Chapter Six
After our beach day, it became pretty common for me to hang out with the guys often on evenings they weren't on shift. So, I wasn't surprised when I got a text a few weeks later an hour before I left work.
Buck: Tommy's on shift until late
Buck: Eddie's chaperoning a school dance
Buck: Which is the funniest senstance I've ever typed!
Buck: But that means I'm bored and wanna watch a chick flick when they can't make fun of me
Buck: Wanna come over and watch She's the Man with me?
I grinned. We'd bonded over our love of cheesy Amanda Bynes movies from our teenagerhood when we'd been recovering, and it made me happy that he remembered.
Me: I'll get ice cream, you get takeout?
Buck: Yes! Tacos or Chinese?
Me: Surprise me. You have wine, or do I need to get some?
Buck: Maybe get some
Buck: I'm not sure I have enough
Buck: Cuz we're also watching Step Up
Buck: Channing Tatum is pretty
Me: How did you not realize you're bi earlier?
Buck: Haha repression is a real thing
So, I stopped at a grocery store on my way to his loft and picked up both ice cream and wine. And when a sparkly blue nail polish caught my eye, I grabbed it, too. After all, if we were ogling Channing Tatum, drinking wine, and eating ice cream like teenaged girls, I might as well do my nails, while I was at it.
"I'm so glad you've moved back home." He greeted me at the door with a huge grin and a hug.
"I've needed a girls' night," I replied with a cheeky grin of my own. He just pinched my side and led me to the kitchen. "It's been a long week."
"Tell Buck all about it," he said. He took the wine from me to put it in the fridge to chill. And he replaced it with an already-poured glass of wine, before gesturing for me to put the ice cream in the freezer.
I did while saying, "I'm just tired of dealing with old white men who think because they're white and have money means they can do whatever they want, that's all. We found out that one of the companies we source our cotton from isn't using the ethical practices that they claimed they were, and then also that the CEO is a sexual predator to all the women under his employ, so Gladys is severing all ties with the company."
"Good for her, means lots of work for you, though," he commiserated, concentrating on dividing the containers of takeout between two plates. "Oh, before I forget, I put some clothes in the bathroom down here for you. I figured you wouldn't want to hang out in your work clothes."
"If you weren't both basically my brother and also already dating Tommy, I would date you so hard," I sighed happily. I pressed a quick kiss to his cheek as he laughed, then went to change.
"Yeah, you're gorgeous," I heard him say through the door, "but way too much like a sister. And I'm quite happily dating Tommy, so…"
"You guys are disgustingly adorable," I agreed, pulling the tee shirt over my head. It was laughably huge on me, as were the sweatpants, but still so much more cuddly than my trousers and blouse. And it was big enough that I decided I didn't need to keep my bra on. It was Friday night, after all, and Buck was my brother.
I came out of the bathroom to see that Buck had taken the food (and our wine, bless him!) to the coffee table. "Entitled old white men mean we eat comfy," he informed me. "Now, tell me more. Channing can wait, venting cannot."
Around eating the fabulous kung Pao chicken, I told him about the logistical nightmare that we were navigating at work. Not only were we having to find a new source, but Gladys also had offered a position to any woman who wanted to leave that company. "Which is amazing, I wish more people were like Gladys, but we've had floods of applications, and trying to find positions for all of them when we weren't really looking to hire anyone at this point has been insane. But I think we've decided that we're going to contract with the farmers themselves and cut out the sexist pig middle man. And we can offer them a better rate, since we don't have to pay the middle man."
"Stick it to the middle man!" he said with a mouthful of rice.
I laughed and stole his last dumpling. "But even with all the extra surprise work, I'm so happy to be doing something that makes a difference, you know? Gladys is an absolute icon, and she is trying so hard to have everything we make be ethical and sustainable. She says she wants to leave the world better after her for her family."
"Sounds like another awesome lady I know," Buck told me, looking at me with a soft, proud smile.
I took a big slug of my wine so I wouldn't tear up. "Oh, hush. Now, I heard something about Channing Tatum?"
He just laughed, threw the remote at me, and pulled my foot into his lap. "Am I painting your nails for you tonight, or what?"
