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English
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Published:
2020-03-15
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1,293
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1/1
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Cravings, So Cliché

Summary:

Buck has midnight cravings, and sometimes they’re really weird. (Sometimes they're just funny)

Notes:

Oh god this is my first work in this fandom; the nervousness never goes away.
about tagging for this fic: Buck is trans, trans men are men, therefore the mpreg tag applies. Also, this mentions Buck's past dysphoria, which I didn't tag because it's not central to the "plot", but it still could be triggering so I'm mentioning it here just in case. (I am not trans, so feel free to chime in if necessary)

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

Eddie wakes up to darkness and an empty bed. This itself isn’t unusual, and he picks his head off the pillow to listen for cues as to where Buck might be. Thankfully, he doesn’t hear anything that sounds like anyone being sick, because–despite the name–Buck’s morning sickness had occurred at all hours of the day. It had tapered off as Buck entered his last trimester though, something they were both grateful for. Knowing he wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep without reassuring himself that Buck was okay, Eddie throws the covers off himself and sits up.

His search leads him to the kitchen. The lights are off, but Buck is sitting at the table eating something. Since being removed from active duty, an increase of afternoon naps had also led to an increase in midnight snacking. He knows Buck hears him because he picks his head up, so Eddie flicks on the light.

“I didn’t want to wake you,” Buck murmurs. As always, mindful of Christopher sleeping in his room. “I know you have an early shift tomorrow, and the baby was hungry.”

“Which baby,” Eddie teases, “you?”

Buck pouts and goes back to his food. “Rude.”

“You love me.”

“I do.”

Eddie leans in to give Buck a kiss when he finally gets a good look at what the other man is eating and freezes.

“Buck.”

“Yeah?”

“Tell me that’s not what I think it is. That you are not being the biggest pregnancy cliché out there.”

Buck looks up at Eddie and grins sheepishly, still holding the spoon in his mouth. He swallows and points it at Eddie; “I’m going to let that ‘big’ comment slide for now because you’re clearly distracted, but if you’re asking if I’m eating pickles and ice cream; the answer is yes.”

“I didn’t think that happened outside like, movies and shi—stuff.”

“It doesn’t,” Buck shrugs; “but I’ve always wondered what it tasted like, and I figured being pregnant was a good opportunity to finally try it.” His free hand rests on his belly, thumb absently stroking the swell, and Eddie’s eyes are drawn toward the movement.

“And?”

“Oh it’s disgusting, but I don’t want to waste food.”

Eddie can’t help the laugh that bubbles out of him at Buck’s comment combined with the mournful glance he gives his bowl. That’s just like Buck, he thinks, and finally gives Buck the kiss he meant to earlier. (On the cheek. Because unlike Buck, Eddie has never wanted to taste pickles and ice cream). Then he pulls another chair closer to Buck’s side of the table and sits down. He’s content to just watch Buck eat and enjoy the company, but barely a few minutes later and Buck appears to give up on his midnight snack.

It seems even the Buckley appetite can only withstand so much.

“Ugh, bet I’ll throw it all up in the morning,” he says as he pushes the bowl away and goes to hold his belly with both hands this time.

“Even junior doesn’t want it, huh?” He reaches out, almost but not quite touching Buck’s stomach.

That had been one of the hurdles they’d had to face together earlier on in the pregnancy. While Buck knew others found him physically attractive, he’d always been self-conscious about his body. Less so after transitioning, but still. He’d had to work for his looks, and when he started showing, his self esteem took a nosedive. Buck was not a small man to begin with, and the growing bump just made him stand out in a crowd more. He again began shying away from Eddie’s touch and letting Eddie see him naked until Eddie could convince him otherwise. Even now, as much as Buck loves his and Eddie’s unborn baby, being touched unexpectedly in the stomach area can be a trigger for him. In other ways, Buck is as tactile as ever, just not in this. Eddie respects Buck’s idiosyncrasies, so his hands hover, uncertain until Buck grabs them and places them against the curve of his belly.

The warmth of Buck’s skin bleeds through the fabric of his t-shirt, and underneath his hands Eddie can feel their baby kicking, trying to shift around. It amazes him just as much as the first time he felt it. Even with Shannon, and the limited amount of time he’d had on leave to experience it with her. He strokes the bump, pressing a kiss to the curve to try and soothe their child. He can tell the novelty has worn off on Buck’s side of the experience at this late hour though, if his little grunts of discomfort are anything to go by, but he only repositions Eddie’s hands to where the movements can be felt best.

“They know their daddy,” Buck says when Eddie’s touch does what his didn’t and the baby settles.

Eddie has no response to offer. Sometimes he can’t believe Buck willingly signed up to do this for them. That he wanted this. He knows he’s staring–he can’t help himself–so it’s no surprise when Buck calls him on it.

“You’re staring again.”

“You’re beautiful,” he blurts out. (And Buck is. Seeing him grow round with the new life they made together does things to Eddie.)

“Shut up.”

There’s a flush creeping up the side of Buck’s neck to his face, and Eddie moves one of his hands from the bump to rest it there. He’s so very tempted to say ‘make me’ in response, but Buck is definitely not up to any kind of kitchen floor sex right now, and Eddie still has to get up for work in a few hours. Instead, he stands and pulls Buck to his feet as well, steadying the other man when he wobbles a little; off-balance because of his altered center of gravity.

“Bed?” he asks, and Buck nods in response. “Go. I’ll put your stuff in the sink and follow.”

He watches Buck head off to their room, knowing that he too is going to check in on Christopher on the way. For all Buck’s first-time parent fears, Eddie’s not really worried about him. They’ve been co-parenting Chris together for a few years now; he’s not going into this completely blind. It helps that Christopher is so excited about becoming a big brother, and Buck has been feeding off that excitement too.

By the time Eddie makes it back to their room, Buck has wrapped himself up in the blankets like a cocoon. And when he joins the other man in bed, Buck immediately snuggles up to him: head tucked under Eddie’s chin, rounded abdomen pressed against Eddie’s flat one, and their legs tangled together. The only thing that could make this moment more perfect would be having Chris there too, but he (also) has to get up early for school.

Buck falls back asleep right away, using Eddie as his own personal heated body pillow. Growing another tiny human takes a lot of energy, and pregnancy has been hitting Buck hard. But Eddie lies awake a little longer. He thinks about the life he’s built here in LA, and how much has changed for him since leaving Texas. Then Buck lets out a snore as Eddie feels their baby give another kick, almost as if they are reminding him to stay in the present. That he's not alone.

It’s wild that after all this time he can practically hold his entire world in his hands. His family. Safe. 

Buck would usually wake up at this point and tell him he was thinking too loud, and Eddie is glad he doesn't. They're going to need all the rest they can get for some big changes ahead, and Eddie can't wait. 

Notes:

thank you for reading! Comments and/or kudos are loved. come visit me on tumblr @fyeahhipsterdoctor :)