pretty great, isn’t he?”
They reach Eddie’s car, and he does his practiced sleeping transfer dance, dropping Chris into his booster seat and buckling him in without waking him up. He leaves the door open, and turns to find Buck standing anxiously behind him.
“You think he liked me?” he asks nervously.
Eddie laughs. Buck was incredible with Chris. He hasn’t seen Chris smile so much since Shannon left. But Buck, of course, has no idea that he’s just made idol status.
“The reviews aren’t in yet, but I have a suspicion they’re going to be glowing.”
Buck nods. He looks like he’s waiting to find out terrifying test results.
“Well you’ll have to give me the full performance review on our next date, I guess.”
“That’s presumptuous. What if he declares you’re too cool for me to keep dating?”
“Someone may have told him we’d visit the zoo next time we hang out, so I like my chances.”
Eddie mock-gasps. “You’re corrupting my child already.” Buck shrugs, looking, again, quite pleased with himself. “Um, you’d - - you’d really want to see me again?”
Buck cocks his head and chuckles. “Of course. I kind of don’t want you to leave right now.”
“I just - - I know it’s a lot. It’s not really what you signed up for.”
Buck frowns.
“What’s not?”
“I have a kid.”
“Yeah, I know? And I like him even more than I like you. I wasn’t lying when I said I love kids, Eddie. It’s like, the opposite of a dealbreaker that you have the world's best one built in.”
“But it’s - - it’s not just me.”
Buck, to his credit, is clearly doing his best to keep up with this conversation. Eddie, for what it’s worth, is aware that he is not making any sense.
“Yeah. I told you, he can come on all our dates, I don’t mind,” Buck tries.
“No, I mean - - it’s not just me who - - who. God,” Eddie groans. “I’m so bad at this.”
Buck reaches out and grabs his hand. “Hey, it’s okay. Tell me. I want to know where you’re at.”
Eddie tries to find anything in Buck’s face that says otherwise, but he can’t. He’s looking back at him, steady. Open. Sure.
Eddie takes a breath and tries to let him in.
“It’s not just me who gets hurt. He does too.”
Understanding flashes across Buck’s face. He squeezes Eddie’s hand.
“Yeah. I know. Eddie, I didn’t agree to this date lightly. I get what it means. I’m on board with it.”
“You’re still trying not to scare me off.”
“Well, yeah.”
“Okay, stop it. You have my full permission to stop talking around whatever you’re talking around.”
Buck sighs.
“Alright, fine. I haven’t been on a date with anyone else since I asked you in for coffee. I like you. A lot. And I want to keep doing this. I wouldn’t have agreed to meet Chris if I didn’t have every intention of sticking around, if you’ll let me. And I know - - I know it’s still so early. I’m not trying to get ahead of us, but that’s where I’m at. I want more of this. Both of you. At whatever speed you want to go.”
Eddie blinks.
“You haven’t even kissed me.”
“So?”
“What if I’m really bad at it?”
Buck cracks a smile. “Are you?”
“Well, no. But I could’ve been. Then you’d be stuck with a bad kisser.”
“Honestly, I don’t think I’d care.”
Eddie lets out a shaky breath.
“I’m scared that you’re going to break our hearts and it’ll be my fault.”
Buck shakes his head.
“I would never do that.”
“You might not mean to, but you - - you could be with anyone, do anything. What if you change your mind? A kid changes things. I can’t - - there’s lots of things I can’t give you.”
Buck steps closer and grabs Eddie’s other hand, clutching them both in his.
“I don’t think you realize just how much you can,” he whispers.
“What?”
“Eddie. This, tonight , it’s everything I have ever wanted. It’s everything I want. I’ve traveled the world, I’ve slept with interesting strangers I'll never see again, I’ve done mushrooms in the forests of Peru and arguably shifted dimensions, but all of that, all of it, was me searching for the thing you have.”
Eddie kind of feels like he’s going to puke.
“What do I have?”
“A purpose. A family. A home. A place in the world. I’m not - - I know this is a lot for a fourth date. I’m not saying we’re going to get married or anything, but if you’re worried that I don’t want what you’re offering — if you’re offering it — I’m saying that's not a problem. I do. Even if you’re a bad kisser.”
“Buck, I - -”
He’s cut off by a sleepy voice from the car behind them.
“ Daddy? ”
They both swivel to see Chris blinking up at them from his booster seat.
“Hey, buddy. We’re just about to head home, I’m just saying goodnight to Buck.”
At the mention of his name, Christopher seems to notice that he’s also standing there. He lights up.
“ Buck! ” He giggles.
“Hey, little man!” Buck grins.
“I had so much fun at the aquarium,” Chris tells him sleepily. “You should always come to the aquarium with us, okay?”
“That sounds so great, Chris,” Buck nods. Eddie doesn’t miss that he’s choosing his words carefully.
“I hear we’re going to the zoo next time?” Eddie adds. Buck catches his eye and grins.
“Yeah! Dad! Buck said he will take us to the zoo! He knows all about the animals, he’s gonna tell me.”
“Well aren’t we lucky. Hey, bud, say goodnight to Buck.”
“Goodnight, Buck.”
