#ive written half of it on the train yesterday dhsjsj

[diazboys]

buddie + "it's a texas thing" please!!

a map of your stars | buddie + stargazing | 1.3k words | ao3

I just wanted to write a dorky, space nerd Eddie because both Eddie and space are my weaknesses.

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"Hey, Buck?"

Eddie grins, bumping his shoulder into Buck's as he leans against the side of the car next to him. The smile he gets in response is soft and maybe a bit tired but so full of love that Eddie's able to see it even in the almost-dark that surrounds them.

"You see all this white stuff above us?" Eddie continues, grinning even more when he sees Buck rolling his eyes. "They're called stars. It's a Texas thing."

"You’re such an idiot," Buck laughs, quietly. "You can’t just claim stars like that.”

“I can and I just did. See that one?” Eddie points at a random part of the sky. “That one is mine.”

Buck only shakes his head and wraps an arm around Eddie’s shoulders. With something that sounds like a muffled “it sure is” he pulls Eddie closer for a kiss.

“I gotta admit, though. It’s really beautiful here, nothing like that meteor shower in LA we took Christopher to last year. I lived in a few places with clear enough skies but this is impressive,” Buck says.

Eddie hums in agreement, remembering some of the stories he’d heard from Buck over the years. "Did a lot of stargazing on the beaches of Peru?"

"I did a lot of things on the beaches of Peru," Buck admits with a chuckle. "Stargazing was one of them."

Staring up at the sky, Eddie takes a step away from Buck and turns around until he finds what he’s looking for. Squeezing Buck’s hand to get his attention he points up with his free arm.

“See that wonky W near the Little Dipper?” Eddie asks. “That’s Cassiopeia.”

“I’m not sure you can still be believed about those things,” Buck says.

Despite his words, he moves to stand behind Eddie, his arms automatically wrapping around Eddie’s waist as he moves his head close to make sure he’s following Eddie’s line of sight.

“There’s a whole story about a Greek queen Cassiopeia, who was bragging that she was the most beautiful, even more than the sea nymphs and it pissed off Poseidon. Then there was something about a monster and Cassiopeia's daughter being a bribe and a Greek hero, who saved the day but the point is that Cassiopeia ended up in heavens with them all but she was tied to a chair, disgraced because of her vanity that lead to all this mess," Eddie says, then turns his head slightly to look at Buck with a grin. "You should be careful so you won't end up like her."

"Oh, so what I'm hearing is that I'll get stars named after me?" Buck answers with a raised eyebrow and a pleased smile on his face.

Laughing, Eddie fully turns in Buck's arms. His hand comes to rest at the nape of Buck's neck, playing with his hair as he leans in for a kiss.

"If it was up to me, you would," Eddie says.

Buck's smile softens and he lowers his gaze, just like every time he gets a compliment and he's not sure what to do about it. It's one of the reasons Eddie tries to be more open about his feelings in both his words and actions. Seeing Buck smile like that always feels like the best reward and it's worth the struggle of trying to express himself properly.

“Maybe you should take me stargazing sometime, tell me about the constellations and all the stories behind them,” Buck says and then his smile turns back into a smirk. "And I could show you what else I did on the beaches of Peru."

Eddie just chuckles and shakes his head at that. He let's Buck maneuver them so Eddie's being pulled into his warm, broad chest again. He rests his head on Eddie's shoulder as they both gaze up at the sky together.

A small, happy sigh escapes Eddie's lips. He feels as if the whole world has stopped for a moment, just letting them be. Christopher is asleep in the car, exhausted by all the little entertainments that Buck and Eddie had planned for the second day of their road trip to El Paso. About an hour ago Buck suggested that, since he was driving, Eddie should read for them to pass the time. Christopher made it through the first two pages before he was out like a light, even though he insisted he'll stay awake all the way to Adri's place. Soon after that, Eddie suggested that he and Buck should take a little break and switch places, since Buck's been driving for most of the day. They should get to his sister's place soon enough anyway, and Eddie knew the way better than Buck.

After a few quiet minutes, Buck says, his voice quiet as if he doesn't want to disturb the peace. "You seem to know quite a lot about space, stars and Greek queens."

"I learned a lot from my Abuelo, when I was a kid. He used to take this really old telescope and take me to the backyard in their old place, before they moved to LA. I still find it all really interesting," Eddie admits. "Besides, Christopher is really into it as well, so I have the excuse to brush up on the things I've learned back then.”

Buck just hums in agreement, hugging Eddie tighter and letting them fall into the comforting silence for a few moments longer.

Coming home has always felt a bit bittersweet for Eddie. It reminded him of all the good things that happened but also about some of the worst. And dealing with his parents and their constant meddling with his life is something that he can accept just in small doses. As much as he loves his parents — and his sisters, who he misses a whole lot, living on the other side of the country — coming to El Paso sometimes feels like a chore he has to get done sooner or later.

But it feels different now. Having Buck by his side, being able to take this trip with him, seeing him play silly car games with Christopher to keep him occupied — it all makes this so much better. It lets Eddie relax, focus on the joys of the road trip and all the things in his hometown he could show Buck, instead of the anxiety of what will be said about the way he lives his life this time. Because it doest matter. Not when he has a life, a family, a partner in all of it by his side. The way he lives his life must finally be the right one. It gave him Buck, after all.

And standing here, in the middle of nowhere, Eddie feels at home. It doesn't matter that his family home is still miles away and his new home is even further away. Because his home is right here with him, asleep in the car and holding him tight, staring at the night sky with him. And it will be there with him wherever he goes.

"We should probably get going," Buck says, squeezing Eddie a little tighter for a moment before he lets go. "Adriana texted me that she won't let you in if we arrive too late and wake her up."

"First of all, she hasn't replied to any of my texts but she's talking to you?" Eddie raises an eyebrow, turning to face Buck. "And secondly, why wouldn't she let me in, what about you?"

"To answer both of your questions — she likes me better than you because I'm amazing," Buck answers with a grin.

He leans down to press a kiss to Eddie's lips and then goes back to the car, not waiting for Eddie's response.

"Remember what happened to Cassiopeia, Buck," Eddie quietly calls after him as he follows.

He feels a smile tugging at his lips as he gets into the driver's seat and he's pretty sure it won't disappear anytime soon.

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