Halfway through our second movie, and into our third bottle of wine, Eddie came through the door. "I though-thought you were sssh-chaperoning a dance?" I asked, still lounging in Buck's lap where he was meticulously putting little braids in my hair.
Eddie looked a bit grumpy, at least what I could see through my slightly bleary eyes. "I was, and then afterwards, Chris decided he was going to spend the night at his friend's house."
"He's a teenager now," Buck said with a sniff. "He's too cool for us."
"How much wine did you guys have?" Eddie sounded a bit suspicious now, and maybe like he was trying not to smile.
"All of it!" I cheered.
"So much," Buck agreed mournfully.
Eddie shook his head and took the bottle of wine from the coffee table. "I think you guys have had enough now."
"Sssshhhh, Channing's on," Buck informed him.
"Isn't he a teenager in this movie?"
"Nah really," I assured. "Mean, he's a teenager in th' movie, but nah really."
"Are you trying to say the actor wasn't a teenager when he made the movie?"
"What I said, Eddie. Don' be mean."
"So sorry," he laughed. The next thing I knew, he was lifting my legs and settling underneath me on the couch.
"Mmmm, toasty."
"Eddie's always warm," Buck informed me happily. "He's like- He's the Human Torch!"
"Meh, he's way hotter th'n Johnny Storm."
"And not a Chad."
"Ooo, yeah, nah Chad."
"I don't think you two should have any more unsupervised wine nights."
"Eddie's meaner th'n Johnny Storm."
"Yeah, so mean."
I wasn't sure when, but between Buck petting my hair and Eddie lightly rubbing my calves, I fell asleep. But I was warm and cozy, and it was so nice!
Voices woke me, but I just snuggled in and kept my eyes closed. "Baby, were you just planning on leaving Carmen on the couch?"
"'S a comfy couch," Buck said beneath me. "We're comfy. Sooooo comfy."
"But I don't think she's going to be terribly happy when the sun comes up with all these windows. You don't have blinds down here, baby." When did Tommy get here?
"I can take her home," Eddie laughed. Oh yeah, Eddie's here! He's so warm! "I'm glad I could be your personal heater."
I said that out loud?
"Yep, and that, too."
"Ugh." I cracked my eyes open to see Tommy and Eddie looking down at me with big grins on their faces. "Hi Tommy."
"Hey Car, looks like you two had a good night," he replied, that soft grin making his pretty blue eyes all crinkly. I could definitely see what Buck saw in him.
"Uh, Carmen, you said that out loud again," Eddie told me. His eyebrows scrunched up, and I really wanted to smooth them out.
"Okay, Carmen's filter is clearly not working, so I'm gonna take her home. You've got Buck?"
"Yeah, I can take my pile of marshmallows up the stairs."
"Carmen, baby, where are your shoes?"
"Eds, I'm pretty sure those heels by the door aren't Buck's."
"Oh, good. Okay, Carmen, I'm gonna help you sit up now, okay? And then I'll take you home. Sound good?"
Eddie's so nice. "Yeah, he is nice, Car, so let's get you up so he can take you home."
"Kay, bye Buck!"
"Carmen, I'm just going to give you a piggyback ride, okay? Because I don't trust you in your heels right now, and I don't want to make you walk barefoot. Is that okay?"
…
I cracked my eyes open, then instantly regretted that decision when light stabbed directly into them. "Ugh, what did I do?"
When I could open my eyes without wanting to gouge them out, I noticed a bottle of water sitting on my nightstand, with some Advil. It was a nice discovery, though I had no idea who had done it for me, or how I had even gotten home. I still wore Buck's clothes, but the last thing I remembered was falling asleep on Buck, and now I was in my own bed in my mom's house. What had happened?
I made it to the bathroom, and after brushing my teeth with the lights off, I felt a bit more like a human being, so I headed to the kitchen for maybe some coffee.
"Good morning, sunshine," Mom greeted me, with a far too smug smile. She looked way too put together, too, as she was slicing some veggies into a pan on the stove.
"Ugh, what time is it?" I started the coffee, then sort of just slouched against the counter to wait for it.
"Twelve-thirty, so morning is a bit subjective, I suppose." She was still too smug, but she did press a kiss to my cheek, so I guess I could let it go.
"How did I get home last night?"
