"Is this a teaspoon or a tablespoon?" Eddie mumbled as he stared at the little scoop in his hands. The label had been worn off after years of use. He'd found a few basic recipes online that he thought he could tweak. There were only so many ways to make a muffin or a cookie, but it was the extras you added that made the difference.

He'd gone to Michael's store earlier to get the ingredients he needed for the day's experiments. Once again, Chris begged for a playdate with Harry. It was even more exciting since Hen's son, Denny, was there as well for the day. Eddie promised to reciprocate the babysitting when he got more settled at the cafe.

Buck hadn't been by yet, but it was still early. Eddie caught himself looking toward the door any time he heard a sound from outside. But instead of feeling pathetic, he just felt butterflies.

Eddie hadn't considered anyone romantically since he met Shannon. He'd expected to be with her forever, once upon a time. And when their marriage started failing, he still didn't consider looking elsewhere. He was fully prepared to be alone for the rest of his life.

Was it crazy to feel this way? To have your whole mindset shift after knowing someone for two days? Eddie was usually methodical, but all of his choices since he met with that lawyer had felt impulsive. If he'd been presented with the offer a few years ago, he probably would've taken weeks or months to make a decision. But after losing so much and being shown that life could change in the blink of an eye, he went all in after one conversation with Chris and a gut feeling telling him to do it. And right now, his gut was leading him toward Buck.

There was no proof that Buck felt the same way about him. There was the blushing and glances and smiles, but Eddie could just be reading into things. He hadn't seen Buck with other people while Eddie wasn't involved in the conversation, so maybe he was like this with everyone. Maybe Buck just had something about him that made you fall hard and fast.

After the comment Maddie made to him the day before, Eddie was desperately curious about the circumstances of how Buck's heart had been broken. Not because he relished in the other man's pain, but because he honestly couldn't figure out how someone could stand hurting such a great person. And even though he'd never met them, Eddie kind of hated them. Just like he had a general disdain for Buck's biological parents, even though he didn't have any details of what they'd done.

"Chocolate or vanilla?"

"Chocolate, always." Buck was standing in the doorway to the kitchen and Eddie felt like the room got that much brighter.

"Buck."

"The door was unlocked, so I let myself in. I hope you don't mind."

"You're always welcome." Buck rubbed the back of his neck and looked away bashfully. Eddie cataloged that reaction in his brain, along with the others. "And you're just in time. My coffee cake should be cool enough to taste."

"Lucky me," Buck grinned, rubbing his hands together.

"And be honest with me when you try it. I took ideas from a few different recipes and added a couple of things here and there. I'm just using this as a jumping off point," Eddie said, cutting off a corner and setting it on a plate. He handed it to Buck, biting his lip as he watched him have his first taste.

"Oh my God," Buck mumbled around his mouthful.

"If you need to spit it out, I won't be mad. The garbage can is behind you."

"Are you kidding? This is amazing!" Buck laughed, taking another big bite.

'Really? You aren't just saying that?" He wouldn't be surprised if Buck was trying to spare his feelings, but if this tasted like trash, he really needed to know. Customers wouldn't be so kind.

"Eddie, I swear. This might be the best coffee cake I've had in my life."

"And exactly how many coffee cakes have you had in your life?"

"Not many, but this is definitely the best."

"I've never actually baked anything before," Eddie admitted. He'd been told his whole life how bad he was in the kitchen, so he never thought to try. If he couldn't make a satisfactory meal, why bother failing at another thing?

"That's a shame, since everyone's been missing out," Buck insisted, nodding at the rest of the cake. "Go on, try some yourself."

"Oh yeah," Eddie snorted, realizing he hadn't thought to take a piece. He hadn't been looking forward to it, since he was probably his harshest critic at this point. How could he not be? It was easier to go along with everyone and agree that he sucked. Eddie took a tentative bite, raising his eyebrows in surprise. "These aren't actually that bad."

"Not that bad? Try wonderful," Buck argued, urging him to finish his slice. "Really though, I have no notes. I would buy this in a heartbeat."

"I'm trusting you on this," Eddie said, putting a star next to the recipe that he'd written down as he went along. "My first official menu item. Wow."

"I'm honored that I got to taste it," Buck said sincerely, staring at him for a few moments before glancing around. He was glad for the reprieve, since that gaze could probably make Eddie confess anything if he held it long enough. "Where's Christopher?"

"He's at Michael's, hanging out with Harry and Denny. I'm so happy to see he's made friends already."

"They are all great kids. They're gonna have the best time together."

"I'm going to have to figure out how to pay Michael back for all this. He's gonna get free coffee for life."

