Chapter Text
Eddie hums.
When you spend nights and days working in close proximity with colleagues, eating together, sleeping in close quarters, always in the same space, you start to notice everyone’s little habits.
When the shifts are slow -never the q world- and everyone settles until the next call, Buck catalogues his family's quirks.
He himself bounces his leg.
Chimney pops his gum incessantly, his arrival always announced by the loud clack of the sweet against his teeth.Hen, clicks her pen and bites it when she is struggling in front of her crosswords.
Ravi fidgets with stress balls, Bobby sharpens and washes the already impeccable knives… and Eddie hums. And Buck loves it.
It is not always a melody. Sometimes it‘s only a low buzz, a quiet sound almost inaudible if one doesn't strain his ear. Buck didn't think the man was aware of it. The humming was always more prominent when Eddie was tired or when they were cooling down after a tough call.
Like right now.
They had just come back from a big car wreck, no casualties thankfully, but extracting the victims from the car's carcasses and the clean up of the scene had still taken them most of the afternoon. They only return to base at sunset.
Buck had run upstairs immediately after his shower claiming his place on the couch before anyone else could, smashing his head into the pillow on one end and placing his legs on the opposite arm.
“ Oh come on man that’s not fair!” He heard Chimney groan, out of breath .“ How are you showering so fast i swear to god I only took 5 min”.Buck smirked, placing his arms behind his head “ What can i say, you're getting old Chimney, you can’t compete with my youthful disposition.”
His laugh turned into a yelp as he was repeatedly hit with a pillow but he did not retaliate. It would mean leaving the couch and his place, and he was smarter than that. He did smile smugly and very maturely stuck his tongue out though, when Bobby asked Chimney to stop harassing his brother in law. Chimney might have snatched the tv remote and he might have earned himself an amused eye roll from Hen but at least he won.
Hen gently tapped his legs and he retracted them allowing her to settle on the couch, ignoring Chimney’s scandalized look.
People trickled in quietly after this, and the tv was set on a low volume on some games so as to not bother the quiet of the evening.
Buck closed his eyes. The murmur of conversation and Bobby shuffling in the kitchen starting on the dinner preparation could lull him into sleep anyday. But before he could take his nap he heard it. The hum.
Straightening up he watched as Eddie opened the fridge, squinting against the harsh light of it.
If the full coffee cup in his hand was any indication he was searching for the algae creamer he couldn't stop raving about since he came back from dispatch. Eddie would have never asked for it even if it could have been on the food budget for the station, but Buck bringed some when he found it in the store, under the pretense of a healthier option than the basic creamer they all used.
He also made a point of never putting it in his own cup. He would make an inconspicuous comment on the taste of his drink, let Eddie taste it and watch his mouth twist in disgust. He’d wait as Eddie inevitably dumped the offending beverage in the sink -muttering about Buck always forgetting it- and prepared a new cup.
Everytime, Eddie would carefully add the creamer and hand it to Buck, an eyebrow raised, waiting for him to judge it. And everytime Buck would take a small sip and hum in approval. If he savoured the satisfied smirk on Eddie’s face more than his coffee nobody had to know.
Eddie was still absentmindedly staring into the fridge and Buck recognized the melody he sang from the radio they listened to going to work this morning.
He stood up ignoring Hen amused huff and Chimney’s leap for the place on the couch the second he left.
“ Like a sailor following a siren call this one” Hen muttered.
“Second shelf on the door,” Buck said, sitting himself on the counter and purposely avoiding Bobby’s disapproving glare.
Eddie’s face lit up ”Thanks,” he handed his cup to Buck before opening and pouring the creamer in it and taking it back.
His hair was still wet from his shower, small drops of water perling at the tip of his strand and falling on his cheeks. This close Buck could smell the sweet scent of his shampoo. He looked soft.
His shoulder brushed Buck’s arm when he leaned back against the counter.
“Did you know hummingbirds could flap their wings more than 70 times per second ? Some can even flaps them up to 200 hundred times by second during their courtship”
Eddie tilted his head and it bumped against Buck’s shoulder.
“No I didn't. To what do we owe this new knowledge Buck ?“ he asked with a soft smile.
A drop of water rolled down his neck to his collarbone where it hid itself under his shirt. Buck’s heart skipped a beat.
“Yeah Buck who made you think of this cute hummingbird fact “ Chimney chimed in with a glint Buck absolutely didn't like in his eyes. Karmaaa the man mouthed and Buck swore he would take his revenge, but now Eddie was looking at him expectantly and he couldn't lie.
“ Well hummingbirds are named this way because of the hum from their wings…” Eddie raised an eyebrow, waiting patiently and Buck ducked his head bashfully.
“You hum a lot,” He mumbled.
Eddie frowned ,“ Do I?”
“Yeah you were doing it before ” Hen said grinning mischievously and yes Buck would definitely add her to his revenge list.
Eddie’s shoulder tensed a bit and he slowly took a sip of his coffee, the tip of his ears reddening in embarrassment.
“I’m sorry. I guess I took up the habit when Chris was still a baby and I couldnt get him to sleep. I was only there during my permissions and basically a stranger to him. He would only settle if I hummed. I guess it calmed us both” he joked. “ I'll try to stop doing it, the constant noise must be annoying.“
“No!” Buck said a bit too urgently, “I like it, it's really cut…cool! It’s cool!”
Oh God .
He felt the blush creep up his neck. “You uh…hum well… hummingbird…” He chuckled awkwardly before stiffly patting Eddie’s shoulder.
Smooth Buckley super smooth.
Eddie was looking at him with wide eyes, his mouth opening once or twice searching for words .
“o… okay?”
Buck looked up to the sky. He just called his friend a hummingbird. No one does that it is the weirdest unsmooth thing he could have said and of any time it could have happened, he had to fumble this hard in the middle of a loft full of gossipy firefighters.
He chanced a look at Chimney and Hen and all hopes of getting out of here without a massive ribbing were lost to him. The traitors seemed ready to burst, lips tightly shut but dangerously lifting up. He swears Chimney was trembling with the effort of not laughing, gaze firmly fixed on the back of the couch as if it would only take a look from Hen for him to explode.
Eddie was still frozen in place with a confused and flustered look on his face and Bobby was wearing this fond but exasperated look, a hand slowly coming up to his face to hide his smile and …
“I’m…gym.” He stammered. Ah yes, eloquent, a true poet.
As Chimney finally lost the fight against himself ,Buck flew down the stairs to the gym. They were never going to let that down.
…
On their next shift Eddie greeted him with an elbow to the side and Buck squawked, almost spilling his coffee.
“What was that for !?”
“I listened to what hummingbirds’ wings sound like”
“and ?”
“Sounds like shit” He said bluntly. “ Really need to up your game if you wanna make me blush Buck.” And then Eddie winked.
Buck almost choked on his drink as Eddie laughed.
His best friend was going to be the death of him.