Her grin took on a nearly feral gleam, making me worry. "Eddie brought you home. Seems like you and Buck had a bit too much to drink last night."
I had to hide my eyes; it was too much to face. "Please tell me I was asleep the whole time," I begged.
"Mm, I would, but that would be lying."
"Was I chatty?"
"Very. Also, clingy."
"No," I gasped out, dropping my hands to look at her.
And Mom was enjoying this all too much. "Mmhmm, very clingy. You were wrapped around that boy like a baby koala."
"Or maybe an octopus," Bobby came around the corner to add, also looking far too amused. "You only let go of him when your mom gave you a pillow in exchange."
"I can never face him again," I declared. "Do you know what I said?"
"We just heard something about how soft his hair was," Bobby answered.
"And how strong he is, don't forget that part," Mom added.
"My next home will be under a rock. In the middle of nowhere."
The doorbell ringing cut off my dramatic ramblings. But when Bobby answered the door, it only made things worse. "Hey, I've got Carmen's stuff from last night," I heard Tommy say.
I came around to collect my own things, and he lit up with a wicked grin. "How's the head, Car?"
"Whatever I said last night, I didn't mean it," I said automatically as I took my keys and the bag of my clothes.
"So, you don't think I have pretty blue eyes?" he laughed.
"Not when you're mean to me, no."
He cackled another laugh. "Well, I hope you're doing better than Evan right now, but from the looks of things, probably not. I'm going to go baby him some more."
"Thanks, Tommy." I shut the door behind him, just in time for Harry to come out of his room.
"What did you do last night?" he asked, sounding a mix of amused and appalled.
I turned to see him staring at me. "What?"
"That was Tommy bringing your clothes from yesterday, you're wearing a shirt that says Buckley across the back, and I saw you hanging onto Eddie for dear life last night. What exactly did you do last night?"
"Nothing like you're insinuating," I grumped.
"Your coffee's ready, Car," Mom called. "And Harry, you better not be insinuating anything. You're way too young to know anything about that."
"I'm sixteen, Mom."
"I'm well aware of how old you are. I was there when you were born, after all."
"Mom, really?"
I happily took the coffee mug from Mom. "But no, Harry, I did not have an orgy with three firefighters. Buck and I had a wine night in, Eddie brought me home. That's it."
"You got that smashed on wine? That's just sad."
"Harry!"
"Car, sweetheart, have you actually looked in a mirror yet this morning?" Bobby asked, looking rather concerned.
Making me rather concerned. "What's wrong?"
He grimaced. "I just- maybe- It's probably best if you go see your hair for yourself."
That was not comforting. I hurried to the bathroom and actually turned the light on this time. And then stared long and hard at my reflection, at the mess of braids and tangles all along the right side of my head. The part that Buck had been playing with last night.
"I was going to let you actually get some coffee in you before I said anything, but we can get this undone," Mom assured me, once I slouched my way back to the kitchen. "Let's have some lunch, and then we can watch a movie while I undo all this. Was this Buck?"
"Yeah, at least I think so."
"Hhmm, he's normally much better at braiding than this. He does Jee's hair all the time."
"Three bottles of wine split between us might have had some effect on his skill."
It only took two movies for Mom to get all of the braids and tangles out. But it was nice, spending so much time with her. Though I did have to text Buck afterwards.
Me: You're never coming near my hair again
Me: At least not if you're also near wine
Me: Four hours, Buck!
Buck: I am so sorry!
Buck: But you still love me, right?
Me: Always. Though Mom might give you a glare or two next time she sees you, since she was the one undoing all your hard work.
Buck: I'll bring my lemon bars
Buck: Athena loves my lemon bars
Me: You'd better bring me some of those lemon bars too
Buck: Always
AN: This was such a fun chapter to write! First, Buck typing too fast to make sure his texts are correct seemed very in character for him, especially if you subscribe to the headcannon that he's got ADHD. And then drunk Buck and Carmen were a riot together. Hope you have as much fun reading them as I did writing them! And thanks to Riordanlover16 and Angel JJK for your reviews. Riordanlover16, I also want to punch Athena's mom. Why do all the characters have terrible parents? And Carmen is around 30-31 at this point, so basically the same age as Buck.