"I think you'll find that most people in this town help each other because they want to, not because they want something in return," Buck shrugged, before looking at him slyly. "Speaking of helping-"

"Don't worry, your money won't be good here either."

"That's not what I was going to say and I'm definitely not accepting that offer," Buck said, giving him a pointed look. "I was actually going to tell you that I brought some stuff over to help fix up the outside of the cafe. Some new paint for the sign, oil for the door hinges, a new lock. A couple things to get the outside looking as good as the inside."

"You don't have to do that. It's on my agenda," Eddie insisted, although it was a bit further down the list than he'd like.

"Really Eds, I don't mind. In fact, I love working with my hands. At the shelter, I usually have to be so careful. I look forward to the times I can bang something with a hammer," Buck explained with a laugh. Eddie was still a little hung up on the casual nickname Buck had referred to him as. "You'd be doing me a favor."

"I really don't think you understand how favors work," Eddie smirked, before giving up. He did want Buck to stick around, so he wasn't going to fight too hard. "Let me get my jacket and I'll come help."

"No, you stay in here and work on your recipes with those magic hands. I expect more things to taste by the time I'm done," Buck said, backing away toward the front door. Eddie willed his face to not get red. As soon as Buck was outside, he blew out a shaky breath. What was Buck doing to him? Why was Eddie's brain making everything they said sound like something deeper? Eddie had some built up tension that needed to be let out. What better way than by kneading some dough?

A couple hours later, Eddie was pulling a piping hot batch of cinnamon rolls out of the oven. He had a few mixers that would come in handy in the future, but this batch he'd done by hand. He pressed and rolled and kneaded, feeling the texture changes under his fingertips. And he definitely didn't imagine how Buck's skin would feel under his hands. Firm with strong muscles hidden under smooth skin. Whenever he'd fantasized before, he would always think of someone like Shannon. Someone delicate with soft curves. But the opposite felt just as appealing right now.

Eddie hadn't really considered his sexuality much growing up. He knew what was expected of him, so that's what he went with. Boys liked girls and anything else would get him even more negative attention from his parents. And it wasn't hard to go along with that. Once he got to know Shannon, he fell in love with her. He'd always been able to see she was attractive, but once he got to know her, she became more beautiful in his eyes. That's how he figured it was with everyone. Until he met Buck.

With Buck, the butterflies came before anything else. And the feelings kept growing and growing with every minute they spent around each other. Even when they were apart, Eddie's thoughts were filled with Buck. Maybe it was a fleeting crush and it would go away eventually, but Eddie was going to let himself enjoy it for now. It was a new feeling during the beginning of his new life. Even if it didn't mean anything in the long run, it still felt nice.

Eddie plated up a steaming roll and headed outside. Buck had been in a couple times since he started working, but only to grab something quickly and go back out. It felt incredibly comfortable and domestic. Eddie carefully opened the door, making sure not to jostle the ladder Buck was currently standing on.

"Wow," Eddie breathed out, taking in all the work Buck had done. The outside looked just as immaculate as the inside now. Buck had replaced split boards and put a fresh layer of paint on them. He was currently making the sign look like new again. "This is amazing."

"You think?" Buck asked, leaning back to look at his work critically. "I'm trying to get it to how it used to look."

"It's perfect. Thank you." Everything was falling into place with the cafe. This could actually work. "You've definitely earned this latest treat."

"Did you say treat?" Buck asked, looking down excitedly. "Is that a cinnamon roll?"

"Still warm," Eddie confirmed. Buck scrambled down the ladder as quickly as he could, practically drooling in anticipation. When he got to the bottom he reached out for the plate, before pausing when he got a look at his hands.

"Oh," Buck moaned, staring at his paint-streaked hands forlornly. "I need to go wash up."

"Let me?" Eddie offered, gesturing to the plate. Buck's brows furrowed in confusion, but he nodded in agreement. Eddie picked up the bun and held it to Buck's lips, holding back a smile as he took a bite. Eddie hadn't fed another person since Christopher was a baby, but it felt natural doing it with Buck. It didn't have to mean anything beyond helping a friend out.

"Stop it!" Buck groaned as soon as he'd swallowed what was in his mouth. "This is amazing."

"Yeah?"

"I'm convinced you're a professionally trained chef because this is ridiculous."

"I'm convinced you were born without taste buds because you are being way over the top."

"Eddie, my taste is immaculate. When I say I like something, that means it's divine. You are an artist."

"I'd have an easier time believing you if you didn't use words like divine," Eddie snorted.

"I could write poetry about your baking, Eddie. Mariah Carey could sing ballads about this cinnamon roll. Congress is meeting right now to make this the new national food."