“Goodnight, Chris. Thanks for letting me hang out with you tonight. I had the best time.”
Eddie shuts Chris’ door and leans back against it.
“Goodnight, Buck,” he whispers.
“Night, Eddie,” he smiles. “Get home safe.”
Five
“He has truly not stopped talking about you. You’ve already been stuck in my head for the past month, and now you’re the topic of every conversation in my house. I’d say I might get sick of you, but I’m not sure that I could,” Eddie jokes.
They’re walking from the restaurant back towards Buck’s Jeep, because Buck picked him up. They drove here together.
“Hey, can I kiss you?” Buck replies, far too casually.
Eddie will never admit to tripping on the footpath at that very moment. And if he did, it was completely unrelated to what Buck just said.
“Oh. Uh, yes. Definitely.”
Buck nods, squeezes his hand. Because, again, they’re holding hands.
“Okay. Good to know. Did I overcorrect? With the pacing?” He asks conversationally, as if Eddie isn’t losing his mind.
“Um. No. Maybe a little bit? But I really appreciated it. I - - I hope you know I’ve wanted to kiss you since the first date. I just - - “
“It’s a lot. I know,” Buck finishes for him. “It’s really okay.”
And then they just… keep walking.
Eddie clears his throat.
“I can’t help but notice that you haven’t kissed me.”
Buck fails to stifle a laugh. “I didn’t say I was going to, I just asked if I could.”
Eddie rolls his eyes. “Okay, so you’re gonna be a dick about it then.”
“I’m not being a dick,” Buck scoffs. “I’m waiting for the right moment . There’s been a lot of build up, I want to maximize the pay off. Besides, you could kiss me too, you know.”
“I’m obviously not going to do that.”
“No, I know. Which means you’re just gonna have to be patient, huh?”
Eddie breathes in the start of what was going to be a very dramatic sigh, but before he can fulfill the dramatic sighing of it all, he’s being pushed up against Buck’s Jeep and kissed within an inch of his life.
Good god he is gay.
Buck’s entire body presses him into the door of the Jeep, his hands having found a home in his hair. All Eddie can do is scramble for purchase on Buck’s biceps and hold on tight.
Buck pulls back, eventually. The second their lips aren’t touching anymore, the words: “Keep dating me. Indefinitely,” explode out of Eddie.
“What?” Buck laughs, already bewildered by the kiss.
“Officially,” Eddie clarifies.
Buck presses a kiss to Eddie’s forehead. He feels his grin against his skin. “Are you asking me to be your boyfriend?”
“Yeah, sure. Just stay.”
This time, when Buck pulls back to look at Eddie, he’s squinting at him suspiciously.
“Eddie Diaz. Were you waiting to confirm that I was not a bad kisser?”
Eddie blinks. Not because it’s true , there’s just a lot going on.
“…no.”
“Oh my god.”
“I wasn’t! I knew you wouldn’t be.”
Buck, horrifically, stops touching Eddie. He crosses his arms over his chest instead.
“Ask me properly.”
Eddie rolls his eyes.
“Oh my god, you’re such a brat.“
Buck’s eyes fill with worry, his hands falling back to Eddie’s chest.
“Wait! Don’t change your mind!” He begs.
All Eddie can do is shake his head, covering Buck’s hands with his own.
“I’m not. I’m so into you it’s stupid, Buck. Be my boyfriend.”
Buck grins so bright it’s blinding.
“Yeah, okay. I’ll boyfriend the shit out of you,” he grins.
“Oh yeah?”
“Mmhmm. Gonna plan so many trips to the zoo. Cook you both pancakes for breakfast. Sneak choc chips into Chris’ so he keeps thinking I’m cool.”
And what’s Eddie supposed to say to that, other than to kiss him?
“Where did you come from?” He whispers against Buck’s mouth.
“I’ve just been looking for you.”
+ 1
Eddie is never, ever going to get used to being kissed by Buck.
Buck, currently, has him backed against Eddie’s very own front door, and is kissing the shit out of him. You could say they’re making up for lost time, but he’s pretty sure they’d be this gross with each other even if they’d been kissing since the first date.
“Hey, you wanna come in for coffee?” Eddie croaks between kisses.
Buck pulls back, still bracketing Eddie against the door with his arms.
“Coffee?”
“I also have tea,” Eddie grins.
“Well, Eddie, if it’s not the oldest trick in the book.”
“I hear it works almost every time.”
“Yeah, it’s definitely working. Do you have to get Chris?”
“He’s at a sleepover.”
“Oh.”
If Eddie isn’t mistaken, that is Buck’s disappointed oh, not his sexy oh.
“Are you disappointed we have the house to ourselves?” Eddie laughs.
“No. No! I just - - thought I might get to see him.”
He is so far gone on his man, it’s not even funny.
“He’ll be back tomorrow morning,” he whispers against Buck’s mouth. “You can make those pancakes you keep talking about.”
“They’re Bobby’s pancakes, they’re very good pancakes,” Buck mumbles, suddenly pulling back. “I - - you want me to stay over?”
“Yeah. I really do.”
“So I’m not getting any sleepy time tea, then?” He grins.
“Do you want some?”
“No. Coffee. Definitely coffee.”