"You are so ridiculous," Eddie laughed, shaking his head at Buck's dramatics. "Let me see." Eddie took a bite of Buck's cinnamon roll, chewing carefully.

"Well?"

"It's not the worst thing I've ever had," Eddie reluctantly admitted.

"Oh, don't tell me you weren't about to break out in song!"

"I don't sing."

"You'll have to start before the spring talent show. All the townsfolk come together to perform a song and dance number," Buck said seriously.

"I'm moving."

"I'm kidding! And you are not moving. There's no way I'm letting you go." Eddie felt his face fall before he could stop it. He tried to plaster on a smile to cover up his reaction, but Buck caught it. "What's wrong?"

"I just remembered I have a timer that's about to go off. I should go take care of it," Eddie lied, backing up toward the door. "I'll save this for you. Or you can get a new one. I'll be inside." Eddie escaped back into the cafe before Buck could say anything else. He felt like such a coward, but he needed a moment. Eddie wasn't sure why, but that one sentence triggered something in him.

He hid himself away in the kitchen for another hour, working on his next creations. His cookies were cooling on the counter while he was focusing on putting together some sandwiches. Eddie was planning on serving lunch options, instead of just baked goods. It would help bring in customers who wanted different things. Sandwiches felt easy enough to handle and whip up quickly, but he wanted something better than what you'd throw together in a rush on your way out the door in the morning.

"Sign's all finished," Buck said quietly from the doorway. Eddie smiled up at him, beckoning him further inside.

"If you've still got an appetite, I have some more food for you to try," Eddie offered. He could see some tension leave Buck's shoulders as he nodded.

"Let me wash up," Buck agreed, walking over to the sink to clean his hands. Eddie plated up the food and set everything on the table that was sitting in the corner of the kitchen. He sat down, bouncing one knee as he waited for Buck to join him.

"It was kind of strange how worn the outside of the cafe was, while the inside was so nice," Eddie said, just to break the silence before it got too stifling.

"It wasn't always the case. I'm not saying the inside was ever dirty, but it wasn't this updated either. Armando got all these new appliances not long before he passed."

"Oh."

"I asked him why, since the old stuff seemed to be working fine, but he didn't answer me," Buck shrugged, sitting down across from him. "If I had to guess, I think he was trying to set you up as best he could to take over."

"I'll always regret not getting a chance to thank him," Eddie sighed, staring down at the table. A distant relative had more faith in Eddie than most people who'd known him his whole life.

"Can I ask what happened outside earlier?" Buck asked softly, looking up at him through his lashes. "If I said something to upset you, I'm sorry." He looked so nervous that Eddie felt disgustingly guilty for leaving Buck alone so long, thinking he did something wrong. Eddie impulsively reached over and set his hand on Buck's arm.

"You didn't do anything wrong. And it wasn't anything you said. Actually, it was something you said, but not how you think."

"Eds-"

"When I left El Paso, my parents didn't care that I was leaving," Eddie said quietly, staring down at where he and Buck were connected. He didn't think he could maintain eye contact during this conversation. "I know I'm an adult and it's not like I hadn't left them before, but part of me wanted them to argue. To tell me that they couldn't stand the thought of me being so far away. To say they would do whatever they could to fix our relationship if that meant I would stay. And if they had, I probably would've. But they didn't."

"I'm sorry."

"What they did care about was Christopher. Again, not because they would miss us, but because they wanted me to leave him with them. They didn't want me to drag him down," Eddie sniffled, biting the inside of his cheek. "They were always waiting for me to fail. And I admit, I have made my fair share of mistakes, but they never let me live them down. They never believed I could learn from them and do better. But how the hell could I leave my kid with them after how they raised me? Chris deserves better than that. Better than me probably, but I'm gonna do whatever I can to make life good for that little boy."

"I've seen how you are with him. And I've seen how happy he is. Christopher is a great kid and you deserve some of the credit for that."

"I know you were just joking, but when you said you weren't letting me go, I think it was the first time someone told me they actually wanted me around."

"I wasn't joking," Buck said seriously, setting his free hand on top of Eddie's. Now he did look up to stare into Buck's eyes. All he saw was openness and understanding. "I know we've only known each other for a few days, but that's more than enough time to realize you're someone I want to know. Someone I want to have in my life. If other people can't see that, then they don't deserve you. It's their loss."

What would life have been like for Eddie if he had someone like Buck around to support him? To tell him that his parents were wrong and he wasn't a screw up? That he wasn't a disappointment? That some medal he hated earning wasn't the only thing that made him worthy of praise? Who would Eddie be if he had someone who accepted him?

"You're someone I want in my life too."